"I'm two minutes into my chat with celebrity tattoo artist Jonathan "JonBoy" Valena in his new studio, located right inside the lobby of the Dream Downtown Hotel in the Meatpacking District, when there's a knock on the door. It's a woman, with a martini in hand, asking about appointments. "I left my husband and son upstairs," she says before admitting she doesn't have any tattoos. She asks if he's good at doing anything small or minimalistic."
"I've been doing this for years. When I studied abroad in Barcelona, I got the female symbol tattooed right after attending the International Women's March. Years later, I got a domino on my forearm with my sister in Puerto Rico to honor our culture on that particular trip - then my parents surprised us by getting the same design from the same parlor during their solo trip a few months later. Tattoos tell a story, and sometimes that story is the trip itself."
Body art has become a popular travel memento as visitors increasingly choose small, location-themed tattoos instead of traditional souvenirs. Social media searches for "souvenir tattoos" show numerous examples like hibiscus from Hawaii, lemons from Italy, fans from Japan, and marble columns from Greece. Some hotel brands now offer location-specific tattoos through partnerships. People often get ink while abroad or on vacation to commemorate experiences including protests, family trips, or cultural connections. Celebrity tattoo artists working in tourist areas attract walk-in clients seeking minimalistic designs. Souvenir tattoos serve as permanent, wearable records of places and memories.
Read at Bustle
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