Genealogy Tourism


Genealogy Tourism

European cities and regions could boost tourism by building on the enthusiasm people have for their genealogy and family heritage. A European city or region could determine the names that originated in their area.  The city or region would then contact people with those names in America, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand and invite them back for a tour of their ancestral home. 

Some people know the origins of their family very well, but this is the exception rather than the rule. Most people would be startled by an email invitation to come back to the "old country".

An example is shown below. The family name Moffat originated in Moffat, Dumfryshire, in the northwest part of England. There are over 17,000 descendants with variations of that name in the United States, and many more in laws and persons with a relationship to that name in the US and in Canada, Australia, and New Zealand.

The internet makes it much more affordable to find these descendants, and invite them to return to their ancestral region of origin.

Using this formula, the tourism agencies marketing northwest England would develop the web page and email marketing program to invite Moffats to return for the first ever gathering of the extended family.

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LOCATIONS OF PERSONS NAMED MOFFAT IN THE UNITED KINGDOM
IN 1881 






Locations of Persons Named Moffat in the US



Persons name Moffat in the United States

Moffat   2,774

Moffatt  4,034

Moffet      853

Moffett  9,850

Total   17,511

Plus additional persons from Canada, New Zealand, Australia, and the UK, and others who are related to Moffat.

Local government could lead an effort to promote international family reunions in the location of the family origin - in this case the Town or County where the of Moffat's originated.

The development of email and social networking makes it feasible to market a family origin tour at relatively low cost.  The Town would work with hotels, tourism agencies, and touring companies to set up a tour based in Moffat. The touring company would pick up the tour at the Manchester Airport and bring them back to Moffat. One day tours around the area would be conducted. Some meetings with local persons named Moffat would add interest.

A possible market penetration of from .5 to 1% of the total market might be possible. 

0.5% of 20,000 people = 100 people 

* 7 days *  £ 100 per day =  £ 70,000 into the local economy.

An additional optional week to ten day tour should also be offered for those who want to see more of the UK.

If this effort worked for the name Moffat it could also be employed with other names based in the region that have a large number of people of that name in the US.

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The spellings recognized by the Chief of the Clan are:
Maffat      Maffatt     Maffet Maffett     Maffit      Maffitt
Moffat Moffatt Moffet Moffett Moffit Moffitt
Morfit Morfitt MorphatMorphatt Morphet Morphet
Morphit Morphitt Muffat Muffatt Muffet Muffett
Muffit Muffit
You can see where your family name is most common. Insert your name where Barrow is below to see their locations.







Distribution of Barrows in the United Kingdom in 1881






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