EXPLORING ECOTOURISM

Think Smart, Travel Slow

PLANETA FORUM

You get to know things better when they go by slow.
- Slow Notebook

PHOTO GALLERY: Antiguo Seminario

We have long touted the phrase 'think smart, travel slow.' Here's why.

Slow travel allows visitors to enjoy more than the adrenaline kick of speeding through a foreign landscape. To enrich your vacation, you need to meet the people.

Slow travel requires thoughtful preparation, learning about the places to be visited beforehand while allowing one's self to be surprised once you arrive. There is the experience itself and staying in contact after this journey.

Slow travel lies in the moment and beyond the moment.

Slow travel encourages person-to-person contact and a deep appreciation of people and place. It encourages engagement that can be mutually beneficial. Film buffs, think Groundhog Day.

THE VALUE OF SLOW TRAVEL

Want to maximize your expenditures? Slow down! The chief expense for most travelers is transportation, so if you slow down, you can go further.

Want to maximize philanthropy? Slow down! See where your donations are going, commit to microphilanthropy.

Travelers with a limited time budget often try to cram in as much as possible. It's easy to see a lot in a short period of time, but odds are you will run yourself ragged.

RECOMMENDATIONS

Be mindful.
Be present.
Uni-task. (the opposite of multi-tasking)
Unplug. The red flag is if you find yourself interacing with your cellphone more than with strangers!

QUESTIONS

How is slow travel connected to sensory experiences?
How are slow food and slow travel connected?
Can a NASCAR fan be an ecotourist?
How do travelers visit a community in the rhythm of the local place?