What is ‘Slow Travel’ and why are Hongkongers signing up?

Rather, Slow Travel can be defined as a holiday that entails longer stays in one destination. Doing so allows the traveller time to experience all that a smaller area might have to offer, including supporting local establishments and using public transport. The visitor can then set the pace on his or her holiday as he or she sees fit – without a rigid set of travel objectives.

The Slow Travel concept piggybacks off the “Slow Food” movement, a grass roots initiative founded in 1989 to counteract the stresses of fast living and bolster local food culture and traditions.

Of course, we’ve all been guilty of micromanaging the holidays in the past; as Hongkongers, time spent doing nothing is often perceived as time wasted. Working overtime is a part of life and, as a result, our days off are expected to be filled with family lunches, dinner with friends and a multitude of other events to feel even remotely satisfactory.

But, as it turns out, our perception of wasting time might be a little off-kilter.

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The Skyscanner report, which surveyed more than 7,800 responses from travellers across seven Asia-Pacific markets, discovered Asian travellers are increasingly looking for holidays offering quality over quantity. Across the Asia-Pacific, there has been an 82 per cent increase in Slow Travel since 2019 – most popular among South Korean and Japanese holidaymakers.

One perk of Slow Travel is that it often turns out to be cheaper than traditional tourism. Airbnb property hosts, for example, frequently offer discounts for longer stays – usually on a weekly or monthly basis. Additionally, if you aren’t filling your day with three different museum tours, you’re also saving on the price of museum passes.

Istanbul was cited by Skyscanner as a high-ranking emerging destination for Slow Travel this year, with an average stay of 11 days in the Turkish city.

For those of us who get fidgety at the thought of staying in one place for nearly two weeks, there is actually plenty to do in and around Istanbul.

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Admire the incredibly beautiful architecture of the many mosques and palaces in the city, watch the whirling dervishes dance, explore the bazaars, sample the local cuisine, take a day trip to nearby villages or jump on a cruise on the Bosphorus Strait.

Or, do nothing at all, if that’s exactly what you need on a holiday.

Closer to Hong Kong, Slow Travel destinations might include Chiang Mai for some slow and steady island-hopping in Thailand’s deep south. Or walk through rural Japanese towns, such as Kunisaki and Yufuin, which offer onsen baths, stays at traditional Japanese inns and the sampling of local farmers’ produce.

Whatever you do, perhaps opt to do it mindfully and free-spiritedly, without Google Maps on hand.

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