Why Slow Travel Is Gaining Momentum—and Why It Matters

No matter what the backdrop, "destinations that put effort into building and sharing a wider story and range of experiences, give travelers a reason to stay longer, to slow down, connect, and make more meaningful memories," she says.

A handful of destinations have already begun that journey.. The city of Issaquah, 20 minutes outside Seattle, Washington, offers one such example. It has been working since the COVID-19 pandemic ended to promote slow, intentional travel.

That effort has involved inviting visitors to come and stay longer and immerse themselves in what it means to live in a mountain town in the Pacific Northwest, says Visit Issaquah Executive Director Christy Garrard.

"We invite people to come to Issaquah and settle into their lodge and then get out with us and experience how we live here," says Garrard.

"We have 200 miles of hiking trails, so maybe you are getting out there on a guided hike with a local who explains how we value our open spaces and indigenous culture," says Garrard. Or maybe, you're visiting the oldest working salmon hatchery in the U.S., which is located in Issaquah and is an integral part of the community's story. 

Art By Fire Glass Blowing Experience. Photo courtesty of Visit Issaquah, Christy Gerrard

To help visitors have these types of slow, hyper-local experiences, Visit Issaquah focused on embracing what the community already had to offer, elevating those experiences, and creating itineraries that spell out what travelers can do to learn about and engage with the community.

Yet another Washington destination, Camano Island, which is located in Possession Sound, has also recently begun promoting and investing in travel experiences designed to encourage visitors to stay longer and be more contemplative.

Jessica McCready from the Camano Island Chamber of Commerce says the island shifted to focus on slow tourism in response to the influx the bedroom community began experiencing right before the COVID-19 pandemic and amid the pandemic itself.

During those years, Camano was attracting an influx of people, and many homes on the island were turned into Airbnbs. The parks and island as a whole were suddenly full of tourists (many very entitled tourists among them), and overnight, Camano became a victim of overtourism. 

Tourism officials responded by undergoing training with the Transformational Travel Council to learn how to adopt and implement something more akin to a slow tourism model.

"The training was intense," says McCready. "It’s such a mind shift. You have to trust in the process. It’s so foreign from the way we have ever approached anything before. And it's something that takes real intention and practice. I don’t believe it comes naturally to any of us. You have to be really intentional about it."

Trail Running Issaquah, WA. Photo courtesy of Visit Issaquah, Christy Gerrard

Additionally, from a business perspective, when a destination is seeking to adopt and promote slow tourism, all parties need to be aligned and clear on what the community wants the outcomes to look like and what it will take to get there, says McCready. 

She also points out that if a destination is interested in truly embracing slow travel offerings, it takes more than simply using those buzzwords in marketing campaigns on social media.

Similar to Issaquah's Christy Garrad, McCready says travelers have to be presented with specific opportunities to engage with a community more deeply and meaningfully. "They have to be given some sort of guidance," she says.

In the case of Camano Island, the shift to slow travel has been very successful thus far, and McCready now says of slow tourism: "Once you’ve tried it and had success, then you can’t imagine it any other way."