Grandma travel, a nostalgia driven trend, is taking off as travellers make an effort to seek out more human experiences in a world shaped so heavily by algorithms.
GetYourGuide’s Grandma Tourism Report, shows that the platform’s bookings referencing ‘grandma’, ‘nonna’ or other elder leaders are up 50%, and bookings for workshops and classes were more than 250% up between 2023 and 2025.
It also found that 69% of travellers prefer learning from older local guides over younger guides and 76% of travellers would book a ‘grandma-inspired’ experience.
Johannes Reck, co-founder of GetYourGuideTravel, says travel isn’t just turning up and ticking boxes anymore, it’s now about learning something meaningful about a place from the people who know it best.
“As our lives become increasingly digitalised, travellers are seeking moments to slow down, reconnect and engage with culture passed down through generations in a more human way,” he says. “That’s where Grandma Tourism comes in because after all, what is more reassuring than the warmth of a grandmother?”
. . . New Tours
Inspiring Vacations has new Nonna’s Italy journeys. The company’s chief product officer and co-founder Brendon Cooper says these tours are less about racing between landmarks and more about lingering over lunch, getting to know the people and places and experiencing the traditions that make a destination special. “Being guided by a local who knows the region and is used to that more relaxed way of life is a big part of it —you’re experiencing Italy at their pace, rather than racing through it as a visitor.”
On the trend itself, he says that there’s something ‘wonderfully nostalgic’ about the idea of a holiday inspired by your grandma.
. . . Experiences
The rise of Grandma Tourism is part of a wider Grandma Core trend, which has seen a marked rise in hobbies such as cooking family recipes, gardening and cross stitch.
These hobbies, say respondents, make them feel calm and reduce anxiety, with 94% saying they want to experience this grandma mindset while travelling.
The report shows that the most appealing ‘Grandma’ experiences are local history storytelling (53%), traditional baking (52%), family recipe learning (44%) and craft-making workshops (40%).
It also reveals that, beyond price, travellers are strongly influenced by who delivers the experience and when it comes to trust grandma or grandpa guides rank alongside traditional trust signals like reviews and recommendations.
