Travelers come to Italy to seek out its splendid art cities and stunning resorts, but increasing numbers of visitors with Italian heritage (60 to 80 million people worldwide can claim descent) are looking beyond the typical vacation itinerary to plan trips that will help connect them with their “roots.” In the U.S., Italians are the fifth-largest ancestry group.  

To help those with Italian lineage connect with their long-ago family histories, Italy’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation has developed a roots-based tourism initiative called Italea; its web platform, Italea.com (available in four languages), was launched earlier this year.