As a lover of books and a lover of travel, I get so excited when the two worlds combine! With the rise of BookTok over the past couple of years, I think it’s safe to say that the next generation of book tourism is here. My definition of “book tourism” is the act of visiting a certain destination because you were inspired by a book to do so.
Book tourism has been around for a while (thousands of years actually if you think about the Bible, hundreds of years if you think about Shakespeare, and decades if you think about Harry Potter, The Lord of the Rings, and Twilight), but with the growing popularity of BookTok, I think more people than ever will be participating in this travel trend.
For a time there, with the epic take over of short form content on social media, I think some people (myself included and probably a lot of publishing companies and authors) feared the death of the novel. But the Booktok numbers for 2021 were insane, showing 18 billion (!!!) interactions with book-related content! If we also consider that literacy rates increase over time, we might now have the highest number of readers in human history.
So how do these numbers translate to travel? Well, sometimes it’s travel that inspires a story. Think of Elizabeth Gilbert going to Italy, India, and Bali and then writing the massive hit memoir Eat, Pray, Love. Think about Cheryl Strayed being at rock bottom and deciding to hike the Pacific Crest Trail, which resulted in Wild. There are so many fantastic memoirs that come out of big periods of travel in someone’s life.
But other times, it’s a book that inspires travel. You might read a little nugget of information that gets so deep into your brain, resulting in a mini obsession that leads you to travel. You might be so fascinated by a period of history you read about in a novel to the point where you’re planning a trip to learn even more. Even reading a fantasy novel can be so atmospheric that you find yourself seeking out the place on Earth that inspired the author.
I mentioned Harry Potter, Lord of the Rings, and Twilight already, but I want to use this post as an excuse to share lesser known book tourism destinations to consider for a trip. That’s not a judgement on those books’ tourism spots– if I ever make it to New Zealand, for example, I’m sure I’d end up at Hobbiton. When I’m in Croatia later this year, I don’t doubt I’ll check out some Game of Thrones sites. And as a massive Harry Potter fan, you know I’ve done *all the things* across England and Scotland!
This was a really long intro (and I’d like to go on even more about all the Harry Potter-inspired travel I’ve done lol), but let’s finally get into these other 8 trips to take and the books that inspired them. Some of these destinations are ones I’ve already visited, so I’ll link my corresponding articles. The rest are still on my list 🙂 Here’s an overview of where I’m taking you: a cherry festival in Michigan, a hike in New Zealand, a home in North Carolina, a wall in Ireland, an island off the East Coast, a palace in England, a little town in Italy, and one final BookTok-inspired trip you can do almost anywhere!
Michigan inspired by Ann Patchett’s Tom Lake
As soon as I started reading this novel, I was googling Tom Lake to see if it was a real place I could visit immediately–it’s that satisfyingly atmospheric. Sadly Tom Lake doesn’t exist, but after listening to and reading interviews with the author, you can see how heavily she was inspired by summer in Michigan when writing this book. Much of Tom Lake takes place on a cherry orchard… The way this book makes you want to leave it all behind and live on a cherry farm!
You don’t have to get that extreme, but you can definitely plan a trip to Traverse City to attend The National Cherry Festival. Michigan is famous for its cherries and has become one of my favorite states to visit in recent years. Nothing would be better than reading Tom Lake in Michigan with a bowl of Michigan cherries fresh from the festival by your side!
**read more: What to do in Michigan (but beware of falling in love)**
New Zealand inspired by Sarah J. Maas’s BookTok sensation, A Court of Thorns and Roses series
I think Sarah J. Maas has BookTok to thank for how fast word traveled about this series. Book 1 came out in 2015, but I feel like the series got really popular after its promotion on TikTok starting in 2020. I’m not even on TikTok, and I hadn’t read any fantasy since my Harry Potter days, but this series became so viral it still made it into my orbit. I’m so happy I decided to give ACOTAR a try because it’s now become one of my favorite reads ever! I am desperately awaiting the release of book 6!
