Genealogy research, Internet research and genealogy tourism

Abstract

Genealogy is listed as one of the top hobbies in the United States and possibly the world. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints requires its members to complete their genealogy and complete temple work for their ancestors. People work on genealogy to find their origin. As such, genealogy may in fact be a form of tourism as people work and travel to find their ancestors. At the same time it is important to recognize that the Internet has changed the way genealogists conduct their research. The Internet has allowed people to more easily communicate with other genealogists around the country and the world in their search for information. This paper defines genealogists, how they use the Internet, the Internet’s affect on the quantity or quality of their travel and research. This paper will develop a characteristic profile of genealogists that use one or more of the 174 or so Internet e-mail subscription lists specific to Minnesota and Wisconsin. The educational and income level for women genealogists was less then male genealogist. However, 78 percent of the genealogist are women, and tend to be younger than their male counterparts. It was also discovered that the number of genealogy trips and the distance people are willing to travel for genealogy research has been increasing. The Internet has also enhanced genealogy research and increased genealogical travel. The Internet was also shown to be a viable means to conduct tourism and possible other forms of research. The demographics and characteristics of genealogists is not the same as the general population in terms of Internet usage, places visited, and gender comparisons. It was interesting to note that only 17 percent of the respondents have been to the world’s largest repository of genealogy data, Salt Lake City, Utah. The results of the study provide ample evidence that additional research is required to classify and identify in greater detail the travel habits and patterns of genealogist. Additionally, the study has indicated a need to look at genealogy tourism and the impact of genealogy tourism is part of other forms of tourism, such as heritage, cultural, etc. However, the study has shown that genealogy tourism has an incredible marketing potential that needs to be examined in detail