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Grandma Tourism: A New Trend Prioritizes People Over Attractions
🇵🇱 Poland /Culture & Society

Grandma Tourism: A New Trend Prioritizes People Over Attractions

From Rzeczpospolita · () Polish

Translated from Polish, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Named sources Context piece
  • A new travel trend, dubbed "grandmacore tourism," emphasizes authentic experiences with local seniors over traditional sightseeing.
  • This trend, fueled by social media and a desire for genuine connection, sees a significant increase in bookings for workshops and activities led by older locals.
  • Travelers increasingly prefer learning traditional skills and hearing personal stories from older guides, seeking peace, closeness, and authentic relationships over ticking off attractions.

The "grandmacore" aesthetic, exploding on platforms like TikTok with over 251 million views, has inspired a profound shift in how we travel. It's no longer just about seeing famous landmarks; it's about experiencing the heart of a place through its people, particularly its elders.

Travel is increasingly about getting to know places through the people who know the local culture best.

— Johannes ReckCo-founder of GetYourGuide, explaining the shift in travel motivations.

Our report highlights a dramatic rise in bookings for workshops and activities hosted by local seniors. Between 2023 and 2025, these experiences saw a surge of over 250 percent, growing six times faster than traditional tourist attractions. This isn't just a fleeting fad; it reflects a deeper desire among travelers. A staggering 69 percent prefer learning from older locals, 76 percent are drawn to the "grandma lifestyle" experience, and a remarkable 94 percent seek genuine peace, closeness, and authentic relationships during their journeys.

For many guests, the meeting quickly becomes a personal experience that creates relationships beyond the tourist service.

— Nonna RosellaDescribing the impact of her pasta-making workshops near Rome.

Johannes Reck, co-founder of GetYourGuide, notes that travel is increasingly about understanding places through the eyes of those who know them best. He attributes this to "digital fatigue," a common ailment in our hyper-connected world, driving people to seek slower, more meaningful interactions. This is where "grandma tourism" truly shines, offering a respite from the constant digital noise and a chance to forge real human connections.

I want to show the 'real France,' not the idealized image known from social media.

— CatherineExplaining her motivation for offering macaron-making classes in Paris.

From Nonna Rosella in Rome teaching pasta making, to Catherine in Paris sharing her macaron secrets, and Isidora and Puri in Malaga offering culinary farm experiences, these stories underscore the universal appeal of learning from elders. Participants aren't just gaining skills; they're gaining stories, history, and a sense of belonging. This trend offers a powerful antidote to the curated, often superficial, online world, reminding us of the enduring value of authentic human experience.

For participants, the greatest value is authenticity and the opportunity to spend time with people, not to buy another attraction or souvenir.

— Isidora and PuriHighlighting the core appeal of their culinary experiences in Malaga.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by Rzeczpospolita in Polish. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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