Slow tourism, also known as slow travel, is a fairly recent concept that invites travellers to engage in more nature-based activities and spend their excursions exploring the environment.
Slow tourism, also known as slow travel, is a fairly recent concept that invites travellers to engage in more nature-based activities and spend their excursions exploring the environment and connecting with the world around them instead of the usual trips or holidays that encourage travellers to spend their time visiting tourist hotspots in bustling city centres surrounded by crowds.
Slow tourism is all about breaking away from convention and truly immersing yourself in the world around you, whether that is natural locations, cultural traditions or connecting with other like-minded people also searching for a serene break away from everyday life.
This article will discuss the increasing popularity of slow tourism and some of the core principles associated with this more relaxed and peaceful way to travel.
The foundations of slow tourism:
Immersive experiences
Slow tourism is all about immersing yourself in the world around you. Stepping away from traditional tourism and the many pre-determined excursions and tours around tourist hotspots, slow tourism encourages travellers to spend time off the beaten track, connecting with local traditions and ways of life, exploring secluded environments and engaging in meaningful connections.
Mindful consumption and connection
Step away from bustling city centre bars and restaurants on your travels and choose instead to seek out places where you can enjoy the delights of local delicacies straight from the farm. There’s nothing more enriching than finding a place to spend your break where you can collect fruit and vegetables from the likes of tomato plants or delicious apples in an orchard and take them to the kitchen to cook your own delicious meals.
Taking things slow
As the name suggests, slow tourism is all about taking your foot off the gas and enjoying life at a leisurely pace. Instead of creating an itinerary that will have you rushing around checking things off your to-do list, let yourself go with the flow and make discoveries along the way. It’s all about spending time where you are as opposed to constantly chasing the next destination and not fully allowing yourself to enjoy the moment.
Sustainable travel
Sustainability is at the heart of the ethos of slow tourism. There’s a real emphasis on stepping away from traditional forms of travel such as relying on cars, trains and planes, and instead focusing on making your way from destination to destination in a way that is more environmentally friendly.
Many people choose to embark on adventures that require travelling on foot or by bike. This way you can spend more time in the world around you and reconnect with nature as you make your way from one place to another, discovering hidden gems along the way.