Travel

DNA Tests Inspire Heritage Travel to Asia
By Kelli Luu | 28 Apr, 2025

DNA testing firms partner with Airbnb to create trips to reconnect with ancestral hometowns.

Ever thought about visiting the ancestral home one day but had absolutely no idea where to start?  You’re not alone.   But now it’s easy to turn that thought into your next overseas trip!

Out of curiosity I recently took a DNA test and traced my heritage back to Vietnam and Southern China. 

For first generation Asian Americans family historical records are limited.  Ancestral records aren’t part of U.S. census or immigration records.  That means our chances of tracing back to our ancestral origins may be down to whether living relatives have also taken a DNA test.  Spoiler alert: most haven’t. 

This is just one reason why the global heritage travel market is currently at $645 billion and is expected to grow at a compounded annual growth rate of 6.5% through 2029. 

Traveling back to where your family’s story began is more than just booking a flight.  Reconnecting with your roots requires tracking down the missing pieces of your ancestral puzzle. 

Many of us have heard stories about our kinfolks “back home”, but rarely is there a clear picture of where “back home” is or how to track down our memories, traditions and recipes.  Family history rarely gets stored in searchable online databases. 

That’s where DNA tests come in!  Companies like AncestryDNA and 23andMe that provide access to our unerasable biological heritages have become an invaluable resource for Asian Americans looking to connect with their ancestral homelands. 

Armed with your DNA results, specific partners can help create geotargeted heritage travel.  For example, Airbnb will create a list of travel ideas, all personalized to your heritage.  It’s a custom travel guide built with your own DNA and filled with options for cozy home stays and authentic experiences. 

Imagine being able to stand on the corner of a city market where your great-grandparents owned the best coffee shop on the block. The sights, smells and culture capture the feeling of “coming home” in a way that words can’t convey. 

It’s amazing to think that a strand of your DNA can map a journey of a lifetime.  And, yes, I’m bookmarking Airbnb’s heritage travel for my first trip to Asia.