The slow pace for the development of tourism of the future: seductions, promises, pitfalls

Abstract

Sociological research is increasingly interested in tourism as a modern social and
cultural phenomenon (Cohen, Cohen, 2019). In particular, the most recent studies
(Bigné, Decrop, 2019, Clancy 2018, Calzati, de Salvo, 2018, Sun, Lin, 2018) have
identified slowness as one of the most current characteristics of post-contemporary
tourism. Slowness should not be interpreted as a phenomenon of the moment, a
trend or a new tourist product, but as a philosophy of life and represents a social
and global movement, which originated from the Italian Slow Food movement in
the late 1980s. Slowness opposing the culture of speed doesn’t only imply slowing
down but also the commitment to change one’s daily habits and behavior. These
considerations will allow to highlights in the work how and if slow tourism can in
the future contribute to contrast the negative externalities of uncontrolled tourism
through the enhancement of behaviors, responsibilities that promote sustainability
and conviviality against the decline of uniqueness of places. The essay will deepen
the social category of slowness as a positive connotation of future’s tourism and not
one of the many trends of postmodernity.