My trip in my words: Subjectivities, time(s) and mobilities in slow travel blogs

Abstract

With roots in the slow movement, slow travel is an emerging trend. In slow travel, the use of clean transportation is identified by some authors as a distinguishing characteristic of the concept; however, diversity of choices and profiles seems to contradict this assessment. To date, typologies of slow travellers are still scarce and any connections with mobility and time remain to be investigated, particularly concerning slow travel literature. In this article, using a qualitative approach, we analysed the discourse of a set of slow travellers who author a travel blog to understand their experiences, the interconnection between (slow) travel and blogging and how they represent time and mobility. The results indicate that slow travel blogs are not only a robust source of information concerning the emergence of this travel mode but also a product and producer of it, in a dialectic process. The subjective perceptions and representations of slowness are a central element of the discourse framing the travel experience. Contradictions between the slowness of the travel mode and the instantaneity of the blog emerged, and an interpretation is proposed, based on the voices of the travellers/bloggers.

A Netnographic Study of Consumer Value in Slow Travel

“…Therefore, slow tourism is frequently tied to sustainable tourism [ 24 ]. However, the phenomenon needs to be understood also in a broader socio-cultural context of the slow movement, [ 25 ] situated in the context of contemporary consumption society [ 27 ].…”

“…Compared to mass tourism which extensively promotes the use of transportation with no attention to the environment, and where vacations are experienced in a standardized manner, slow travel enables people to travel at their own pace, being able to avoid fixed schedules if preferred. Slow travellers can be considered as independent, tough, resilient, and eager for new experiences [ 4 , 27 ].…”

“…The mode of transport is a meaningful part of the whole tourist experience and it is equally important as is the stay in the destination itself [ 20 , 24 , 27 ]. Lin [ 19 ] found in her research, that the tourism experience drives slow travellers to be more engaged with sustainable tourism.…”

“…Slow travel is related to less travel intensive tourism [ 27 ] while slow tourism goes beyond mobility and the mode of transport. Slow tourists expect to see more than a gaze of their destination and instead, they are more likely to have more immersive experiences.…”

“…Lin [ 19 ] identified that the quality of the transportation mode and the tourism experience are the most powerful determinants of slow tourism intentions among industrial tourists in Taiwan. Sales Oliveira [ 27 ] analysed the discourse of slow travellers using their travel blogs. She found that subjective perceptions and representations of slowness are key elements in slow tourism experience.…”