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Hi Dubai
01-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Hi Dubai
From Page to Passport: Why Book-Inspired Travel Is Booming
In 2025, the literary world is experiencing a renaissance, thanks in large part to the influence of BookTok—a vibrant community on TikTok where readers share reviews, recommendations, and reactions to their favorite books. With over 370 billion views and more than 52 million creations, #BookTok has transformed the way people discover and engage with literature, turning reading into a dynamic, shared experience (Forbes 2025). This surge in literary enthusiasm has spilled over into the travel industry, giving rise to a trend known as literary tourism. Book lovers are now seeking out real-world locations featured in their favorite novels, eager to walk the same streets as beloved characters and immerse themselves in the settings that once existed only in their imaginations. Destinations like the Yorkshire Moors from Emily Brontë's "Wuthering Heights" or the bustling neighborhoods of Naples depicted in Elena Ferrante's Neapolitan novels have become must-visit spots for these literary pilgrims. Celebrity book clubs have further fueled this movement. Figures like Reese Witherspoon, Dua Lipa, and Oprah Winfrey have curated reading lists that not only spotlight compelling stories but also inspire fans to explore the locales tied to these narratives . These endorsements have a powerful impact, often catapulting books—and their settings—into the global spotlight. The convergence of social media and celebrity influence has transformed reading from a solitary activity into a communal adventure. Readers are no longer content to merely imagine the worlds within their books; they want to experience them firsthand. This shift is reshaping travel itineraries, with literature-inspired journeys becoming a significant trend in 2025 . As we delve deeper into this phenomenon, we'll explore the destinations that have captured readers' imaginations, the reasons behind the rise of literary tourism, and how you can embark on your own book-inspired adventure. Why Book-Inspired Travel is Booming in 2025 In 2025, book-inspired travel is experiencing a significant surge, driven by the global influence of BookTok and the growing popularity of literary tourism. 📚 BookTok's Global Influence BookTok, a vibrant community on TikTok, has become a powerful force in the literary world, with over 370 billion views and more than 52 million creations. This platform has transformed reading into a dynamic, shared experience, turning books into viral sensations and influencing readers' travel choices. 🌍 Rise in Literary Tourism The enthusiasm generated by BookTok has spilled over into the travel industry, giving rise to a trend known as literary tourism. Readers are now seeking out real-world locations featured in their favorite novels, eager to walk the same streets as beloved characters and immerse themselves in the settings that once existed only in their imaginations. 🏨 Industry Embraces the Trend Hotels, travel companies, and local tourism boards are capitalizing on this trend by offering literary-themed experiences. For instance, The Loutrel in Charleston invites guests to book a "Book Butler" who curates personalized reading lists and delivers books directly to their rooms. Tour operators are also offering literary-themed tours, allowing travelers to explore destinations through the lens of their favorite stories. These immersive experiences cater to the growing demand for travel that connects readers with the worlds they've imagined. As literature continues to inspire wanderlust, book-inspired travel is poised to remain a significant trend, offering readers new ways to engage with their favorite stories and explore the world through a literary lens. Where Readers Are Going — Top Book-Inspired Destinations In 2025, book-inspired travel is flourishing, as readers around the world seek to immerse themselves in the real-life settings of their favorite novels. From the windswept moors of Yorkshire to the bustling streets of Tokyo, literary tourism offers a unique way to experience the world through the lens of beloved stories. 📍 Top Book-Inspired Destinations in 2025 1. Yorkshire Moors, England – Wuthering Heights by Emily Brontë The haunting landscapes of the Yorkshire Moors, immortalized in Emily Brontë's Wuthering Heights , continue to captivate visitors. The Brontë Parsonage Museum in Haworth, along with the surrounding moorlands, offers fans a glimpse into the world that inspired the novel. In 2022, the North York Moors National Park recorded 8.97 million tourism visits, highlighting the region's enduring appeal to literary enthusiasts. 