Slow Tourism – What Does It Mean To Travel Slowly?
Slow tourism can be defined as the act of slowly experiencing a certain area, city, country, region, or continent. To travel slowly, a person would spend a significant amount of time getting to know a particular culture or subculture.
This includes learning customs, native languages, and engaging in the local, daily life around them. During this period, they would see typical tourist destinations, but mostly lesser-known sites and experiences that can only come from living in that place.
Slow Tourism
The whole concept that fast equals best is not always true. Slow tourism embodies the idea that a person can embrace authentic local life by slowing down. To travel slowly means quality instead of quantity so that you can have genuine travel experiences.
In our modern world, most of the time, slow equals bad. Slow internet? No way. Slow pizza delivery? Um, definitely not! I do not blame anyone for feeling this way. I would not want to slow internet or slow food delivery either. But maybe it is not about what we want, rather what we need.
Maybe you have heard about the slow food movement. It is similar in the fact that it is all about appreciating food and where it comes from. Quality is held as a priority rather than speed.
My close friend from Italy (the country where the slow food movement was born) once said “There is no such thing as Italian fast food, it can’t exist”. The quality of Italian food is world-renowned. It makes sense though, they take their food so seriously, in a good way!
Fear Of Missing Out (FOMO)
If you do have a fear of missing out, what exactly are you missing? Similar to the concept of fast food, fast traveling has become normal. Tourists feel like they need to see as much as possible in a particular amount of time, constantly being entertained.
The mindset that ‘time is money’ dominates the western world. As an American, I feel like this is unknowingly ingrained into our being. If you are not accomplishing something, what do you have to show for your life?
Journalist and a key supporter of the slow movement, Carl Honore says this about making his life simpler and slowing down…
“I feel like I’m living my life rather than racing through it” – Carl Honore
This is such a powerful statement. It is so normal to have a fast pace of life that we do not even recognize it as fast. When people go on vacation, they often come back more exhausted than when they left. A time that is allotted to relax somehow does the opposite.
I think people may be missing out, but not in the way you think. I think they are missing out on being present in where they are. Check out these amazing slow travel books for more inspiration!
In the times of COVID, everyone was frozen in their setting, forced to stay in one place. So many started taking advantage of the resources they had nearby. They were forced to live more slowly. They had time to reflect on what was going on around them. They spent more time with loved ones at home.
Traveling should not be about notches on your belt or how many countries are scratched off on your world map. It is about the experiences you have and the connections you make.
Why I Choose Slow Tourism
I am also guilty of having this go go go mindset in the past. In fact, like many Americans, my first trip to Europe included a few countries in a short amount of time. I look back and laugh at myself for doing this.
Though my reasoning for having a fast-paced trip was to save money, it was not the real reason. More so, it was about how amazing I would look on social media for marking more countries off as ‘visited’.
I figured that I could get a taster of what these three countries were like, instead I ended up with zero meaningful cultural experiences and plenty of Instagram photos.
Throughout my time of living in Scotland, I would make many more short trips to Europe. Eventually, I ended up seeing every major tourist city or site thanks to popular European budget airlines.
It was amazing to see the places I had learned about growing up. Europe is one of the largest tourist destinations in the world and for good reason. It holds so much history! How is it that I felt a lack of culture then? Surely I should feel a sense of accomplishment for seeing UNESCO sites that most people only ever dream of seeing.
In some ways, I did feel accomplished for seeing so many places in short amounts of time. Most people I grew up around had never gone to a university, left my country, or even left my state. I have had so many opportunities compared to my mother, in fact I was the first in my family to be awarded a Masters’s degree and the first to ever travel to Europe.
I should be grateful right? Instead, I was starting to feel like I wanted to be more purposeful in seeking out meaningful, local interactions. This is when I started to discover the art of slow tourism.
13 Reasons To Travel Slowly
#1 Save Money
Many people often associate travel with being expensive, but that is if you do the typical ‘fast’ traveling that most do on vacation. The faster the tourism the more pricey it will be. The same amount that someone might spend to do a week’s holiday could be spent for a month.
