Travel in Session

Bucket-list trips are often memorialized by the mass-produced souvenirs, kitschy keepsakes, and photo albums that remain unappreciated in the years that follow. As a more meaningful and personalized alternative, globetrotters are now venturing into tattoo shops across the world to permanently commemorate an epic vacation, while also celebrating the local cultures, landscapes, and people that made it so special.

Ariel Wei, founder and resident artist of Brooklyn-based East Coast Social Club, sees this gesture often in The Big Apple, which continues to be the U.S.’s most-visited destination. “People want (to leave with) a little piece of the city as a tattoo,” she says, noting that hotels have also capitalized on the trend by incentivizing stays with NYC-themed flash pop-up events. “Lately, these designs can be really cute and simple, like a tiny apple, a coffee cup, or a bagel.”

Ink sessions are also shared among travel duos and groups, evolving beyond a basic nod to the locale and into duplicated symbols of love, friendship, or family. “Sometimes people will (even) do a fun little matching set — maybe one gets the coffee cup, and the other gets a bagel. It’s such a cute way to remember their trip together,” Wei says.

As post-pandemic escapism shows no sign of slowing, a few wanderlusters and travel industry professionals shared their insights with Inked on this inspired and artistic movement that serves as yet another medium for post-trip storytelling.

Eternal Reminder

For Toronto-based travel writer Seattle Dredge, the path to travel tats was unintentional, yet significant. “I never planned to collect tattoos like some people collect shot glasses, but every time I traveled, I somehow ended up in a tattoo chair,” she says.

In fact, collecting tats as memories ultimately developed out of sheer convenience. “When you’re living out of a backpack, there’s not really space for ceramic elephants or tagine pots, so permanent body art felt efficient,” Dredge explains. “I guess they’re little snapshots of who and where I was at that moment, without needing to be stuffed into a carry-on.”

For some globetrotters, like Dredge, designs are typically dictated by spur-of-the-moment emotions and gut instincts, sometimes in tandem with local artists who either influence or completely control the outcome.

“I was always quite obsessed with learning about tattoo origins and techniques, so if a country has its own traditional method, I want that,” Dredge says. This has included a memorable session with a monk in Thailand, as well as surrendering creative control to a local artist in Tahiti.

“You don’t choose the design; you just sit there and let fate — and a sharpened stick — decide what happens to your skin. And honestly, that’s kind of magical,” she raves, which has led to geo-specific maps, flags, and random symbols that “made sense at the time.” “It’s a beautiful way to take a piece of the world with you.”

A love for travel and a love for ink follow the age-old “chicken-and-egg” question: Which comes first? For Alessandra Amodio, photo editor at “Travel + Leisure,” the two always went hand in hand.

“I was counting down the days until I turned 18 and had an appointment ready for me on my birthday with a notebook filled with what I wanted tattooed on me,” Amodio shares. “Travel felt very similar. I’ve grown up with a family that not only loves to travel as much as I do but instilled an appreciation for the other cultures. Combining the two was truly the most natural thing.”

This blended interest has resulted in skin that bears the indigenous flora of her favorite places: a protea flower from South Africa, an olive branch from Greece, a lemon from Italy, and thistle from Scotland. “I always want the tattoo to tie back into the destination one way or another. It helps that my personal tattoo style and preference lend to a lot of flowers and botanicals, especially if it’s something I’ve personally interacted with.”

A Native Tribute

As a travel content creator and group trip planner, Joe Polito has found a way to integrate tattooing into his multi-day retreats on a larger scale.

“One of the most unexpected traditions that’s formed across the eight group trips I’ve hosted is the last-day tattoo,” he shares. “Everyone bonds so deeply throughout the week that, by the final day, the group wants to mark the experience with something meaningful and rooted in the place we’ve explored together.”

Tattoos have included a beloved guide’s “1, 2, 3, action!” slogan in Vietnam, small mountains in Bali, and an homage to a gregarious coconut seller in Thailand. “Across all these trips, the designs we chose were meaningful because they reflected the trip itself: a local phrase, a symbol tied to the landscape, or a memory we wanted to carry with us long after we left,” Polito says.

To make these sessions even more momentous, the group selected shops dedicated to local craft, whether through technique, one-of-a-kind emblems, or at off-the-beaten addresses recommended by residents. “What matters most is having the tattoo done locally in a way that feels connected to the destination, rather than choosing something purely for its aesthetic. The meaning behind each tattoo is ultimately what gives it its value.”

Memories, particularly in the travel space, can elude even the most sentimental of voyagers. But rather than stumbling into a souvenir shop to purchase something that will likely collect dust, consider a location-based tattoo as the ultimate memento and conversation starter. You’ll worry less about whether something is mass-produced when the fond memory is made for and placed on you.