Slow Tourism: Exploring the discourses

Abstract

Abstract'Slow travel' and 'slow tourism' are relatively new, but contested, concepts. This paper examines the meanings ascribed to them in the academic literature and websites targeted at potential tourists. It finds concurrence on aspects of savouring time at the destination and investing time to appreciate the locality, its people, history, culture and products, but detects different emphases. The academic literature stresses the benefits to the destination and global sustainability, while the websites focus on the personal benefits and ways of becoming a 'slow tourist'. Food and drink epitomise the immersion in and absorption of the destination and the multi-dimensional tourism experience, contrasted with the superficiality of mainstream tourism. The paper discusses whether tourists practising slow tourism without using the label are slow tourists or not.Keywords: slow travel; slow tourism; discourse. ResumoSlow travel e slow tourism são conceitos relativamente recentes, embora contestados. Este artigo examina os sentidos conferidos aos conceitos na literatura académica e websites dirigidos a potenciais turistas. Encontram-se consistências em aspetos como saborear o tempo no destino e investir tempo para usufruir do local, das pessoas, da história, da cultura e dos produtos, mas detetam-se ênfases diferentes. A literatura académica realça os benefícios para os destinos e sustentatibilidade global, enquanto os websites se dedicam aos benefícios pessoais e formas de se ser um slow tourist. Comidas e bebidas representam a imersão em e a absorção do destino e da experiência turística multidimensional, contrastando com a superficialidade do turismo de massas. O artigo discute se os turistas que praticam slow tourism sem recorrer ao rótulo são ou não turistas slow.Palavras-chave: slow travel; slow tourism; discurso. J. Guiver • P. McGrath |12

EDITORIAL The Potential of/for 'Slow': Slow Tourists and Slow Destinations

“…Caffyn (2012) suggests slow tourism, with its offer of conviviality, even hedonism, is an easier 'sell' than green or eco-holidays, but may also result in more sustainable local tourism. Guiver and McGrath (2016) concur that sustainability can be a benign by-product of slow tourism, but is not promoted as a motive. What seems evident though is that slow tourism encourages a deep respect for the place visited, an appreciation of its uniqueness and a willingness to adapt to the place, rather than it adapting to the tourists.…”

Slow Tourism in Vojvodina – Motives and Goals of Consumers

“…Based on the motives that drive them, the authors Yurtseven and Kaya (2011) separate consumers who visit CittaSlow into three groups: 1) dedicated; 2) intrested and 3) accidental slow tourists. Those 'dedicated' slow tourists are also called 'hard slow' while the others are considered to be 'soft slow' (Guiver and McGrath 2016). 'Dedicated' slow tourists are interested in getting to know new cultures; they are educated; they are independent as travelers with high expectations in relation to areas they explore and visit; they enjoy ecogastronomy (Yurtseven and Kaya 2011).…”

Slow Tourism Concept and Cultural Sites: Is The Town of Kotor (Montenegro) Ready for The Cittaslow Movement?

“…Yurtseven and Kaya (2011) treat slow tourism as special interest tourism, as specific type of tourism and emphasize that slow tourism practice is well known and it is not something new, but for the first time slow tourism practice tried to be standardized. On the other side, slow tourism means destination discovery in depth, tourists' long stay at destination, avoiding commercial products and services (Guiver, McGrath, 2016).…”