ArcaMax

Amanda Syrowatka, a travel expert and director of the Viceroy Bali resort in Indonesia, suggests to people who are planning a vacation that they "focus on experiences that fuel your passion," then select a destination where they are available. Richard Burgon, who provides advice and assistance about recreational vehicles on his rovinrv.com website, prefers journeys based primarily upon his personal interests rather than specific locations.

Both of these savvy sightseers are describing the use of travel as a means of self-expression and self-discovery. In recent years, this type of tourism has come to be known as "passion travel," and it has attracted a constantly growing number of fans and participants.

According to a recent survey by thrillist.com, which bills itself as "the go-to digital media publication for passion-led travel," 77% of members of the Gen Z and millennial generations identified with the concept of passion travel. The subjects of interest for these narrowly focused trips varied.

Food, history and music ranked highest among all of those who responded to the survey questions, but the answers varied by age group. While 73% of Gen Zers said they would consider planning a trip around culinary experiences, just 49% of baby boomers agreed. A total of 43% of millennials might plan a vacation based upon a favorite movie or TV show, while other groups showed less interest.

Probably the ultimate example of music-oriented passion travel was related to Taylor Swift's Eras Tour, which lasted from March 2023 to December 2024 and encompassed 149 shows across five continents. The concerts served as a retrospective of all of Swift's studio albums, ran for close to four hours and became the highest-grossing tour of all time. Millions of "Swifties," as her fans are known, centered travel plans on coinciding with one or more of the concerts.

A devoted fan of Bruce Springsteen whom I know lives in New York City and has traveled to New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Texas in the United States as well as Canada, Denmark and Italy to attend concerts by his favorite entertainer. Some passion pioneers like to share their interest with others. Beverly Ugwu, a London-based TikToker, has gained millions of views on her "Is It Worth the Wait?" series, which explores London's sometimes overhyped restaurants. Rhianna Taylor's TikTok presentations give viewers a rundown on the pricing, cleanliness and other attributes of "Unique Hotels You've Probably Never Heard Of."

Not surprisingly, this type of travel offers a variety of potential benefits and learning experiences to those willing to give it a try. Your curiosity is aroused. Temporarily leaving your everyday life behind, you enter a new environment to be explored. You learn how people in other places live, why they follow various customs and other fascinating facts about their ways.

You enjoy life in the slow lane. People who frantically try to take in the entire Louvre in a single day or several European countries in two weeks are likely to return home exhausted and stressed. Slowing down the pace actually allows you to experience and appreciate more.

If things go wrong, focus on what you can control. You can't change a missed flight or closed museum, but you can control your reaction to bad news. Will you become anxious and annoyed or focus on what you can do to improve the situation -- or, if you can't, how to accept it.

You might learn or increase your ability to notice and appreciate beauty in small, everyday occurrences that we might overlook and ignore where we live. That might include the rustle of leaves on a lawn in autumn or the calls of a songbird in the morning. I recall my reaction the first time I enjoyed the scent of fresh-baked bread wafting out of a neighborhood bakery in a small town in France.

Perhaps best of all, you might discover new passions you'd like to check out when you return home. After loving a 12-passenger barge trip that I took through canals in France, I signed up for American Cruise Lines' boat voyages along picturesque rivers in the United States. Following my inspection of the Gardens of Versailles, which French King Louis XIV ordered to be created in 1661, I visited several world-class plantings located not far from where I live.

These are examples of passion travel that I experienced internationally and continue to enjoy in the United States. You might wish to keep this in mind as you plan your next trip.

----

WHEN YOU GO

Check online for trips that match your passions, whatever they might be.

========

Victor Block is a freelance writer. To read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate website at www.creators.com.

Copyright 2025 Creators Syndicate, Inc.