Many fans think that SJM took inspiration for a certain city (no spoilers here) from Zermatt in Switzerland, but I don’t think it’s ever been verified by the author. However, she has mentioned being inspired by a “mountain hike in New Zealand” to write a certain hiking scene between two characters in book 5. The personal growth that took place during that scene was so moving, I knew it was a hike I’d love to do, too.
After stalking the author’s Instagram from 8 years ago… don’t judge me… it’s potentially Mount Sunday in Canterbury, New Zealand?? Either way, sign me up for some New Zealand (and I’ll take a side of Switzerland, too)!! I think we’ll start to see a lot of ACOTAR-inspired tours in the years to come, especially once all the books are out and if SJM shares more specifics about locations.
The Biltmore inspired by Bill Bryson’s At Home: A Short History of Private Life
I really enjoy Bill Bryson’s travel writing, but during the pandemic I was avoiding travel writing at all costs. I listened to the audiobook of At Home, since we were stuck spending so much time at home, and I loved it. He lets each room in the home inspire his curiosity about its history and shares interesting anecdotes along the way. I had already heard of the Biltmore, but the little facts about it in this book are what made me put it on my bucket list to visit ASAP. If you plan on visiting the Biltmore, I definitely recommend reading this book. Our day on the Biltmore grounds was my favorite part of our time in Asheville!
**read more: Asheville, NC Travel Guide (in 5 Days)**
Belfast’s peace walls inspired by Patrick Radden Keefe’s Say Nothing: A True Story of Murder and Memory in North Ireland
I love the way Patrick Radden Keefe uses storytelling to write nonfiction that reads like fiction. I became fascinated by The Troubles and picked up this book right before heading to Northern Ireland myself. I especially appreciated my trip because I knew a lot about the history–it made seeing it all in real life that much more memorable. Speaking with someone who grew up there and lived through The Troubles is one of my all time travel highlights. Books that teach you something about the world right before you get to visit that part of the world are the best.
**read more: 4 Nights in Belfast, Northern Ireland**
Nantucket inspired by Elin Hilderbrand
Thanks to my sister-in-law, Madison, for this one. She said she would love to visit Nantucket after reading so many Elin Hilderbrand novels, and I can totally see why… if we’re talking atmosphere, you have to mention the place that inspired one person to write 28 novels! I’ve only read Hilderbrand’s 28 Summers so far, but I would love to plan a trip to Nantucket and read a couple more while there.
I can see it now– a long weekend reading on the beach, eating a “Krabby Patty” from Surfside Beach Shack, and perusing all the lovely shops. Maybe I’d even see Elin there 🙂 I don’t have my own travel guide for Nantucket, but Fodor’s interviewed the author, so you can take recommendations directly from the source!
**read more: Author Elin Hilderbrand Shares Her Guide to Nantucket**
Hampton Court Palace inspired by Philippa Gregory’s The Other Boleyn Girl
When I talk about books that have become my whole personality I have to talk about The Other Boleyn Girl. Let me set a scene for you… There’s a man who is the King of England. He’s already married, but he’s fallen in love and wants to marry someone else. The church won’t allow him to divorce his current wife, so he uses his power as king to create a new church. He makes himself head of this church, so now he can marry the new girl. Well, she doesn’t end up giving him a son, so he needs to get rid of her. He cuts off her head, goes on to have an additional four wives, and even beheads another wife!
It sounds insane, but this all actually happened. There’s religious repercussions in England to this day because of it. I read this book in high school (way before BookTok existed lol) and have thought about Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn pretty much every day since. And that’s only a slight exaggeration haha. When I traveled to England to visit some of these historical sites, it was both fascinating and horrifying to be in some of the same rooms as Henry and Anne. Some where they were falling in love and playing courtly games of desire. And others where the true power dynamic and narcissism ultimately surfaced–where Anne’s husband and King of England held her captive before her public beheading.
A visit to The Tower of London is definitely in order. You can see the scaffold site where the execution occurred as well as her final resting place in the chapel. But one of my favorite spots is about 40 minutes outside of London, at Hampton Court Palace. This is where Henry brought all of his six wives, where they slept, ate, relaxed, and partied. It was so trippy to be in all the rooms they were in! You can even sit on the chairs Henry and Anne sat in in the Great Hall.
