What is slow travel and why it’s not just a passing trend
Slow travel is often talked about as if it were just another trend, a beautiful label for travel photos. But it is, in reality, a way of understanding life that we have chosen to place at the heart of our brand. It is not a marketing accessory. It is a starting point.
What is slow travel
Slow travel is a way of travelling that prioritises calm, connection with the destination and the quality of the experience over the number of places visited.
It is not a fixed method or a list of rules. It is an attitude: choosing depth over accumulation, presence over rush. It can be practised on a three-week trip through Southeast Asia or on a weekend in a city just two hours away by train from where you live.
What does travelling slowly mean
Travelling slowly does not mean doing fewer things out of laziness, or giving up on discovering a destination. It means changing the way you plan a trip: instead of asking yourself “how many places can I see?”, you ask “what do I really want to understand?”
In practice, this means itineraries with fewer stops, more time in each place, and real space for the unexpected: a conversation with the person who runs the bar on the corner, a walk with no fixed destination, an afternoon free that was never part of the plan.
Fast tourism vs. slow travel
| Fast tourism | Slow travel |
|---|---|
| Seeing many places in a short time | Getting to know fewer places better |
| Packed itinerary | Flexible pace |
| Quick consumption of the destination | Connection with the local culture |
| Prioritises quantity | Prioriza la experiencia |
Neither of them is “the right one”: they are two different ways of travelling, and many people combine both depending on the moment. Slow travel simply offers an alternative when what you’re looking for is to truly rest, not add another exhausting trip to your list.
Benefits of slow travel
- Less fatigue, more enjoyment. A slower pace reduces the accumulated fatigue that comes with tightly packed travel schedules.
- More memorable experiences. What we experience slowly is remembered better than what we only see in passing.
- Connection with the local culture Eating where the locals eat, talking to the people who live there, understanding its real rhythm.
- A smaller footprint and a greater sense of meaning. Consuming more responsibly, both towards the environment and towards people.
- More controlled budget. Fewer journeys and activities usually translate into more mindful spending.
Slow travel in the city: why it makes sense too
Slow travel is often associated with the countryside, mountains or the coast: places where the pace is naturally slower. But the same sense of calm can also be experienced right in the heart of a big city.
The key is not the location, but how the experience is designed. A walkable neighbourhood, an accommodation designed for rest, and a flexible schedule are enough for slow travel to work in an urban setting too, without needing to get away from everything.
How to practise slow travel on a city break
Bringing this philosophy to a weekend in the city is easier than it seems:
- Choose a centrally located hotel so you can get around on foot. Fewer journeys by transport mean more real time to enjoy the experience.
- Reduce the number of plans per day. Two or three things fully experienced are worth more than six done in a rush.
- Set aside time to rest. An unplanned moment in the middle of the day is not wasted time; it is part of the journey.
- Eat at local businesses. A local market or a specialty coffee shop can tell you more about a city than a tourist menu.
- Walk without always relying on fixed routes. Getting a little lost is often where the interesting things happen.
- Visit fewer places, but experience them more deeply. Choose two or three places of interest and spend as much time as they deserve, instead of simply ticking them off a list.
What should a slow travel hotel have?
Not every accommodation is designed for this pace. A hotel that truly embraces slow travel usually shares a few key characteristics:
- A central location, to reduce travel time and make the most of your time to relax.
- Spaces designed with natural materials and an aesthetic that invites you to stay, not just pass through.
- Peaceful spaces, designed to help you slow down rather than impress you.
- Services that encourage you to slow down: excellent locally sourced cuisine, relaxing spaces, and attentive service without the rush.
- A genuine commitment to the sustainability of the local environment in which it operates.
Slow travel and sustainability
Slow travel and sustainability are deeply connected, although they are not the same thing. Sustainable tourism focuses on reducing the environmental and social impact of a trip; slow travel focuses on the way the experience is lived. In practice, however, they often go hand in hand: travelling slowly usually means using fewer resources, supporting local businesses more, and creating a more positive impact on the destination.
This commitment is something we take very seriously as a brand. You can learn more about our sustainability approach on our website. página de sostenibilidad.
Frequently Asked Questions
// What is slow travel?
Slow travel is a way of travelling that prioritises calm, connection with the destination and the quality of the experience over the number of places visited.
What is the difference between slow travel and sustainable tourism?
Sustainable tourism focuses on reducing the environmental and social impact of a trip. Slow travel focuses on the pace and quality of the experience. They are different concepts, but highly complementary: travelling slowly often naturally leads to more sustainable tourism.
Can you practise slow travel in a city?
Yes. In fact, it can make the most sense in a city: it slows down the usual fast pace of urban getaways and allows you to experience the destination more mindfully, without needing to get away from anything.
How to practise slow travel on a city break
Choosing a centrally located accommodation so you can get around on foot, reducing the number of plans per day, setting aside time to rest, eating at local businesses and visiting fewer places to experience them more deeply. You can find the complete step-by-step guide in the previous section.
What should a slow travel hotel have?
A central location, spaces designed with natural materials, calm environments created to slow down, services that encourage taking a pause, and a genuine commitment to the sustainability of the environment in which it operates.
What is slow travel and why it’s not just a passing trend
Because it does not depend on a season or an algorithm, but on a personal choice: prioritising presence over haste. For those who practise it, it is a way of life, not a trend that will fade over time.
What is the relationship between Select Natural Hotels and slow travel?
Slow travel is the concept guiding our own brand evolution: urban hotels designed to offer a more serene, mindful and authentic experience, without leaving the city centre.
If you want to know why Room Select became Select Natural Hotels and what lies behind this new positioning, we explain it in our article. From Room Select to Select Natural Hotels: a new concept of urban hotel is born..
Select Natural Hotels. Your pause in the city.