Why Is Slow Travel Important to Me?

Why is slow travel important to me??

Zipping from one location to the next without experiencing its full breadth has little appeal to me. For one, travel is not a badge of honour. Are you a better traveller because you can add another country or region to the “been there, done that” list? We have our unique reasons for travelling - business, sports and family, for instance. But if leisure is the reason, perhaps the definition “in an unhurried manner” loses its meaning when a holiday is packed with numerous activities and sights that are listed like grocery items.?

What exactly is slow travel or slow tourism?

It’s a travel experience that’s been slowed down (hence, the name ??) to explore local history, culture and food while supporting the environment. So, no plane hopping for short distances.

A slow tourist experience could be defined when the intention is to discover the particular characteristics of a place while respecting the locality and its inhabitants without falling into nostalgia for the past or into commercial kitsch.* So, wearing a historic headdress for a tourist photo is cultural appropriation and not acceptable.

Slow travel is in more demand partially due to the pandemic. Here are a few ideas:

Religious tourism, culinary tourism, enotourism, agritourism visiting farms, industrial tourism, ecotourism, adventure tourism.

I would love to help you with planning your next slow travel adventure. It’s the way I prefer to travel for work and leisure and can provide tons of insight ??

For inspiration, head over to https://www.yahnnybly.com.

Photo credit: Erik Wallgren, 2019

*Source:?Matos, Rafael (2004). Weiermair, Klaus; Mathies, Christine (eds.). “Can slow tourism bring new life to alpine regions? The Tourism and Leisure Industry: Shaping the Future.” The Haworth Hospitality Press. p. 93-104. ISBN 078902103X