This coming July, as part of their 10 year anniversary celebrations, The Conte Club is excited to announce a widening of its travel product focusing on ancestry and heritage. Previously known as ‘DNA Unwrapped’ (as seen in Forbes, Vanity Fair, The Atlantic and Elle Magazine), this pioneering travel service offers travellers the opportunity to delve into their ancestral past and explore the roots of their heritage in a personalised and meaningful way through food culture and travel. 

Brand Intentions: Travel As “The Biggest Threat to Prejudice”

The project, rebranded as ‘Heritage Travel’, reflects The Conte Club’s mission in reintroducing this experience with a transferred focus from the DNA testing process to the explorative element of travel. Speaking on the intentions of the project, founder Rebecca Fielding said, “I wanted to answer the question, ‘How can we travel in a way that recognizes we are as diverse as individuals as the world around us?’”

In doing so, The Conte Club redefines what it means to explore heritage through travel, giving credence to culturally diverse families, marriages and generations of history. Speaking from their previous experience on a DNA Unwrapped vacation with The Conte Club, one family recalls:

“We went to Spain for the 7th or 8th time as somewhere way back on my Mother’s side I know we are Spanish and Moroccan but boy did it feel different knowing we were thinking about our ancestors and eating like them, and connecting with them in a more conscious way! We focused on heritage foods, traditional culture and historic sites and had the best time - we feel more connected to our Europe roots!” (Westchester, New York - Family)

Relaunching with Sustainable and Ethical Considerations

In previous editions of the concept, through a combination of state-of-the-art DNA analysis with curated itineraries and expert local guides, clients could explore their individual heritage through their geographical origins. Today The Conte Club sees Heritage Travel as having shifted from something scientific to something far closer to an artform. Founder Rebecca Fielding states,

“It almost doesn’t matter what the lab results are. What matters is how we feel, where our natural rapport sits, and what’s been passed down to us. The connections we make in our lifetime help define how we feel about ourselves and where we fit in the world. You don’t have to have your DNA tested to feel completely and utterly like you belong somewhere. Perhaps you grew up in a different place to where you originate from genetically, perhaps your roots exist in stories and letters, or perhaps you’ve married someone from a different culture and feel as if it is now your own. We are all global citizens and our heritage journeys should be far wider and more empathetically understood than a blood test can ever illustrate.”

By prioritising ethical tourism and cultural preservation, The Conte Club ensures that travellers can engage with their heritage in a way that respects and uplifts the destinations they visit. This complements The Conte Club’s new environmental initiatives which will be piloted in Heritage Travel, including indicative carbon footprint usage, preferential presentation of the sustainable properties, suppliers and logistics partners, and environmental improvement suggestions with each developing itinerary.

To learn more about The Conte Club and Heritage Travel, visit their website here https://www.theconteclub.com/