Literary tourism is turning dog-eared pages into real-life destinations.
Have you ever wanted to explore the English countryside like a Jane Austen heroine, or retrace Hemingway’s steps through Key West? That impulse to live out the pages of a favorite book has a name—literary tourism—and it’s having a serious moment.
The trend raked in nearly $2.4 million last year and is projected to reach $3.3 million by 2034. Much of the recent surge traces back to #BookTok, the TikTok community that’s racked up 370 billion views and pulled a younger generation of readers into the fold. The result: a wave of creative, novel-driven travel experiences targeting people who want more than a beach chair and a paperback.
What is literary tourism?
The terms covers a wide range. Reading retreats, author-led adventures, bookish hotel packages, and viral bookstores that draw visitors like must-see landmarks all fall under the umbrella. Here are some of the options:
World of Hyatt launched Camp Unwritten—a glamping-meets-book-club experience featuring Reese’s Book Club authors. Imagine discussing your latest read around a campfire with the person who actually wrote it.
Hotels are getting creative with author-signed books on nightstands, on-theme cocktails, and even book butlers who deliver curated reads to your door.
Cruise lines now feature bestselling authors hosting entire sailings, murder mystery tours that would make Agatha Christie proud, and culinary adventures through Italy with cookbook writers.
Sites like Book Huddle focus on cozy stateside reading retreats, while Ladies Who Lit offers international book club trips for those ready to take the obsession overseas.
Bookstores themselves have become destinations. Shakespeare and Company in Paris draws lines around the block, and Powell’s Books in Portland lures visitors who spend entire afternoons browsing the stacks.
Festivals and beyond.
Literary festivals are adding travel appeal of their own. Hay Festival in Wales pairs literary discussions with stunning countryside scenery, while the Key West Literary Seminar brings writers and readers together on Hemingway’s old stomping grounds. Murder mystery weekends at historic hotels let guests solve crimes in period costumes, cocktail in hand. And for the truly committed, there are Bridgerton-inspired castle visits, Jack Kerouac road trip itineraries, and Harry Potter filming-location pilgrimages.
Twist’s Take: Literary tourism is a great way to combine two passions: getting lost in a good story and getting lost in a new place.