What is slow travel?

When I first started researching for this article, I found a vast number of diverse interpretations of the term “slow travel” and “slow tourism”. Wikipedia defines slow tourism as “an alternative tourism choice in contrast to mass tourism ”, and further states that "it is characterised by reducing mobility and by taking time to explore local history and culture, while supporting the environment".

My curiosity and subsequent fascination with slow travel began in the earlier months of 2023. I had been busily mapping out the itinerary for my personal photographic series the Australian Sand Dunes Project, and part of that itinerary included exploring and capturing the sand dune systems within the Simpson Desert. In my search to find a way to safely navigate my way in and out of such a remote part of Australia, I came across the Outback Camel Company. The OCC is a small group, camel trekking tourism company, providing the ultimate slow travel experience - remote desert trekking alongside camels, whilst exploring and learning about the ecosystems of the Simpson Desert. The idea of wandering around this remote desert landscape by foot for nine days, with no phone reception, and nothing more than a camera, a swag and a bag, piqued my curiosity for slow travel.

In my twenties, travel looked vastly different to the way I view it now. I had been privileged enough to travel to North America, Asia, Europe and the United Kingdom. Modes of transportation typically included flying on planes and catching trains, buses, ferries and taxis. Accommodation and culinary experiences were generally located within central city hubs. Tourist attractions visited were what you might expect on a classic travel highlight checklist - when in Paris we visited the Eiffel Tower, when in London we visited the British Museum, and when in New York we visited the Statue of Liberty. My view on travel at that time had been that if I was exploring somewhere I hadn’t been before, then my aim was to see as much as I could, as quickly as I could. The byproduct of traveling that way however, meant that I was often on a tight schedule, rapidly moving from one place to the next. It also meant I was only experiencing the main commercial tourist attractions, rather than immersing myself in more authentic experiences, that captured the cultural heart and soul of the countries and cities I visited.

Something I am most grateful for when I reflect on that season of travel in my life, is that social media was still very much in its infancy. During my travels, I wasn’t permanently connected to a hand-held device scrolling endlessly, nor was I being implored by social media to rush from one landmark to the next, in order to churn out photographs for the sake of some “likes”. When I traveled to Europe for the first time back in 2008, MySpace and Facebook were the only growing social media platforms around, and at that time they certainly hadn’t gained the level of influence over user behaviour that we've seen explode over the last ten years. Social media's influence has resulted in users being exposed to, and subsequently visiting once pristine and relatively untouched travel destinations en mass, with people hoping to capture the same cookie-cutter reproduced “shot for the ‘gram" no matter the environmental or cultural cost. On the surface, mass tourism could be seen as having a positive effect on the economies of these remote and remarkable places, however, the harsh realities of the environmental impact mass tourism is having on these places cannot be ignored.

My time trekking in the Simpson Desert was nothing short of remarkable, and allowed me the opportunity to re-imagine what travel could look like for myself moving forward. I loved the educational aspect, and the slow nature of the trek. Not only did trekking allow me to lessen my environmental impact on the landscape I was exploring, it also allowed me to be completely present in the moment and immerse myself in the beauty that surrounded me. This incredible slow travel experience reminded me of the power of appreciating simple pleasures - a cool afternoon breeze gently caressing my face after a long hot day of walking in the desert, a vibrant yellow-top daisy resiliently growing through a red dune claiming its place proudly in the arid desert landscape, or the wonder of staring up at a ceiling of stars through my open top swag. These formative experiences are a small part of the reason why this trek ranks as my number one travel experience - so far.

There are many reasons why slow travel may not be an option for everyone, and I acknowledge that there are safety, accessibility issues, and financial constraints that will determine how an individual can undertake their travel. What I came to realise when researching and writing this article, is that slow travel and slow tourism is quite nuanced. Perhaps slow travel might be as simple as disconnecting from devices for the duration of a trip. Perhaps slow travel might be choosing an alternative transport option that is better for the environment, and allows a slower pace in which to explore the landscape. Or, perhaps slow travel might look like staying in local homestays to connect with, and learn from the cultural inhabitants of a destination for a truly immersive and authentic experience.

Slow travel, is in my opinion, not a trending concept. It is an exciting, and ever-growing movement exploring alternative ways to design our travel experiences with more purpose.