2. Naples, Italy – Neapolitan Novels by Elena Ferrante Elena Ferrante's Neapolitan Novels have drawn global attention to Naples, with readers eager to explore the city's vibrant neighborhoods depicted in the series. In 2025, Naples experienced a 33% increase in tourism since 2021, welcoming 14 million visitors, many inspired by Ferrante's evocative portrayal of the city. 3. Barcelona, Spain – The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafón Carlos Ruiz Zafón's The Shadow of the Wind has turned Barcelona into a literary pilgrimage site. Fans can embark on walking tours that trace the novel's settings, including the Gothic Quarter and the fictional Cemetery of Forgotten Books. These tours offer an immersive experience into the atmospheric world Zafón created. 4. Bath, England – Bridgerton Series by Julia Quinn and Netflix Adaptation The Regency-era charm of Bath has been revitalized by the popularity of Julia Quinn's Bridgerton series and its Netflix adaptation. The city has embraced its role as a filming location, with themed walking tours and events. In 2024, the "Bridgerton effect" contributed over £5 million to the local economy, showcasing the significant impact of literary and screen tourism. 5. Tokyo, Japan – Novels by Haruki Murakami Haruki Murakami's novels, set against the backdrop of Tokyo's dynamic landscape, have inspired fans to explore the city's locales featured in his works. Guided tours offer insights into Murakami's life and the settings of his stories, providing a deeper connection to his surreal narratives. These destinations exemplify the growing trend of literary tourism, where readers seek to bridge the gap between fiction and reality. As literature continues to inspire wanderlust, book-inspired travel offers a meaningful way to explore the world through the stories that resonate with us. What's Fueling the Trend — More Than Just Pretty Pictures In 2025, book-inspired travel is flourishing, driven by more than just picturesque settings. This trend is fueled by readers' deep emotional connections to literary characters, the allure of immersing oneself in the worlds of beloved stories, and a growing preference for sustainable, slow-paced journeys. Emotional Connections: Walking in the Footsteps of Fictional Friends Literary tourism offers readers a unique opportunity to deepen their bond with cherished characters by exploring the real-world locations that inspired their favorite stories. This immersive experience allows travelers to connect with the narratives on a personal level, transforming reading into a tangible adventure. For instance, fans of Elena Ferrante's Neapolitan novels often visit Naples to experience the vibrant neighborhoods depicted in the series, seeking to understand the environment that shaped the characters' lives. Immersive Experiences: Cafés, Bookstores, and Literary Landmarks Travelers are increasingly drawn to local bookstores, cafés, and literary landmarks that allow them to "step into the world" of their favorite books. These venues offer more than just a backdrop; they provide a sensory experience that brings stories to life. For example, Shakespeare and Company in Paris is not only a historic bookstore but also a gathering place for literary enthusiasts, offering a glimpse into the city's rich literary heritage. Similarly, Fukuoka's literary map in Japan guides visitors through a curated selection of bookstores and cafés, creating a narrative journey through the city's literary scene. Sustainable and Slow Travel: Embracing the Journey The rise of book-inspired travel aligns with the growing trend of sustainable and slow tourism. Travelers are opting for longer stays in single destinations, allowing them to fully immerse themselves in the local culture and literary history. This approach not only reduces the environmental impact of travel but also fosters a deeper appreciation for the places visited. By focusing on meaningful experiences over rapid sightseeing, literary tourists contribute to the preservation of cultural landmarks and support local communities. In essence, the surge in book-inspired travel reflects a desire for authentic, emotionally resonant experiences that connect readers more deeply with the stories they love. By walking the paths of fictional characters, sipping coffee in historic cafés, and embracing the pace of slow travel, literary enthusiasts are transforming their passion for books into unforgettable journeys. Planning a book-inspired adventure is a delightful way to immerse yourself in the worlds of your favorite stories. Here's how to craft a literary journey that's both enriching and memorable: 📖 1. Choose a Destination That Resonates with Your Reading Preferences Begin by reflecting on the genres and authors you love. If you're captivated by classic literature, destinations like Bath, England—associated with Jane Austen—might appeal to you. Fans of contemporary fiction might consider exploring Tokyo, which features prominently in Haruki Murakami's novels. By aligning your travel plans with your literary interests, you'll create a more meaningful connection to the places you visit. 