The climate change has now reached a point of no return, which means that slow travel is something that we need to get acquainted with!
I will explain what it means to ‘travel slow’, how it differs from how we understand traditional travel, and why we all need to change our perception about travel overall. Yesterday!
Put bluntly, the way we’ve traveled so far has created massive amounts of pollution and waste, harm to local communities, and created a chain of general ignorance that can’t continue.
At the end of the day the amount of people on this planet who are able to travel for pleasure is minimal. We are the overly privileged, which gives us plenty of power but with power. And with that power comes responsibility! We privileged ones have the power to change things for better. For all!
For slow travel inspiration: Best Travel Creators to Help You Plan a Trip to Europe
What Is Slow Travel?
Slow travel at its core is exactly what it says on the tin: slowing down and traveling more intentionally. This can be interpreted to
- not running from one famous sight to another just for the sake of getting an Insta photo to prove you were there.
- Or to properly acquainting yourself with the local culture and customs rather than just eating in the over-prized chain restaurant in the middle of the tourist-infested main square.
The big perk of traveling slow is that you get much more than your money’s worth if you just slowed down a bit:
- Choose a couple main attractions to check out, and really check them out instead of running through a spot just for the sake of it.
- Spend a minute digesting local art and appreciate the craftmanship that went into building the Old Towns when cranes had not been invented.
- Always respect the local customs, culture and people.
- Venture just few streets away from the main square where you will find smalls independent restaurants full of locals. I guarantee, you will not regret it!
Last time in Milan we did this and experienced something so uniquely local! All of a sudden the entire restaurant burst into song just because. Completely authentic, very local, and an extremely wonderful experience.
And in terms of respecting local culture; would you like it if tourists walked around in shopping malls in your city wearing nothing but their bikinis? Well, I can reveal that for example the Greeks don’t much like watching you in your bikinis in their grocery stores either. So don’t do it!
Use your head, recycle your trash, hide your shoulders and knees when entering a church, respect, respect, respect. If you need a travel concierge to help you plan your slow travels, it can make the experience even more enriching.
Be an Explorer
Not an Exploiter
Why Slow Travel Matters?
The time for traveling just for the sake of being able to say “I’ve been to over 50 countries!” is so last season. Especially if you can’t actually tell me anything about those 50 countries, the people, culture and traditions. To me not knowing where you’ve even been means you haven’t really been there.
Because how is that different from an overlay in an airport?! Sure, you’re in a country but not really. With AI taking over jobs and online content people are tired of inauthenticity and shallow bragging. If you can’t show or tell me anything concrete, don’t bother at all.
Instead, if you still want to have bragging rights, slow travel is the way to go! But even more importantly:
The environmental impact of travel is too big
We all know this, flying creates massive amounts of pollution, right? In a report published in 2020 the aviation industry was responsible for 3,5% of global warming. And this was even though less than 10% of the world’s population has ever traveled by plane.
After travel being banned for couple of years due to the pandemic, things got quickly worse once the borders opened up again. In 2026 the amount of flights per year hit a new record by July, which means that aviation pollution has increased drastically. Driven by demand!
And it’s not just flying. Another enormously destructive way to travel are luxury cruises. The ships themselves create a lot of pollution, killing sealife everywhere. And on top of that many ships dump their waste in our seas and oceans. Yes, it’s illegal everywhere! Do they care? Of course not!
- The environmental impact of these cruise ships became very apparent when the pandemic hit and borders were closed.
- This forced some coast cities to ban cruise lines from popular ports.
- The waterways in Venice cleared out in just a couple of weeks and dolphins returned when they suddenly had space to swim there again.
- Even the Baltic Sea was suddenly clear! And that’s one of the most polluted seas on the planet.
And let’s not kid a kiddo, the amount of waste we travelers create is immense! Yes, I’m looking at you. At myself as well, of us. But here’s some good news: decreasing your environmental impact on your next travels is actually easy! All that is required are small changes. Start with these sustainable travel tips.
Over-tourism and its effects on local communities
I already mentioned traveling to Venice, and you probably know how much the beautiful city has suffered from over-tourism in recent years.
- Living costs rising so much that locals can’t afford to live there anymore;
- too many people clogging up the tiny streets, making living there unbearable;
- local infrastructure literally falling apart under all that pressure.
The same unfortunate fate has also met Barcelona. I’m sure both of these cities were breathing much more freely while the insane crowds were greatly diminished in 2020-2021. Yes, tourism brings in a lot of money, but there has to be a more sustainable way for a city to exist.
On an even more serious note, over-tourism literally destroys historically significant places. This has gotten to the point where countries literally don’t want you there anymore.
Why voluntourism is a problem, not a solution
Have you been volunteering while on a holiday? Like bathing salvaged elephants on your trip to Thailand? Did your conscience feel lighter after that? Good for you. Or not!
Voluntourism started from a good place, for sure! But like so often happens, greed eventually turned even this charitable way to travel into an abusive system that we rich, white Westerners enable. Not necessarily knowingly, although in 2020’s we should all know better.
For example,
- most of us probably don’t consider that the local community is draining their own resources to make us, the Western voluntourists comfortable.
- Or that the orphans at the local orphanage aren’t actually orphans. They’re there because the orphanage paid the children’s parents for placing their kids there for Westerners to “help”.
In reality the orphanage often abuses and sex traffics these kids. And the voluntourists pay for these activities to exist. Voluntourism itself is not bad. But as rich, privileged Westerners we have the possibility and the responsibility to do the research!
We have to make sure we support the right causes in the right way, and not embark on just any ‘volunteering mission’ available on the internet. Even if your conscience is clear, your hands may not be.
How You Can Become a Slow Traveler NOW?
We must all take the necessary steps today to make sustainable changes in our travel routines. Changes like replacing single-use items with reusable ones, and considering how we travel to a destination and how we behave there.
Here’s a quick list of things you need to consider next time you book travels to a new country in the name of Slow Travel:
- opt for alternative travel destinations instead of the tourist-infested city that everybody knows
- avoid scheduling and making strict to-do lists; wander around aimlessly, enjoy yourself. After all you’re on holiday!
- live like a local: rent an AirBnB instead of a hotel, eat at restaurants that are recommended by locals, respect the culture (dress codes, learning couple words in the local language, etc.), use local public transportation, etc.
- take your time to discover your surroundings in a new place, don’t rush, and definitely DON’T EXECUTE!
Final Thoughts on Slow Travel
I’ve traveled a lot in my life and as a curious sod, slow travel has always been my thang. Heck, I’ve even lived in 4 different countries within just 10 years! So, it probably doesn’t come as a surprise that I’ve tried it all, from backpacking adventures to family holidays to luxury getaways.
And I can honestly say that the most memorable trips are those where you really take your time and focus on the basics. Local way of life, local food, no rush. Sights as well, of course, but the saying ‘Less is More’ applies here. It’s all about experiences!
Which one are you; the one who rushes through every sight or the one who slows down and looks for the full travel experience? ♥
Follow me on TikTok and get to know me better by listening to my podcast, Random Rambles. If you wish to work with me, check out my services here!
