When you think about slow travel, you quickly assume that it is related to the pace of moving through your journey. Let me introduce you to the more broader concept of Slow Travel.
Firstly, it starts with an open mindset and curious mind. You will truly connect with the local culture, people and its cruisine. You will continounusly explore the different activities, sights and events that the surroundings has to offer.
I wouldn’t stay it is complete a rabbit hole, but there is a minute part of intention that makes you stay there longer to experience more.
What’s in for me and what exactly does slow travel mean?
To understand slow travel you must first understand yourself and what you need to gain from travel. Don’t be so hard on yourself too, if you haven’t figure all of that out. Just go with the intial feeling and bond to the place.
The second important factor is time. How much time you have to spend in that place, can determine your experience. More time, the more amazing you are going to feel being in the now.
After doing that you understand the true purpose of travel, you begin to choose experiences first and then plan time to fit that. In this way, the main driving force is the attachment to a particular feeling, memory, insight, or taste.
You simply want to indulge, so you skip all the other things. The most misunderstood misconception about slow travel is that you have to travel at a snail-like pace. I think it is simply stopping by and smelling the roses. This may be due to the over-tourism and capitalist nature of certain tourist industry players who see travel destinations and travelers as simply pawns in their business empire.
The regeneration of travel destinations can provide a steady income and upliftment of the local businesses and rewarding repeating experiences to the travelers.
Slow travel has its origins derived from slow food and the Cittaslow movement promoted by those concerned about environmental damage and physical and mental health enthusiasts.
Carlo Petrini and his group of activists started the Slow Food Movement to promote regional traditions serving good food, gastronomic pleasure, and a slow life pace. In 1985, this movement got traction, as they opposed the opening of McDonald’s restaurant near Spanish Steps in Rome. As there was a resemblance to Slow Food, slow travel picked up popularity as the focus was on quality rather than quantity.
There was more emphasis on the enjoyment of discovery, learning, and sharing. This gave me the chance to interact and connect with the local people on a personal level.
Why should you consider slow travel?
- Having a sincere and deeply engaging journey By moving away from a hurried checklist-style approach, you start to prioritize a more deeper and immersive travel experience by establishing meaningful connections with the destination, locals, and culture
- Makes you more aware as a person When you travel slowly you become more aware as a person. As you quit running between places and leaving special places behind, you start to raise your awareness. It helps you enjoy your surroundings to the fullest and learn about the place in-depth. You start to enjoy and understand every perspective, place, and reason behind a particular tradition set up at a destination for example.
- Looking for an authentic experience As a slow traveler, you have the opportunity to forge connections with locals, engaging in unhurried conversations that unveil deeper insights into their way of life. Your genuine interest in the local culture during your slow travel adventures may lead you to authentic experiences suggested by locals that are not always included in itineraries.
- Skipping most of the planning process You don’t have to make strict plans, by not following a tight schedule – you can go with the flow. Your plans can change in the moment as a local might suggest a cool spot or you want to stay back longer to relax and enjoy the view. It is all about the moment driving you, trusting your feelings, and enjoying unexpected adventures.
- This is a cost-effective approach Slow travel promotes the use of cost-effective transportation such as trains, walking, and carpooling. Instead of taking short trips between cities, countries, and continents, you can enjoy the local sights and soak in the regional atmosphere on foot or cycling.
- Promotes sustainable tourism You will reduce your carbon footprint by spending more time in one destination due to a lack of frequent transportation. Slow travel can help develop relationships with local communities and promote responsible behavior. Travelers are more likely to support local businesses, participate in environmentally friendly activities, and respect the region’s cultural and environmental sensitivities.
- It allows you to get lost often With slow travel, you have more time to get lost and find hidden gems along the way. You can follow your heart and curiosity to dive into the finer details of the destination’s culture and history. This may include finding the time to meet locals, checking out the market, and scheduling a festive meal with the community itself. You will always find time to get back on track, but you will return with a rewarding memory.
- Turns into a better storyteller You will return with a wealth of amazing stories to share with others when you reunite. You can become a collector of amazing anecdotes and tales about your recently visited destination. The easy time that you have spent there, will allow you to soak much more on what you have seen and heard. People love hearing about other people’s travels and it is inspirational to share as you have traveled your stories.
- You can work on the road If your full-time job is the one preventing you from embarking on a slow travel trip. It is best to look at taking it with you. Slow travel gives you the freedom to take work with you with a little organization. You can schedule your journey as your work hours permit. In this way, you can experience longer, stay longer, and work right. Hopefully, your employers see the benefit of slow travel it brings to the morale of the employees.
- Prevent tourism leakage Tourism leakage is a term used when most of the tourist money goes to the big corporate accounts, instead of the local business and its people’s welfare. This can be seen with the global chain of corporations that have invested in tourism facilities such as hotels and resorts, most of the tourist dollars leave the destination and don’t circulate in the local economy.
Where do I start with Slow Travel?
As slow travel starts with the mindset mentioned earlier, you have to allow yourself to focus on the journey itself and not hop from one destination to another.
This is hard if you are doing it for the first time. Restraint yourself from making big plans, just plan for that first day at one destination. Next, allow your senses to take control (with sensible limitations of course) and follow your feelings for the entire vacation.
This may be harder for those who are not time-rich, especially if you have a full-time time that doesn’t permit as much time as you need. In that case, pick only one destination and keep revisiting it till you have contended that you have experienced everything that there is to offer.
The only caveat is that you shouldn’t slip into a habit of making multiple trips a routine. In that case, there is nothing new discovered, you are simply doing the same thing again on repeat.
Why slow travel is the best?
Once you truly experience slow travel you start to understand that it is firstly, all about finding your true self, what are capable of, and what you truly desire, and keep doing it. Secondly, it is to build a mindset of endurance and curiosity to keep finding beauty in a place again and again.
Finally, you promote and contribute to the local economy and sustainable practices in this way, we can have more rewarding experiences with amazing people who love sharing the kindness, history, and culture of their homes and are not displeased with over-tourism and become close and cold to outsiders.
The next action step should be to pick a feeling that you resonate with, find that culture that matches well, and plan a destination that embodies that culture
