Forget all the kitschy travel memorabilia like keychain souvenirs, snow globe souvenirs, souvenir T-shirts, and other tourist trinkets.
Jetsetters are choosing more permanent tokens from their travels. They're getting inked because the number of “tattoo enthusiasts” is on the rise.
data from hostel world More than 40% of adult travelers under the age of 35 get a tattoo while traveling, and half of them revealed they went abroad just to buy ink, according to the survey.
California tattoo artist Rose Hardy previously told Condé Nast Traveler that about 70% of her clients travel from other cities and countries to get her tattoos, while Oaxaca, Mexico artist Dr. said half of its customers come from overseas.
Christina Ferrucci, 25 years old; previously told the Wall Street Journal He got a matching tattoo with his girlfriend to commemorate a trip to London last year, but that was postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
“We needed something to signify this moment and tie it together forever,” she told the Journal. “It's small, but it's the best souvenir.”
Meanwhile, Sean Flynn, a 36-year-old editor from Jersey City, recently went on vacation to Barcelona and spontaneously got a new tattoo while on the trip.
“What matters is not what anyone thinks about my tattoo, but what I get out of it, the satisfaction or personal joy it brings me,” he told the Journal. “It's better than any souvenir.”
In New York City, hotels are cashing in on the body-mod craze by opening parlors in their lobbies and bringing in tattoo artists on-site.
Moxy Hotels hired Jonathan “Jonboy” Varena as its Times Square resident in 2019. And most recently, Untitled Hotel opened Unscripted Ink, the city's first permanent in-hotel tattoo studio. Guests receive complimentary drinks. Their ink is on the rooftop bar.
“It comes from the fact that tattoos are the ultimate souvenir of travel,” resident tattoo artist and co-founder of the shop Liv Novotny previously told the Post. “It's a lifetime piece of art that will always remind you of the cities you traveled to and the adventures you had.”
Big Apple hotels, including the New Museum and W Hotel Group, have been incorporating body art as part of their amenities for years. Mr. Fodors reported.overseas, Generator Hostel in Stockholm and White Rabbit in Cambodia also have in-house tattoo parlors.
This isn't just limited to hotels, cruise ships are also jumping on board with this trend.
Madison Brancaflor, 27, who is based in New Jersey, told the publication that she has sailed on Virgin Voyages cruises, which have tattoo shops on board.
“How many people can claim to have gotten a tattoo on the high seas?” she said.
The tattoo trend is just one aspect of a larger movement around keepsake ink. Goody bags are being swapped out for “flash” tattoos at pop-up events, parties, and even weddings.
Despite protests that this facility could be unsanitary, and needless to say, depending on the level of inebriation of the guests, the consequences could be dire. The newlyweds offered people the opportunity to get inked. According to a viral video on TikTok, at a wedding.
At pop-up events around New York City, patrons can receive free flash tattoos, small works of art already drawn; According to Eater.
Lower East Side hotspot Ray's hosts seasonal events and offers themed ink. Taylor Swift tattoos for “Thurs Taze,” “Beetlejuice” art to celebrate the new spooky movie, Charli XCX ink to send “Brat Summer,” and more off — and they're not the only ones.
In December, That Cheese Plate founder Marissa Mullen celebrated the brand's 10th anniversary with a flash tattoo station, telling the magazine it was “a great way to capture memories.”
Meanwhile, food brand Omsom also celebrated its anniversary with flash ink, which company co-founder Kim Pham described as “funny and cute.”
“I feel like self-expression shouldn't be taken so seriously,” Pham told Eater, likening the commemorative ink to “a little scrapbook of your body.”