#2 Save Time
By slowing down, you not only save money but also time. Even if you go away for a weekend, it is possible to travel slowly. This means doing less so you can get more out of the things you do. This means being present and cherishing your time with yourself or others depending on how you travel.
Check out Explore Albania By Slow Traveling (7 Great Reasons Why It Just Makes Sense)!
#3 Relax More
Busy travel days make you tired. It makes sense that even if you purposefully try to do slow travel, a few busy days can still be included. Sometimes it is necessary to do an activity or experience.
As a slow traveler, an important thing to remember is to make sure to have a balance. If you know you will have a busy day, make sure to make the day before and after a free or relaxed day.
It is important to note that part of being able relax is putting your mind at ease. Make sure to cover yourself by purchasing travel insurance. I always go with Safetywing since they are affordable and have very thorough coverage.
#4 Be Kind To The Environment
Though I love to travel here at Maptrekking, it would be irresponsible to ignore the fact that travel does have a serious environmental impact on our world. Slow tourism helps to reduce travel’s strain on the environment. Land travel and especially local travel is so much better for the environment than flying. Learn more about how to be a responsible tourist.
#5 Have Authentic Adventures
One of the best perks of slowly traveling is that you get to still visit huge tourist spots but when they are not as busy. Even more importantly, you get to experience places that most tourists would never go; an undiscovered mountain viewpoint or an off the beaten path type of cafe. 
Hidden gems are often found when you throw away the guide book.
Check out these amazing slow travel destinations!
#6 Support Locals
A large part of saving money while traveling slowly is the fact that you live locally. Ditching typical vacation options like international hotels, resorts, cruises, etc. will help support the local economy and be more environmentally friendly. Consider staying with locals, eating at local restaurants, shopping at local markets, etc.
Find local stays through TrustedHousesitters and Homestay.com. If you do not already have a Homestay account, sign up here to get $25 / €20 off your first stay!
#7 Make Connections
Fast traveling severely limits opportunities to make a connection with people or a place. When travelers move quickly and checking ‘must-see’ places off of a list is a priority, chatting to the locals most likely will not happen. There could be locals at big tourist attractions, but they are there to sell something!
Chances are if you are doing #6 Support Locals then you are likely to make connections.
#8 Learn A New Way Of Life
While supporting locals, you will inevitably be starting to understand their way of life and customs. 
Customs that might seem ridiculous to you might start to make sense!
One of our favorite ways to experience cultures is travel volunteering through Workaway. It is how I stay so long in one place and reduce travel costs simultaneously!
Workaway is a worldwide platform that allows slow travellers to volunteer for free accommodation and food. I can speak from my experiences and say it is an excellent way to meet locals, eat local food, and learn a new culture.
Sign up here to become a travel volunteer today!
#9 Reflect & Understand
To travel slowly means that you have the time to stop. This time can be used to think, reflect, and understand, so many of the new experiences that you have had. Taking time to stop and remember where you have come from and what you have learned about yourself and your surroundings.
One of my favorite ways to do this is to have a specific travel journal. This is great to write how I feel whenever I have a unique experience or visit a place that has been on my bucket list for a while.
#10 Remember More
Moving fast makes it hard for our brains to remember details. Have you ever taken a trip that was so fast-paced that it feels like a blur when you get home?
The less time you spend on a plane, the more you can spend doing something meaningful. By not rushing through a city, country, or even a continent, you will have more memories to look back on.
#11 Experience The Unexpected
Most of our adventures come from not having plans. Some level of preparation is needed of course, but generally it is best to be open to unexpected adventures. Make sure to have free time. Do not be afraid to get lost!
Not having every hour of a day scheduled means that you have more opportunities to abandon the guide book.
#12 Less Materialistic
Living like a local is the opposite of being a materialist. I do not want to generalize here, but if you are taking up slow tourism then it is probably safe to say you are travelling minimally. Instead of objects bringing happiness, it is simple experiences.
#13 Transform Your Mindset
Whether you travel slowly full time or during a weekend getaway, it is possible to have slow travel experiences transform your mindset. Simple pleasures can start to bring satisfaction.
All the ‘stuff’ that society tells us that we need might start to seem inconsequential. Do not be surprised if you return home and see how much-unneeded clutter is there.
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