With popular tourist destinations around the globe starting to push back against overtourism, the concept of slow travel is coming to the fore – both at home and abroad. But what is it and why could it be a good fit for your family?
What is slow travel?
Heidi Walker, general manager of Flight Centre NZ, says slow travel can mean different things. But at its heart it’s a more intentional form of travelling. It could be spending more time in one place to have more “mindful and deep” experiences, or it could mean travelling in a way that limits your environmental footprint. Or, it could just be not planning anything and spending your days exploring a place freely, to connect with the local culture.
“For families, slow travel can be a really good fit. Having kids means that often your life is ruled by the ‘routine’, and the thought of having to deviate from the well-oiled machine that is the routine can be off-putting,” Walker says.
“Slow travel, particularly in family-friendly destinations, can make it easier for families to adjust to a new location. If you spend a whole holiday exploring one destination or country, rather than trying to fit in several, you are often only working with one time zone and language, giving kids the chance to pick up the local way of life. It also promotes travelling in different ways, like the train – many countries like Finland and Switzerland have dedicated train compartments for children with playgrounds and foods to make the journey a fun experience.”
Quality over quantity
Dr Amy Errmann, Senior Lecturer in Marketing and International Business at the Auckland University of Technology, describes slow travel as “quality over quantity”. She says it has developed in response to overtourism – not so much the number of people travelling, but what they’re doing when they’re there.
“We start to notice that with the emergence of social media, we have people just congregating in the same place because they all want to get the same photo,” she says.
Dr Errmann gives the example of the Matapouri Mermaid Pools in Auckland which had to be closed due to overtourism and damage by visitors.
“I’m thinking to myself, you have so many other places that look exactly like this, but everyone just wants to go to the one spot because they want to say that they were there.”
This form of overtourism then leads to issues around rubbish and toilet facilities, along with damage to the natural environment.
Europe has seen protests erupt in places like Venice and Barcelona due to overtourism , while Bali has struggled with tourist rubbish. Places like the Pacific Islands have found that where locals generate 2.5kg of waste per day, tourists create 7kg that then needs to be disposed of.
Slow travel and families
Dr Errmann believes families are a natural fit for slow travel and parents needn’t feel they have to take their kids somewhere exciting and spend lots of money.
“I find it fascinating because kids are into sensory experiences. They’re quite tactile and when they travel, when they’re at the beach or they’re in some sort of outdoor setting, they’re always smelling things, touching things, playing with things and they’re very much in the present moment, which is the whole point of slow travel.”
She says the idea is to slow down, go fewer places, and just experience where you are with more quality rather than rushing around for quantity. You don’t have to rush them to all the big attractions.
“Kids are perfect at finding their own fun. So, if you’re going to a destination, there’s nothing wrong with taking kids on a walk, or going to the beach, or somewhere where they can just play and have a sensory experience and be in the present moment,” she says.
This idea of doing less but savouring it more is tied in with a theory known as ‘peak experiences’, Dr Errmann says.
“Typically, we will have highs and lows in our life, but we’ll quite often remember the extreme moments more in our memory when we look back at things”.
Rushing around visiting a variety of places and trying all sorts of activities can leave you with a “sort of memory mush”, Dr Errmann says. Picking just one or two things you really want to do at a destination leaves a more lasting impression.
Slow travel ideas
If you want to take the family overseas, Walker suggests finding countries that are only one flight away to avoid too much time in transit. And when you’re there, look for alternative ways to travel like the train or ferries, where kids have a bit of space to explore.
“If you have older kids, a destination with different types of attractions is a good way to keep them entertained. Think places like Japan, which has Disneyland, as well as a rich local culture, and plenty of outdoor activities like skiing. You can spend your time in one country but get a huge number of varied experiences,” Walker says.
“For younger kids, look for destinations where you can have plenty of downtime in your accommodation. Places like Bali are a good idea. You could book a resort or a private villa with cooking facilities so you have a stable base, where you can also spend days having quiet time to offset day trips out.”
Walker says that visiting popular destinations in the off-season can reduce crowds and create a more relaxed experience.
Dr Errmann says slow travel may mean you need to do a bit more research before you go, rather than just heading to wherever the best Instagram images have been taken. But it makes you think about the places you visit differently and get more out of them.
Dr Errmann’s tips for slow travel
- Pick less popular destinations
This way the locals are happy to see you and you’re more likely to have the place to yourself. Families could consider tramping as a family holiday – and go to less popular, but beautiful tracks. Or try going to a quieter beach, rather than a really popular one.
“You get to meet people and you also get to have this one-on-one experience with the environment as well,” she says.
- Go to fewer destinations
You don’t have to hit all the bucket list destinations. Pick a place and explore it in depth. This will save you travel time, money, and energy.
- Do less while you’re there
Rather than trying to visit the top 10 things in an area, just pick two.
“You’ll probably remember those experiences a lot more because those were the two things you were so excited about. And maybe they cost a bit more, but you’ll actually have savored your experience,” Dr Errmann says.
Read more: Top tips for travelling with kids >>
