What is slow travel
and how can travellers embrace this mindset?
While the notion of Slow Travel is not a new one, somewhere along the way, especially during the mass tourism boom of the past few decades, we as travellers have lost track of the transformative power that travel brings (and can bring) in broadening our horizons.
We instead in recent years have become obsessed with bucket list ticking, country counting, selfie snapping and curating our Instagram feeds, all while forgetting to pause and reflect on the moment, and the opportunity to be curious, to learn and grow, to better understand our world, and to appreciate how privileged and lucky we are to experience something different (as travel was originally intended).
17 September 2025
Today’s Slow Travel interest was born from a post-COVID desire to first and foremost avoid large crowds, and more recently to not be seen to be contributing to over-tourism in popular touristy areas. To explore new and seemingly ‘undiscovered’ parts of the world (and bringing back that travel / exploration brag-factor). To support small businesses and locally-owned operations (i.e. those most affected by the pandemic shut-downs, but also those most appreciative for travellers’ visits and business). To better understand, and more deeply experience a place (rather than just ticking boxes). And to take a quality over quantity approach to life – perhaps doing fewer things, but when doing them, doing them really well. These consumer behavioural shifts also pair with today’s increased focus on mindfulness and wellbeing, as well as the surge in both intergenerational travel and solo travel.
This form of travel isn’t just about ‘slowing down’ while on holidays – it’s actually a complete mindset; a way to approach how you plan your trip, how you travel, and the connections you have with different places and people. The Slow Travel mindset starts during the travel planning phase and continues through the trip. It enhances the whole process and experience, because embracing this mindset means you are more consciously considering what it means to visit and better understand a different place, and its people and culture.
Slow Travel all boils down to two key components…
1. Space – having the freedom to be curious, to explore and to observe all the wonderful nuances of a place, rather than being funnelled with everyone else into inauthentic representations of a place.
2. Time – having the freedom to move independently at your own pace (rather than the time pressured pace of everyone else), and taking the time to enjoy the simple pleasures (time to sit back and soak it all in).
So how can we as travellers embrace this mindset?
Destination Choice – visit less-congested, off-the-beaten-path (and often more authentic) destinations, rather than just the touristy hotspots.
Trip Timing – avoid the high-season crowds, and travel during the shoulder-season or off-season.
Be Curios – take the time to be inquisitive and ask questions.
Add Value – think and support local businesses wherever possible to keep your tourist dollars in-destination and to support the places you are visiting.
Mode Of Transport Choice – look for alternatives to plane travel where you can.
Slow Down – plan less-crammed itinerary days by taking an extra day or two in each destination just to wander local streets, people watch, and get a truer sense of each place – see somewhere in-depth, rather than scratch the surface.
Helm was launched during COVID, to be a travel-specialist marketing and communications agency that supports tourism brands that either are already embracing this mindset, or are keen to explore it – these brands tend to seek like-minded partners to help them with their marketing and communications, and strategic advice, with all of Helm’s clients being like-minded in this way.