The 'Grandma experience' is gaining popularity among travellers of all ages -but what is it, exactly?

The trend refers to actively seeking out traditional analogue experiences from the older generation, including nonna-led pasta classes or the 63-year-old Parisian woman who teaches Macaron classes.

GetYourGuide’s platform says bookings for workshops and classes have increased by more than 250 percent between 2023 and 2025, significantly outperforming traditional attraction tickets.

Megan Singleton explains the impacts of this new travel trend.

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The 'Grandma experience' is gaining popularity among travellers of all ages -but what is it, exactly?
The trend refers to actively seeking out traditional analogue experiences from the older generation, including nonna-led pasta classes or the 63-year-old Parisian woman who teaches Macaron classes.
GetYourGuide’s platform says bookings for workshops and classes have increased by more than 250 percent between 2023 and 2025, significantly outperforming traditional attraction tickets.
Megan Singleton explains the impacts of this new travel trend.
LISTEN ABOVE

News, opinion, analysis, lifestyle and entertainment – we’ve got your Sunday morning listening covered with The Sunday Session with Francesca Rudkin on Newstalk ZB.

The Sunday Session with Francesca Rudkin

Megan Singleton: BloggerAtLarge.com writer on the rise of 'Grandma tourism'

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/7784f840-c291-422a-924b-ad9000bbad71/clips/e1811af8-a2d6-42f4-91b0-b46900160eee/transcript

Director Justin Zoras walked past a bookstore in a small town in Nova Scotia one night, and this experience went on to inspire a documentary.

Elizabeth's Books is run by 83-year-old former seaman Chris Webb and the store only opens at night - sometimes for a few hours or whenever the last customer leaves.

Justin Zoras went on to use the store for The Bookstore That Never Sleeps, which is about to have its world premiere at DocEdge.

"It's one of those things where you immediately see the store, it's open at night, and you immediately want to go - hey, that's quirky or that's odd. Which, frankly, it is. But when you actually talk to people about it and you say - hey, have you seen that bookstore? Have you walked by it, what's the deal there? And a lot of the time, people will go - oh that's just Chris...there's a story." 

LISTEN ABOVE

Director Justin Zoras walked past a bookstore in a small town in Nova Scotia one night, and this experience went on to inspire a documentary.
Elizabeth's Books is run by 83-year-old former seaman Chris Webb and the store only opens at night - sometimes for a few hours or whenever the last customer leaves.
Justin Zoras went on to use the store for The Bookstore That Never Sleeps, which is about to have its world premiere at DocEdge.
"It's one of those things where you immediately see the store, it's open at night, and you immediately want to go - hey, that's quirky or that's odd. Which, frankly, it is. But when you actually talk to people about it and you say - hey, have you seen that bookstore? Have you walked by it, what's the deal there? And a lot of the time, people will go - oh that's just Chris...there's a story."&nbsp;
LISTEN ABOVE

Justin Zoras: film director on his new documentary The Bookstore That Never Sleeps

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/7784f840-c291-422a-924b-ad9000bbad71/clips/d9361763-7db3-4ecb-8385-b4770019309d/transcript

Michaela Brake is set to make her grand return to the rugby field later this year, having re-signed with New Zealand Rugby through until 2027.

She's made history in the world of Kiwi Sevens - as a two-time Olympic gold medallist and the all-time leading try scorer in women’s international sevens history.

She's had to step off the field to look after her new baby, Harvey, and she's opened up about the new challenges that come with motherhood. 

"I was always going to come back to high performance sport...there was no doubt that once I got home from the hospital that I was going to start getting my recovery on track."

LISTEN ABOVE

Michaela Brake is set to make her grand return to the rugby field later this year, having re-signed with New Zealand Rugby through until 2027.
She's made history in the world of Kiwi Sevens - as a two-time Olympic gold medallist and the all-time leading try scorer in women’s international sevens history.
She's had to step off the field to look after her new baby, Harvey, and she's opened up about the new challenges that come with motherhood.&nbsp;
"I was always going to come back to high performance sport...there was no doubt that once I got home from the hospital that I was going to start getting my recovery on track."
LISTEN ABOVE

Michaela Brake: Kiwi Sevens legend on her return to the rugby field and life with new baby

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/7784f840-c291-422a-924b-ad9000bbad71/clips/a92aa580-2fa7-45c6-b577-b47700124621/transcript

Boring Asian Female by Canwen Xu. This is narrated by Elizabeth Zhang who is a driven,100 percent focused student at Columbia University, desperate to make the right path for herself for which she believes admission into Harvard Law School is a necessity. She’s completely shocked when she doesn’t get in and can’t believe that one of her classmates, Laura Kim, did - and becomes obsessed with Laura, trying to figure out what she has that Elizabeth doesn’t. Anyone who enjoyed Rebecca Kuang’s Yellowface will love this.

A Place to Stand by Clare Ward. Clare is a GP who has spent more than 30 years practising in the Hokianga, in Northland. She’s acutely aware of being Pākehā in a Māori world, having gone there knowing next to nothing about te ao māori and developing a deep respect for the traditions and beliefs which make up that world. This is a real insight into a place and its people from someone who has come to love it there and has a profound appreciation of all that it has taught her. It’s also a really beautiful book - a lovely hardcover with black and white photos throughout. 

LISTEN ABOVE

Boring Asian Female by Canwen Xu. This is narrated by Elizabeth Zhang who is a driven,100 percent focused student at Columbia University, desperate to make the right path for herself for which she believes admission into Harvard Law School is a necessity. She’s completely shocked when she doesn’t get in and can’t believe that one of her classmates, Laura Kim, did - and becomes obsessed with Laura, trying to figure out what she has that Elizabeth doesn’t. Anyone who enjoyed Rebecca Kuang’s Yellowface will love this.
A Place to Stand by Clare Ward. Clare is a GP who has spent more than 30 years practising in the Hokianga, in Northland. She’s acutely aware of being Pākehā in a Māori world, having gone there knowing next to nothing about te ao māori and developing a deep respect for the traditions and beliefs which make up that world. This is a real insight into a place and its people from someone who has come to love it there and has a profound appreciation of all that it has taught her. It’s also a really beautiful book - a lovely hardcover with black and white photos throughout.&nbsp;
LISTEN ABOVE

Whitcoulls Recommends: Boring Asian Female and A Place to Stand

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/7784f840-c291-422a-924b-ad9000bbad71/clips/7d519a1c-219b-45b5-9bf5-b477000c4624/transcript

Megan Singleton: BloggerAtLarge.com writer on the rise of 'Grandma tourism'

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