Introduction to our topic: Slow Tourism

Slow Tourism (ST) links the traveler´s qualitative experiences and enjoyments on the journey and their destinations with the benefits they provide for and they get from local stakeholders.

ST combines “slowness, time for living and quality of life with modernity and contemporary technology” (Matos 2004). The main components of ST are: simple accommodations, a healthy diet, a leisure place, a local culture, a peaceful atmosphere and respect for the natural environment.

Small and local owned tourism facilities purchase a much larger percentage of their inputs from local resources (labeled "Zero Km"), creating more diversified, articulated and resilient economies. Thus, it allows local control over the ST product, it promotes the local resources development and it improves the efficiency levels of production and consumption.

Environmentally, ST, provides tangible benefits for a more sustainable form of tourism: biodiversity maintenance and equitable socio-economic development.