Forget the solo beach paperback: travellers are now joining structured reading retreats that mix books, place and community. Known as 'bookcations', these holidays put reading centre stage, offering a blend of vacation, book club and cultural immersion.
Books in Places, founded by Paul Wright in 2023, started as a way to get away with his UK-based book group. He now offers weekend trips in the UK and longer retreats to destinations like Portugal, Crete, Egypt and Italy. 'Location is at the heart of everything,' Wright says. 'Exploring the streets, landscapes and atmosphere of the setting deepens our understanding of the story.'
Participants like Lyn Margerison from Dorset have travelled to Florence, Budapest and beyond. 'For me, these holidays are the perfect combination of books and travel,' she explains. 'I always leave with a renewed enthusiasm for both reading and travelling – plus, usually, a much longer to-be-read list.'
The trend is backed by data. A 2025 survey by travel search engine KAYAK found nearly half of UK travellers now choose destinations based on how suitable they are for reading and learning. The figure rises to 60% among Millennials. Meanwhile, Future Market Insights reports the literary tourism sector was worth $2.4bn last year, projected to reach $3.3bn by 2034.
Wright has seen demand soar. 'I started in 2023 with two trips,' he says. 'Last year there were seven half-full. This year I offered around 25 trips that often filled up within 24 hours of me announcing them.' Other companies, such as Ladies Who Lit in the UK, are also tailoring the concept for avid readers.