🗺️ 2. Utilize Resources to Enhance Your Literary Experience To delve deeper into the literary significance of your chosen destination, consider the following resources: Literary Walking Tours : Many cities offer guided tours that explore locations tied to famous authors and novels. For instance, Boston provides self-guided tours highlighting sites related to Henry David Thoreau and Louisa May Alcott. : Many cities offer guided tours that explore locations tied to famous authors and novels. For instance, Boston provides self-guided tours highlighting sites related to Henry David Thoreau and Louisa May Alcott. Themed Accommodations : Some hotels embrace literary themes, offering rooms inspired by renowned authors or books. In Paris, certain hotels are designed to reflect the ambiance of classic literature, providing an immersive stay. : Some hotels embrace literary themes, offering rooms inspired by renowned authors or books. In Paris, certain hotels are designed to reflect the ambiance of classic literature, providing an immersive stay. Author Homes and Museums : Visiting the former residences of authors can offer insight into their lives and works. For example, the Brontë Parsonage Museum in Haworth, England, allows visitors to explore the home where the Brontë sisters penned their novels. : Visiting the former residences of authors can offer insight into their lives and works. For example, the Brontë Parsonage Museum in Haworth, England, allows visitors to explore the home where the Brontë sisters penned their novels. Local Bookstores and Libraries: Exploring independent bookstores and libraries can uncover hidden literary gems and provide a sense of the local reading culture. Cities like Edinburgh and San Francisco boast numerous bookshops with rich histories. 📚 3. Read or Reread the Book Before Your Trip To fully appreciate the literary connections of your destination, it's beneficial to read or revisit the relevant works beforehand. This preparation will enrich your understanding of the settings and themes, allowing you to recognize subtle references and nuances during your travels. Engaging with the text prior to your journey can transform familiar streets and landmarks into vivid scenes from the narrative. Embarking on a literary-themed trip offers a unique opportunity to connect with your favorite stories on a deeper level. By thoughtfully selecting your destination, utilizing available resources, and immersing yourself in the literature, you'll create an unforgettable adventure that brings the pages of your beloved books to life. Book-inspired travel isn't just another social media trend or a passing travel fad — it taps into something timeless and deeply human. We've always been drawn to stories, not just to read them, but to live them, to walk in the footsteps of characters we love, and to stand in the places where imagination and reality blur. In a world moving faster than ever, literary travel invites us to slow down, to experience a destination not as a checklist of sights, but as a living story we step inside. It's not about collecting photos — it's about connection: to a place, to a narrative, and to a part of ourselves that still believes in wonder. And maybe that's why this movement will endure. Because long after the hashtags fade, the pull of a good story — and the longing to stand where it was born — will keep readers packing their bags and setting out for the places where fiction becomes beautifully, tangibly real. Also read: Passing on the love for reading: Second-hand and Pre-loved Bookstores in Dubai Here's a list of some of the most popular second-hand or, as we like to call them, pre-loved bookstores in Dubai. Bringing you the best of both worlds, the United Arab Emirates houses large-scale international bookstores and pre-loved bookstores. A List of the Most memorable Libraries to visit in Dubai In a rushed fast, paced world, on occasion, we require some peace of mind. To take a step back and slow down. Although we are surrounded by many responsibilities, much of our work or studies can be done in a library. Art, Action, and Adventure: Exploring Dubai's Comic Book Haven Dubai's comic book shops are a geek's paradise. Whether you're hunting down some vintage gems or looking for the latest superhero volumes, these comic book shops have something for every comic enthusiast!
