Expedia and MyHeritage Join Forces to Curate Ancestry Trips

For many Americans whose ancestors came from a different country, heritage is important. Some celebrate that history by donning plastic green bowlers on St. Patrick’s Day or throwing on a Germany jersey for the World Cup. But others want to make a deeper connection. That’s why Expedia and MyHeritage, an online genealogy company, have created a new special travel hub so users can win a trip for two to explore their family’s roots.

“Taking a trip to explore your roots can be a transformative experience,” says Aviram Levi, chief marketing officer at MyHeritage. “It creates an opportunity to immerse yourself in the world of your ancestors and gain a better understanding of who you are and where you come from.

A hub for traveling to some countries

The travel hub created by Expedia and MyHeritage features 10 European countries: the U.K., Ireland, France, Germany, Spain, Italy, Sweden, the Netherlands, Denmark, and Norway. MyHeritage says its data shows majority of Americans and Canadians have connections to one or more of these countries.

However, MyHeritage and Expedia may have to expand their offerings to connect with current U.S. immigrant numbers. According to the Pew Research Center, the U.S. foreign-born population was 44.8 million in 2018. Of that overall number, 11.2 million or 25 percent were from Mexico. The next three largest immigrant populations were China, India, and the Philippines.

German Spa Town Baden-Baden Is the Retreat of Your Dreams

Read article

The new travel hub can help build a family tree with a subscription to help users pinpoint where their family is from and track down living relatives. There’s even an opportunity to take a DNA test and clarify your own origin story. MyHeritage claims to have 15 billion historical records and 95 million users around the world. The company even says their DNA test can break down your heritage to more than 2,000 geographic regions. So if you’re not sure where your great-grandfather was from in Sweden, some genetic markers might point you in the right direction.

Finally, the site also offers a chance to win a heritage trip for two from Expedia and a 1-year MyHeritage Complete subscription. Even if you don’t win, it’s a chance to connect with your family’s history—as long as they came from Europe.