Travelling is an activity loved by many. In the hectic lives we lead, it is easy to end up putting together an itinerary which consists of rushed visits to 20 places in 4 days. Such an itinerary can give you hordes of Instagram pictures but might not give you the memories and moments to cherish for a lifetime. A student pursuing a Bachelor’s of Science in Hospitality Management at VMSIIHE penned down the benefits of slow tourism and why more people should adopt it. 

Travel is generally about rushing; crossing things off of lists, compressing vacations into extended weekends, or filling your itinerary as much as you can to ensure that no time gets wasted. While this might sound fantastic,  it is not the only way to travel. Over the last few years, fast-paced tourism has been giving way to slow tourism.  You might not even be aware that you’re engaging in this practice, which has become more and more prevalent over the past several months.

So, what is slow tourism? Slow tourism is a style of travel that emphasises on the interaction with locals and their customs, food, and music. It is predicated on the notion that a vacation should be educational and emotionally impactful while still being environmentally and socially responsible.

What are the advantages of slow travel?

Aside from providing travellers with an alternative way to enjoy their travel experiences, slow tourism can be advantageous to tourist sites and the local populace in two key ways,

1) Environmental Advantages

Environmental issues are at the heart of many of the issues with mass tourism. For instance, an increase in tourists will inevitably result in problems with garbage and the usage of natural resources in the area. Also, the development of automobiles and the services offered by the aviation sector also contribute to pollution.

By taking things slowly throughout the trip, slow tourism seeks to minimise the carbon footprint of visitors. This could imply that a visitor utilises public transport, like train services to travel rather than flying quickly to reach their location. Additionally, it entails taking more time to appreciate each activity, which might lower the carbon emissions caused by local travel.

2) Cultural Advantages

Slowing down and appreciating a place for what it has to offer is a vital component of the concept of slow tourism. This can have a number of important cultural benefits for the area because it prevents local establishments from being built with tourists seeking out constant stimulation in mind. It also helps prevent situations where a place becomes more well-known as a tourist destination than a place where people actually live.

3) How can you travel slower?

Slow tourism is often described as experience-based tourism. Travelling slower involves transitioning from materialistic and consumerist luxury to wanting purposeful experiences and creating meaningful moments. People no longer want to have a schedule filled to the brim with tours of classic sightseeing spots. Travellers nowadays want to travel at their own pace while experiencing every aspect of local culture. These conscious decisions impact one’s own cultivation and regeneration as well as helping the environment by reducing your own global footprint.

It’s time to choose the place you’re going to visit now that you know slow travel allows you to take it easy and cross things off of your bucket list at your own pace.