Time of India
29-04-2025
- General
- Time of India
Guiding light
On my daughters arranging my future Of late the kids have been musing over my departure. Not to a mall or airport but the grand goodbye. I have been an old woman to them from the time they met me. One daughter accompanies me with all the gravitas of a caretaker, giving me a careful onceover before leaving the house: take keys, sunglasses, has mom worn clothes. While privately I believe in my own immortality, they expect me to keel over any minute. Difficult to catch hold of me, they say, as I'm always at a funeral. I chose cremation over burial when they asked as if I had given it some thought, but there's some confusion over my ashes now. My suggestion that these be divided between the two daughters was met with an awkward silence. I broke into childhood memories of a pond in Ollur I used to frolic in, and suggested immersing the ashes there. Too far, ma, was the clipped answer. Okay, I snapped, any lake in Bangalore will do. 'We could get arrested for littering,' say they. As they are still grappling with this, I am under strict orders not to perish till it's sorted. They are also working on a guest list. If I grumble about a friend, they quickly scratch out the name. Henceforth talking highly of everyone I know. The one thing I can do effortlessly and with some amount of speed is ageing. I am now only concerned about spines while reading romances. Find a good mattress, I tell the protagonists. Love happens all the time, but we have only one vertebral column. And while I find older people too free with their health details, I'm fascinated by my own knee pain and limp till someone asks. Some things I'm super sharp about, but some things…what was I saying? Nobody wishes for a long lingering farewell. Unlike film heroes shot in the head but still able to give a coherent and complete speech, I want to go as an incomplete mystery, where my last words could hint at a homicidal past or at least a large embezzlement. 'I'm Elena Ferrante' was a favourite, but she may keep writing novels after I go. 'You look the type who will have a lot of dramatic things to say on your deathbed,' says daughter. 'When you see the light, just walk into it. Don't start describing it.' Facebook Twitter Linkedin Email Disclaimer Views expressed above are the author's own.
New York Times
31-03-2025
- Entertainment
- New York Times
Billy Gilmour on Conte's Napoli, nights out with McTominay and paying tribute to Maradona
A few days before Christmas, the tight, winding streets of the Quartieri Spagnoli were packed. They always are these days. Naples is in the grip of a tourism boom, with millions of visitors drawn here by Elena Ferrante, by Gomorrah, by Mare Fuori, all of them determined to stroll the streets of the city's perfectly Instagrammable ancient heart. Advertisement Their destination is always the same. At times, particularly in the evening, the crowds waiting for a glimpse of the towering mural of Diego Maradona on Via Emanuele de Deo can be so dense that the whole place grinds to a halt, a snaking human traffic jam spilling out from the cramped square itself onto the alleys that surround it. Standing patiently in line is not, of course, an option for Napoli's current players. Should they wish to pay obeisance to the club's greatest icon, the city's patron saint — or even just indulge in a simple bit of tourism — then it is necessary to take special measures. The older hands at the club know that the trick is timing. 'You have to go at night,' said Matteo Politano, now in his fifth year at Napoli, a Roman by birth who qualifies as a Neapolitan by adoption. 'You have dinner, you wait for a little while, and then you go late. Really late, like two or three in the morning.' That particular piece of wisdom, though, had not been passed on to Billy Gilmour, Napoli's Scottish midfielder, when his family flew out to visit him a few months ago. He wanted to take them to see it, but he knew he had to go incognito. 'It was easier because it was winter,' he said. 'I had my hood up, sunglasses on, a big scarf. It was busy. Really busy. But it's amazing.' He managed to get to the piazza, to see how Naples honours its heroes, and to escape unnoticed, just another face in the crowd. That has not been Gilmour's only taste of Naples in the seven months since he arrived in Italy, cherry-picked and headhunted by Antonio Conte. Conventional wisdom has it that Naples is not a place where players can live a normal life; the city is too small, too familiar and, above all, too fervent. The club, generally, lets new arrivals know that there is a non-zero chance they will be mobbed if they appear in public. Gilmour, though, has found that judicious expeditions are possible. 'You can go out,' he said. 'You do get noticed, but it's a nice thing. People just want to congratulate you, to tell you to keep doing what you're doing.' Advertisement There are certain limitations. He and fellow Scotland international Scott McTominay joined Napoli at the same time — indeed, they consulted each other on their moves — and have since become almost inseparable. They live close to each other, just outside the city; they share the services of Mario, a private chef; they sit next to each other at mealtimes and in the dressing room. As far as Gilmour is concerned, though, McTominay, who arrived from Manchester United, is a bit of a liability when having an evening meal. 