About the project
An introduction to the work of the project and the three ancestral tourism networks.
This project delivers the next phase of the Ancestral Tourism development project. The action plan, ending in February 2011, acts as a catalyst for collaborative action at a local level, bringing together partners from archives, museums, libraries, family history societies, tourism businesses and tourism agencies.
Three ancestral tourism networks have been established – in Lincolnshire, Northamptonshire and Nottinghamshire.
The project raises industry awareness of ancestral tourism opportunities and place ancestral tourism ‘on the radar’ of perception and systematic data capture and provide exemplar projects to inspire others.
Ancestral Footsteps
Ancestral research is about people’s sense of identity and it can be an emotional journey.
Ancestral research is a very popular pursuit, as the success of the hit BBC series Who Do You Think You Are demonstrates. In the widest sense ancestral research involves people using archives, libraries, museums and other resources to build a picture of the lives and times of their ancestors.
Walking in ancestral footsteps can be a powerfully emotional experience, giving immediacy and richness to the bare facts that can be obtained through genealogical or family history research. It is tourism, but of a very distinctive kind.
There are opportunities for businesses and organisations providing services to ancestral (and literary) tourists to work collaboratively to everyone’s benefit.
Literary Tourism
People are fascinated by the places authors lived and by the environments that inspired them.
Amongst the region’s literary heroes are Alfred Tennyson and D.H. Lawrence, the former born in Somersby, Lincolnshire and the latter in Eastwood, Nottinghamshire. Each author is responsible for some of the best known works in English literature.
As part of the ancestral and literary tourism project an evaluation of the product development and visitor experience of the Tennyson 2009 celebrations and D.H. Lawrence Festival will enable the valuable lessons learnt to be shared with other literary promotions.
Ancestral and literary tourism project co-ordinator
Cameron Taylor has ten year’s experience of developing ancestral tourism in Scotland. He was a member of the project team that carried out the 2008/09 study into the potential of ancestral and literary tourism in the East Midlands and is delighted to take on the role of project co-ordinator.
Over the past ten years he has carried out consultancy studies, lectured in Scotland, the US and Canada, developed three training courses and written two books, as well as carrying out research into his own family history. Commenting on his appointment, Cameron said ‘There are very real opportunities for colleagues in the East Midlands to work together to develop and enhance ancestral and literary tourism products and services and I look forward to helping the network action groups form and prepare and implement their plans.
Contact Cameron@seabridge.org