The Other Boleyn Girl hooked me on the Henry VIII story, but it’s definitely a more… sexy imagining of the events being historical fiction. I also wanted to mention an amazing nonfiction book I read this year about Henry and Anne, written by two historians who were able to parse together a more accurate story of their lives and timelines. I highly recommend reading Hunting The Falcon: Henry VIII, Anne Boleyn, and the Marriage That Shook Europe by John Guy and Julia Fox if you are as interested in this subject as I am. And get yourself over to England to visit The Tower of London and Hampton Court Palace! I’m curious to know which historical fiction novels are popular on BookTok–it’s a genre I’d love to read more of.
**read more: Henry VIII Hot Spots in London and Beyond***
Italy inspired by Andre Aciman’s Call Me By Your Name
I have to admit, like with Harry Potter, I actually watched the movie version of this book before reading it. It’s one of those rare cases where the movie actually does the book justice or is maybe even better?? The Notebook also falls into that category for me. Anyways!
Call Me By Your Name is a coming of age story that so perfectly depicts the overwhelming emotions that accompany a first love. It takes place mostly in a villa in a small Italian town in the summer–how dreamy. There’s also scenes in town, at Lake Garda, in Rome, and at a local nature reserve. This book has you craving the pace of a slow summer spent lazing in the pool to beat the heat while you obsess over a love interest. The feeling of having time to eat beautiful outdoor meals with family, hang out with friends every day, work on a creative project, and yet somehow none of those things matter because all you can think about is your last interaction with your lover and when you’ll see or talk to them next.
To be young again and to do that in Italy of all places!! I’m manifesting a summer somewhere in Europe spent mostly in a villa within biking distance to a small but very cute town. The obsession and devastation won’t be part of my trip, but the beauty and wonder of a life changing experience will be 🙂 I wanted to share content with more specific details about where to go to recreate some of the Call Me By Your Name magic.
**This article from British Vogue shares filming sites from the movie: The Ultimate “Call Me By Your Name”-Inspired Travel Guide**
**Follow YouTuber Damon Dominique as he visits Crema: I went to the town from Call Me By Your Name bc I had the same story**
Plan a BookTok-inspired Book Getaway
This last getaway can be done as a staycation as well as a weekend away! I love that anyone can make this one happen from anywhere 🙂 The idea was inspired by @BarryReads on BookTok. She has a super cute video of a trip she calls “Book Camp.” Basically you go with a group of friends somewhere that has a charming local bookstore or two. You get an Airbnb, host a book club there, and enjoy your current reads over coffees in a local cafe/at a picnic in the park. They also had matching book merch, did a book exchange, made bookmarks, drank book-themed cocktails, and talked about their favorite books and theories. If you have book lovers in your life, this sounds so fun!
I would love to do this BookTok-inspired trip in Petoskey, Michigan, a place that the author of Tom Lake brings up a lot in that podcast interview I linked earlier in this post. I’d shop at McLean and Eakin for new books, picnic/read at Bayfront Park, read over a drink at North Perk Coffee, and discuss all my favorite books with my friends. Petoskey is not too far from Mackinaw Island, so I’d try to get over there, too. If I make this trip happen, BookTok definitely made me do it!
**You can find BarryReads here**
Closing Thoughts on the Influence of BookTok on Travel
I do believe we are going to see a rise in book tourism thanks to the explosion of content on TikTok. Travel and storytelling go hand-in-hand after all. Traveling is a process of collecting stories from around the world about yourself, the people you meet, and the places you go. I love that I’ve found so much inspiration that’s lead to travel from the pages of a book and that, alternately, my travels have inspired many written words on this blog.
I’d love to know if you’ve ever “booked” a trip based on this travel trend? Or if the hype of any BookTok famous books have made it into your orbit yet? At the very least, I hope you have some new books and destinations to add to your list! Happy reading and happy travels everyone 🙂
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Ok I have to shout out my Harry Potter trips! I can’t finish a book tourism blog without mentioning them!