Although the term 'roots tourism' gained widespread academic attention, it remains relatively unknown in Slovenia despite the country's considerable Diaspora with over 350,000 persons of Slovene origin living in diff erent continents. Based on an empirical study of Slovene-American and Slovene-Australian ethnic communities, this paper examines the main characteristics of this segment of the tourism industry. Results show that visits of the Slovene-American and Slovene-Australian ethnic communities to Slovenia had an impact not only on their sense of family/ancestral heritage, but have also enhanced their identity as Slovene descendants. Th e respondents reported that in some cases their trip became an emotional 'pilgrimage' rather than a 'tourist journey'. Furthermore, the survey indicates that roots tourism has a signifi cant impact on the local and national Slovene economy.