Italian Heritage Tourism: How Italy is Captivating Visitors with Ancestral Ties, Here’s All You Need to Know

Published on November 21, 2025

Italy’s’ heritage tourism’ has gained popularity as the country has focused on a newly powerful section of the tourism market, namely, Italian Americans. These tourists want to re-establish a foundational and emotional relationship with their ancestry. The emotional ties to one’s ancestral country are especially true for the 17 million Italian Americans. Matera hosted the International Tourism Exchange of Origins, which focused on how Italy can market tourism to Italian Americans, especially when these tourists want to go beyond the famous tourist sites and truly connect with their ancestry.

More than 70 international tour operators and 140 Italian sellers participated in the event to show how open this global tourism market niche has become. The event’s main speakers, parish priest of New York’s Old Saint Patrick’s Cathedral, Don Luigi Portarulo, and Caterina Orlando of Italy’s National Tourism Board, ENIT, focused on the emotional connections Italy has to its tourists and how these sentiments can be utilized to increase tourism and fine hospitality. Italy’s rich culture, history and hospitality will always make the country the perfect place to go for true tourists in search of a home.

The Appeal of Authenticity in Heritage Tourism

Caterina Orlando, ENIT’s head of the U.S. and Mexican markets, explained that the Italian-American community represents a significant portion of potential tourists. According to Orlando, there are roughly 17 million people in the U.S. who identify as having Italian roots, most of whom reside along the coasts. This large, diverse group offers a broad opportunity for Italy to engage in tourism efforts that tap into their desire to reconnect with their ancestry and immerse themselves in the Italian culture their families once knew.

Orlando outlined that the first group of travelers seeking heritage tourism includes Italian-Americans who have become financially successful and are looking to revisit their roots. For these visitors, the journey often extends beyond sightseeing; it’s about exploring their family’s history, understanding their cultural legacy, and fostering a connection to a country that, for many, feels like home despite being an ocean away.

Another significant segment of this market consists of those who seek a more intimate, personal experience. These travelers are interested in delving into the stories of their ancestors, visiting the towns they came from, and even searching through the public records for their family names. For them, the journey is about more than travel—it’s a deeply emotional process of reconnecting with their heritage and sharing those stories with the next generation.

Additionally, there is a group of travelers who, while they may not have direct Italian ancestry, are deeply passionate about Italian culture. These travelers are motivated by Italy’s rich history, art, architecture, and cuisine. While not necessarily driven by a personal ancestral connection, their experiences still tie into the authentic, immersive tourism that Italy offers.

Orlando stressed that capturing these emotional connections and providing visitors with authentic experiences is crucial. By offering opportunities for personalized heritage tourism, Italy can ensure that these travelers feel a genuine connection to the country and its culture.

Don Luigi’s Role in Connecting Italian-Americans with Their Roots

One of the most compelling figures in promoting this connection between Italy and the Italian-American community is Don Luigi Portarulo, a priest at New York’s Old Saint Patrick’s Cathedral. Known as the parish church of Little Italy, the cathedral has long served as a hub for the city’s Italian-American community. Don Luigi’s personal journey of arriving in New York and finding a sense of community resonates with many Italian-Americans who are similarly searching for a connection to their heritage.

As Don Luigi settled in New York, he faced a common challenge for many immigrants and their descendants: the need for belonging. He began organizing community events, starting with visits to sports clubs and social gatherings, aimed at bringing people closer to the church and creating a sense of community. Over time, these events grew into something much more significant—becoming a space where Italian-Americans could not only reconnect with their heritage but also engage in educational activities such as Italian language courses.

These language courses, which began shortly after Don Luigi started his initiatives, became extremely popular, with over 150 people requesting enrollment within two weeks of their launch. The classes provide Italian-Americans, particularly the younger generation, an opportunity to engage with the language of their ancestors. The success of this initiative highlights the profound desire among Italian-Americans to reclaim and connect with their roots, and it’s part of a broader movement to make the ancestral bond feel tangible once again.

On weekends, the parish also hosts catechism classes for children, further fostering a sense of community. Don Luigi’s ultimate goal is to create an Italian-style “oratorio” in New York—a space where people can come together to learn, grow, and develop a deeper connection with their heritage and each other. This concept, unique to Italy, has no direct translation in English but is integral to the Italian experience. It emphasizes shared cultural experiences, learning, and togetherness, all central tenets of what many Italian-Americans seek when they visit their ancestral homeland.

The Role of Tourism and Travel Advisors in Supporting Heritage Tourism

For destinations like Italy, encouraging heritage tourism is not only about attracting Italian-Americans to visit; it’s also about ensuring that these visitors have meaningful and enriching experiences. Travel advisors play a crucial role in making these connections possible. They act as guides to help tourists plan and customize their trips, whether they’re seeking to visit family villages, tour historical sites related to their ancestors, or take part in cultural experiences that provide a deeper understanding of their heritage.

As Italy seeks to capitalize on this emotional and heritage-driven tourism, travel advisors are essential in crafting tailored experiences that resonate with these visitors. From arranging genealogical tours to booking stays in towns tied to family histories, travel advisors can provide valuable insights and recommendations that help bring a sense of authenticity to the trip.

Impact on Tourism: Strengthening Connections Between Italian-Americans and Italy

The growing trend of heritage tourism offers significant benefits for Italy’s tourism industry. By fostering deeper, more personalized connections with Italian-Americans and other culture-seeking travelers, Italy is strengthening its position as a top destination for both emotional and cultural exploration. These visitors bring not only their love for Italy’s history and culture but also their desire to contribute to the country’s economy by investing in local businesses, staying in hotels, and participating in activities that support regional economies.

Moreover, heritage tourism has the potential to boost tourism in less-visited regions of Italy. By encouraging travelers to explore small towns and villages connected to their family roots, Italy can diversify its tourism offerings and reduce the concentration of tourists in more popular cities like Rome, Florence, and Venice.

Italy’s Growing Heritage Tourism Market

Having authentic and emotional connections to the past opens the door to practicing the overwhelmingly popular heritage tourism industry. With over 17 million Italian-Americans, the country is uniquely positioned to market heritage tourism. With real, authentic engagements being tourists and Italian-Americans deeply engaged with rediscovering the heritage tourism industry. With the steady cultivation of tourism with self rediscovery and the deep bonds with both parties, Italy will without doubt become the central hub of every heritage tourism.