Why Slow Travel Is Becoming the Future of Sustainable Tourism
In recent years, travellers are rethinking how they move through the world. Instead of rushing between cities or packing itineraries into a few days, more people are choosing something quieter, more intentional and far more rewarding. This shift has a name: slow travel, and it is quickly becoming the future of sustainable tourism.
What exactly is slow travel?
Slow travel, sometimes called Slow Tourism, is a mindful approach to seeing the world. Rather than hopping between sightseeing hotspots, travellers spend longer in one place, connect with local communities, savour regional food, and experience a culture through its everyday rhythm. This approach draws on the same values as the slow-food and slow-living movements. 
At Savour The Slow, this philosophy shapes everything we do, from our Puglia food and culture retreats to our Greece island journeys.
Why slow travel is trending in 2025
1. Travellers want deeper cultural connection and authenticity
People are no longer satisfied with surface-level experiences. They want meaningful encounters — the kind that come from long lunches, conversations with locals, and understanding a place beyond its postcard images. Slow travel allows time for cooking with local hosts, exploring small towns, learning regional traditions, and participating in daily life. 
2. Slow travel supports sustainability and responsible tourism
Staying longer in one place helps reduce the environmental cost of frequent flights or excessive transport, and supports local economies, often in regions far from mainstream tourism. That’s precisely the sustainable foundation of slow tourism. 
3. It improves wellbeing, mental and physical health
Modern travel stress, hustle and hyper-activity can leave people more frazzled than rested. Slow travel offers respite.
• A recent study from Edith Cowan University found that relaxed travel activities — like walking, gentle hikes or simply being in new surroundings can reduce chronic stress, improve immune function, and even help moderate the pace of ageing. 
• Time spent in peaceful natural environments, combined with slower rhythms, supports emotional reset, clarity and restored energy. 
What slow travel looks like in Italy and Greece
At Savour The Slow, our retreats embody the Mediterranean rhythm by design:
• Long meals beneath olive trees or in historic kitchens
• Time carved out for rest, reflection, and quiet mornings
• Opportunities to cook with locals and learn recipes passed through generations
• Wandering through villages, markets, olive groves — not rushing from landmark to landmark
• Gentle pace, space to breathe, and real connection with place
This isn’t about checking boxes. It’s about belonging. It’s about immersing, not rushing.
Why slow travel is more than a trend
Slow travel isn’t a passing fad. It reflects a global shift toward living more intentionally, consuming more consciously, and experiencing travel as something that nourishes rather than exhausts. As more travellers seek meaning, sustainability and well-being, slow travel emerges as a thoughtful alternative to tourism built on speed. 
For many women who join our retreats, it becomes a turning point, a chance to reset, reconnect with self, and return home with clarity and energy.
Ready to experience slow travel for yourself?
If you feel drawn to reconnect, breathe deeply, and explore Italy or Greece at an unhurried pace, we’d love to welcome you.
View our current retreats here to learn more about upcoming dates.
