Slow tourism

Slow tourism is a form of leisure travel that allows sufficient time for the traveler to have a meaningful, authentic experience. This type of tourism is related to sustainable practices such as reducing impact on the environment and society while experiencing local culture. Many of those who practice slow tourism embark on backpacking trips in Australia, Central America, or Southeast Asia. Road trips are also popular in large countries including Australia, Canada, and the United States.

Many experts in the tourism industry note that slow tourism is not necessarily about speed. It is more accurately the opposite of fast tourism, which includes all-encompassing packages and organized tours. Slow tourism is focused on genuinely experiencing an area and its culture and contributing to the local economy without using up a great deal of resources.

Background

Slow tourism evolved from the slow food movement. Slow food originated in the 1980s in Italy with Carlo Petrini and several friends in the northern town of Bra. The group of food and wine lovers met frequently in various locations to experience local cuisine and chat. The friends noticed changes in the way food was produced and consumed, in particular the severing of connections between producers and consumers. The group lamented the loss of relationships with local wine makers, butchers, and farmers who sold fresh eggs, cheese, and meat.

About that same time, the international fast food chain McDonald’s was preparing to open a new franchise location in Rome. While in other countries the corporation had begun opening restaurants in the provinces, in Italy, McDonald’s targeted the major cities. A number of people were opposed to this development because they felt it would have a negative impact on the Italian culture, and some groups held demonstrations on the site in the heart of the city.

Petrini believed that protesting the multinational corporations was futile. Instead, he and his friends worked to raise awareness of the gastronomic riches of Italy and the dangers to traditional sources of food and wine. Petrini’s efforts gained followers in other countries, sparking the birth of the slow food movement. The movement is about being aware of where food comes from, who produces it, and how it is made. Its followers believe food should taste good, be produced in an environmentally friendly way, respect human health and animal welfare, and bring producers a fair wage.

Petrini advanced Italy’s offerings in many ways. He co-wrote a guidebook to the wines of Italy, which prompted improvements in quality of economical Italian wines as its popularity boomed. He held the first exhibition for high-quality foods from around the globe in 1996. He founded the University of Gastronomic Sciences to promote food arts in 2004 outside of Bra. Among its many offerings, the school organizes regional tours with an emphasis on locally produced foods. Students take five lengthy field trips a year to discover production processes and sample cuisine in Italy, across Europe, and around the world.

Overview

Slow tourism is an old practice gaining new interest. People throughout history have traveled and explored the world, enjoying the local hospitality and authentic experiences. For example, in the decades after World War II, many young adults spent months backpacking across Europe; many of these young people considered themselves hippies, and some traveled from Europe to India along a route known as the “Hippie Trail.” A large number were looking for inexpensive adventures, while many others lived in newly established work camps while they helped rebuild devastated communities. Many backpackers and other travelers stayed in youth hostels, inexpensive accommodations that began in Germany during the 1910s.

Hostels remain popular with slow tourism fans. In modern times, they often promote their locations as a way for travelers to immerse themselves in the local culture. Modern backpackers rarely rely on old methods of travel, such as hitchhiking. Preferred methods of travel include cycling, walking, taking trains, boating, or even traveling by horse or other animals. These forms of transportation allow the traveler to be a part of the landscape and enjoy the environment.

Travelling in these manners also plays into avoiding the modern practice of flight-shaming. This refers to a social media driven trend of voicing opposition to the use of airplanes because of carbon emissions and the effects of climate change. Climate change awareness is a large part of slow tourism. Many travelers seek low-impact experiences and practice sustainable tourism, especially when it allows them to support the economies of indigenous communities. They believe by doing so, they can offset some of the devastation caused by rising sea levels, more extreme weather, and loss of farmland.

This connection to local communities is a hallmark of slow tourism. Travelers are seeking experiences that are not commercialized and allow them to build relationships with local people. The trend is driven to a great extent by millennials, according to tourism experts. People in this group, who were born roughly between 1981 and 1996, value responsible tourism. They are generally well-educated, and value experiences over material goods. On a trip, they prefer out-of-the-ordinary activities, locations off the tourist trails, and small businesses such as family-owned restaurants.

Many subgroups exist within slow tourism. The slow food tourism (SFT) movement, for example, emphasizes sustainable practices and support of small producers. SFT advocates seek out sources of artisanal, handmade, and indigenous foods. Some examples include slow food festivals, homestays, farm visits, street food destinations, and experiences in producing foods, such as cooking or baking classes that emphasize local ingredients and dishes. A visit to an artisanal cheese producer, for example, might include sampling cheeses, seeing the animals that produce the milk, and getting to know the community and restaurants where these cheeses are served and consumed.

Bibliography

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