It’s become all too common to see travelers on Instagram, jumping from one destination to another at lightning speed, ticking countries off their bucket lists like they’re collecting trophies. In an age where people have become obsessed with wiping another country or state off their map, travelers need to reassess why they traveled in the first place. Whether it’s just crossing a city off a list or adding a square to a photo grid on social media, they’re missing out on the real experience of a city, talking to locals and learning about a culture different from their own.
Traveling slow is the solution. Slow travel encourages travelers to stay longer in a destination, traveling overland at a leisurely pace. By choosing to slow down and experience a country or city over a longer period of time, there are eight benefits for the traveler, the planet, and the inhabitants of these destinations.
8 You’ll Save Money
The first and most apparent benefit of slow travel over blistering travel is the ability to save money. When a traveler tries to visit three major cities in Europe each week of a two-week trip, they are quickly racking up costs because every time they move to a new city, they have to pay for transportation to and from the train station or airport. a plane or train ticket to the new destination, and they must pay for accommodation at their final destination.
When you’re only staying somewhere for a night or two, it’s typical to pay full room price; this is especially true for Airbnb, where fast response times mean the host must charge more to cover cleaning costs. For the same reason, choosing slow travel and extended stays at an Airbnb often results in discounted rates. On the same subject : Vision Arts awards $150000 grant to 12 recipients | Arts & Theater | tulsaworld.com. Similarly, choosing to visit one major city per week means travelers can save money on transportation fees and more time walking around their destination to explore beyond the main tourist hubs.
7 It’s Better For The Environment
There is no denying that air travel has a negative effect on the planet. According to the David Suzuki Foundation, emissions from flights remain in the atmosphere and heat it for centuries. They have the potential to cause chemical reactions and atmospheric effects that warm the planet due to the high altitude at which they are released. Since many travelers are passionate about air travel, this is often a hard truth to hear. Fortunately, that doesn’t mean travel has to stop. It simply means that we must find sustainable alternatives to air travel where possible to mitigate the impact on the planet.
One of those alternatives is ground transportation. Read also : B-Boy Victor Life All About Balance. Slow travel provides the opportunity to skip the fast flight to a distant destination and take a bus or train overland to a nearby city or country for a longer period.
6 You See More Of Each Destination
Choosing slow travel instead of counting countries means spending more time in each place and traveling for a longer period. With time to relax at a destination instead of visiting the highlights on a guided tour and moving on to the next place, there is a chance to roam free. This may interest you : High Tech meets humans. Often the best part of visiting a new place is wandering aimlessly, simply taking in the architecture of the streets, finding little shops where the locals eat their breakfast each morning, and watching peaceful sunsets unhindered by the crowds. Staying in one place longer gives travelers the time to have these unique and memorable experiences.
5 Less Chance Of Burnout
Speeding can be fun at the start of a trip, but by the end of a week or two, it’s a recipe for exhaustion. Early in the morning, late at night, and with no downtime it may seem like you’re maximizing your time at a destination, but in reality, you’re depleting so much energy that you won’t have the mental capacity to really appreciate where you are.
Slow Travel helps travelers maintain their mental and physical health during a trip by encouraging them to schedule downtime into their itinerary. Relax on the beach in Greece for a few more days instead of heading to a new island, or spend the afternoon reading in a café in Paris instead of flying to London for a night. These moments of self-care will become some of your favorite memories.
4 You Can Work On The Road
Today, 16% of businesses worldwide are fully remote, giving more people than ever the opportunity to experience what the digital nomad lifestyle is all about. Remote work provides the ideal work-life balance of traveling the world and making the most of free time while still earning a regular income. However, when working remotely, it is not possible to travel in the same way that you would during a vacation of one or two weeks.
To stay focused on deadlines, join Zoom calls, and deliver high-quality results, travelers need to set realistic expectations for working on the go. Slow travel is a great way to make sure you still have time to experience the destination in the hours you’re not working.
3 Make Connections
Traveling fast means seeing more of the world in less time, but traveling slowly means experiencing more of the world. Instead of joining a guided tour and staying in a hotel for a few nights before leaving for a new city, travelers who choose to slow down and stay in a destination for an extended period have the opportunity to establish a routine there and do connections with the locals. live in that destination. You can chat with them at local cafes and restaurants, meet your neighbors, and even connect with other travelers who are also trying to have an authentic experience in a new place.
2 You’ll Appreciate The Little Things
When you do something too fast, it is inevitable that you will miss something. The same is true for fast travel; Although travelers may get a sense of a place during a short stay, there are beautiful details in each country, city, and town that will be lost in the chaos. Choosing to stay a little longer in one place provides an opportunity to notice more than is obvious at first glance. Travelers will begin to take note of local bird songs, become familiar with the sounds a person in this city wakes up to each morning, or find out where the best stall is at the local farmers market. Understanding the intimate details of a destination is part of the beauty of traveling slowly and sustainably.
1 Less Contribution To Overtourism
Travelers who are eager to change destinations quickly often visit popular tourist spots such as Venice, Paris, Rome, Phuket or Tulum. Many of these places are becoming somewhat undesirable for travelers due to the sheer volume of visitors they receive annually. The crowds make it unpleasant to visit during peak season, and local businesses have increased prices accordingly, making traveling there more expensive as well.
Travelers who choose to slow down and stay longer in each place tend to venture outside the main tourist hubs and discover less-frequented destinations that are more authentic and beautiful. Some examples are travelers heading to Ninh Binh, Vietnam, instead of Halong Bay, or Bologna, Italy, instead of Venice. Although often less accessible by fast flight, these places that are not as popular with international tourists are the best reason for travelers to take their time and explore a destination beyond its biggest attractions.
