by Terry Dale
Last updated: 6:00 AM ET, Sat August 23, 2025
This article originally appeared in the July issue of AGENTatHOME magazine. Subscribe here to receive your free copy each month.
I was first introduced to travel through
reading.
From the rolling
landscapes of the English countryside to the Gothic castles of Transylvania,
the settings of the books I read often inspired my imagination and motivated me
to visit places I might never have considered — and I’m sure many of your
clients feel the same way.
The good news?
The United States Tour Operators Association (USTOA) members can help you find
the right vacation match for your literary-minded clients.
Here are five
great USTOA member offerings inspired by popular works of literature.
EF Educational
Tours
EF Educational Tours’ Literature in England
journey explores destinations such as the Lake District, where poet William
Wordsworth spent his days; the cobblestone streets of Haworth, where Charlotte
Brontë penned “Jane Eyre” and her sister, Emily, wrote “Wuthering Heights”; and
Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre in London, where guests will attend a performance.
The Globe Theatre in London, England, UK. (Photo Credit: Adobe Stock/Tony Baggett)
G Adventures
During G Adventures’ Highlights of Eastern Europe &
Turkey tour, clients travel to Transylvania in Romania to explore the world of
Bram Stoker’s “Dracula” and learn the history and lore of the inspiration for
the vampire’s home. Travelers will also visit the 14th-century medieval Bran
Castle, which is nicknamed “Dracula’s Castle.”
Intrepid
Travelers will
immerse themselves in Prince Edward Island, the setting that inspired Lucy Maud
Montgomery’s “Anne of Green Gables,” during Intrepid’s The Maritimes: Prince Edward Island to New
Brunswick tour. The itinerary explores Cavendish, with a walking tour focused
on Montgomery’s novels, as well as a visit to Green Gables Heritage Place — the
19th-century farm where the fictional heroine, Anne, grew up.
Bran Castle (a.k.a. 'Dracula's Castle') in Transylvania, Romania. (Photo Credit: Adobe Stock/kanuman)
Classic
Journeys
Ernest Hemingway
wrote his Pulitzer Prize-winning “The Old Man and the Sea” during a 20-year
stint living in Cuba. On Classic
Journeys’ Cuba Cultural Walking Tour, clients can travel to Finca Vigia —
Hemingway’s Cuban home in Havana — for a private visit. They’ll also have the
chance to enjoy a daiquiri at Hemingway’s favorite local bar, El
Floridita. (Editor’s note: U.S. citizens may travel to Cuba under
the “Support for the Cuban People” license, which is held by Classic
Journeys.)
Great Value
Vacations
The Eat, Pray,
Love in Rome, India & Bali itinerary from Great Value Vacations takes its
inspiration from Elizabeth Gilbert’s memoir “Eat, Pray, Love.” Highlights
include a tour through Rome’s street food scene and an exploration of India’s
stunning temples. The trip ends in Bali, where travelers will experience a
traditional Balinese blessing and purification ceremony.
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