“It was the Trip of a Lifetime”: Viking Ancestors, their Descendants and their Legacy Tourism Motivations and Behavior

Abstract

One tourism segment consists of those whose family history leads them to travel to visit the sites of their ancestors’ origin. Of specific interest in this study are people who have an interest in Norwegian ancestry. Coincidently, Norway also wants its sons and daughters to come home, targeting those with “with Viking ancestry.” Primary research objectives were to determine the motives for and importance of travel to ancestral homes, differences in this motivation for varied subsamples, and develop insights into legacy tourism that will serve tourism managers. Survey respondents of Norse ancestry in the United States and the Shetland and Orkney Islands of Scotland were recruited from meetings and activities of cultural and historical societies. Norse Scottish Islanders indicate “quest” as more important than U.S. Norse groups since Scottish islands are more proximate to the Norwegian homelands. Top motives for all groups (both Norse and those not of Viking descent) are “personal connection”, “connection with place”, “intellectual challenge”, “obligation to ancestors”, “discovering continuities”, and “completing the circle”. Overall, Norse descendant motives resemble descendants of other populations.