Planning a Thematic Travel Trip
What is Thematic Travel?
One very interesting method for traveling the world involves Thematic Travel. Thematic travel involves tying a personal interest or cultural icon into a journey.
For people who aren’t enamored with simply visiting common tourism sites, this is one of the best ways to see the world. Thematic travel can allow access to all sorts of strange and wonderful features of society, following in the footsteps of art, stories and the people who came before us.
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Advantages
One of the major advantages of thematic travel involves getting to see aspects of society that aren’t commonly visited by most tourists. Typical tourism goes out the window when Thematic Travel is pursued.
A person interested in reliving the Harry Potter books might have a phenomenal trip through Scotland, visiting the places where JK Rowling worked, the buildings which inspired major settings of the story, tourism shops set up after the success of the series and taking a trip up to the Jacobite Steam Train.
Another traveler might follow the incredible journey of Julius Caesar through his long campaigns in Gaul (France and Spain), Italy, Greece and Turkey, visiting historical hallmarks across the Mediterranean.
Someone else might prefer to head to Japan and visit the numerous, quiet and beautiful realms used for inspiration in major Studio Ghibli productions.
In all cases, by centering a journey around a theme, a traveler has the advantage of also learning interesting things and aligning life with their own passions.
Pick a Theme
The first thing to do when traveling thematically involves selecting a theme. Find something you’re truly passionate about. You might visit all baseball stadiums in the US, following the hunting paths of ancient nomads across the Mongolian steppes or replicating the wonderful journey found in The Alchemist.
Whatever your theme is, you likely already have a strong foundational knowledge in it. Create notes that pertain to locations and mark out special facts and tidbits of interest.
Create Your Itinerary
When creating a normal travel itinerary, it’s easy enough to make a simple list of things you’d like to do in an area. When starting a Thematic Itinerary, this is the first step as well.
However, once you have your list of locations, compare it to your passion. Do online searches that align with your Theme and the given area. Keep careful notes regarding facts. This is similar to creating a self-tour for a given area.
Once you’ve listed your locations and the information related to your theme, it’s okay to add in general tourism features. Perhaps a person following the Khan assault of Diaoyu Castle near Chongqing is interested in visiting the ancient fortifications. But the nearby Guotai Grand Theater & Art Museum is also wonderful to visit.
Find Experts
One of the truly excellent aspects of Thematic Travel involves finding experts. Culture experts, enthusiasts, local professors and others are always willing to meet and discuss their passions.
Before your trip, consider reaching out through emails to people in a given area who are passionate about the same subject material as you. Though some may not respond, those who make time provide wonderful enlightenment.
Read, Read, Read
No matter how passionately you understand something, Thematic Travel can deepen your understanding and knowledge. Look at additional information online, read books about the history of your interests and look online for like-minded individuals.
Thematic Travel allows a traveler to avoid traditional tourism and forge a unique path, allowing for interests and journey to align. Pick your interests, find where they might best be experienced and go forth.