'If you go out with Scott, it's crazy,' he said. The problems are his height and his, well, distinctly northern European colouring. McTominay 'sticks out' a little more than Gilmour does. Still, they have seen enough to have a couple of favoured haunts. 'The culture, the lifestyle, the city are totally different,' Gilmour said. 'You experience things you wouldn't back in the UK. It is an eye-opener.' And yet it is immediately apparent that the 23-year-old could not feel more at home. There is something fitting about that. As a teenager, Gilmour's performances for the youth teams of Rangers and the Scottish national side were sufficient to attract the eye not just of the Premier League's big beasts, but Barcelona, too; one of the club's scouts privately admitted a degree of surprise that Scotland seemed to have a player cast straight from the Masia mould. From a young age, Gilmour developed a reputation on the continent for possessing virtues that were not, at least traditionally, British. 'When I was younger, my main aim was to play in the Premier League,' Gilmour said, sitting in the same classroom at Napoli's training facility where he and McTominay have their twice-weekly Italian lessons. 'That was my first dream. But I was always told that my style of play would suit playing abroad.' Advertisement When the chance arose again last summer, Gilmour said, it was 'a bit of a no-brainer'. He had struggled to establish himself at Chelsea, spending a season on loan at Norwich City — 'it showed me the other side of football, it put me on the right path' — before moving to Brighton & Hove Albion. 'Graham Potter and Roberto De Zerbi changed how I played, how I saw football,' he said. 'At Chelsea, I was always in and out, not finishing games. In my first season at Brighton, I was doing the same. But in that second one, because we were in Europe as well, I was playing lots of games, I was fit and confident. I was at my very best.' That form not only ensured that he played in all of Scotland's games at Euro 2024 but caught Conte's eye, too. Their paths had crossed previously, albeit briefly: the midfielder's first season in the club's youth system coincided with Conte's turbulent final year as manager of the senior team. Six years later, the player that Gilmour had become just so happened to fit the profile Conte required. He had made it plain to Napoli that he wanted to sign a midfielder with 'personality in playing the ball', as he would later put it, who might be able to provide cover and competition for Stanislav Lobotka. Gilmour, he felt, had 'very similar characteristics'. The player's enthusiasm for the idea made up Conte's mind. Scottish players are, of course, de rigueur in Serie A at the moment. Gilmour had canvassed Lewis Ferguson, the Bologna captain, when he first learned of Napoli's approach; he had consulted McTominay, too. 'I'm pretty close with Lewis,' he said. 'I followed him when he was at Bologna, and whenever I saw him with the national team, I'd ask him about Italy. I just wanted to hear it from a second source, really.' Gilmour has needed to be a little more patient than he might have liked to join the ever-growing list of Scottish regulars in Serie A. He began against Milan on Sunday and provided the assist for what proved to be Romelu Lukaku's winner for the hosts on the night. Yet he has largely served as an understudy to Lobotka, as Conte had intimated, making 18 appearances in Serie A, nine of them starts; he has already had to cede the nickname 'Braveheart' to McTominay. There is, though, no sense of frustration. 'I want to play as much as possible, obviously,' Gilmour said. 'But we have a great squad, with really good players. We have a manager who understands when players are hurt, or when they need resting. We train hard and we work hard. The senior players, (Giovanni) Di Lorenzo, Politano, Leonardo Spinazzola: they make sure the standards are high, all of the time. They don't let you drop. That is good for me.' When he has had the chance, he has invariably stood out. Conte wrapped him in a bear hug as he left the field after helping to orchestrate a win against Milan in October, then lavished him with praise after a 'great' performance in a 1-1 draw with Inter on March 1. That point may yet be crucial: it ensured that Napoli remain in contention for the Serie A title as the season enters its final rounds. Conte has already suggested that Gilmour may play a more prominent role in the next few weeks. He has had to wait for his opportunities, but nobody is in any doubt that they are coming. Advertisement Gilmour might have been able to blend in with the teeming masses in the Quartieri Spagnoli just before Christmas, but if he helps Napoli over the line for a second championship in three years, there is no chance at all of him ever being just another face in the crowd.
