Marguerite Hanley, a California native living in Amsterdam, is a traveler who has come to appreciate the importance of mindful actions and their impact on a global scale, after a year of introspection due to the COVID pandemic. She recently made the decision to scale back her ambitious honeymoon plans in Africa, opting instead to focus on a few conservation-supporting camps in Botswana. This shift towards slow travel, inspired by the slow food movement, allows her to support local communities, reduce her carbon footprint, and truly immerse herself in the experience. The enduring appeal of walking the Camino de Santiago pilgrimage route in Spain has attracted more travelers in recent years for various reasons. These include seeking solace from social distancing, avoiding flight-shaming, taking a meditative break, or practicing caution during the pandemic. These slower, more mindful trips involve visiting fewer places and moving at a slower pace, whether by car, train, bike, foot, or canoe. Kyle Kowalski, the founder of Sloww, a website dedicated to slow living, believes that slow travel is more about how you travel rather than what you do. It involves intentionally choosing to do less in order to experience more. Instead of hurrying through various activities, slow travel emphasizes finding a balance and maintaining a leisurely pace, allowing for flexibility and spontaneity. The pandemic has led to a slower pace of life for many individuals, contributing to the growth of the slow travel movement. Environmental improvements observed during the pandemic, as travel decreased, motivated individuals like Julia Douglas to opt for walking or taking longer train rides instead of flying, in an effort to sustain the reduced pollution levels seen during the pandemic. While commuter train usage has declined, there has been an increase in long-distance train travel, with Amtrak Vacations reporting a 47 percent increase in bookings this year compared to 2019. In Europe, 2021 is being celebrated as the European Year of Rail by the European Union to promote sustainable transportation, leading to a resurgence in long-distance train travel. Night train networks are making a comeback, with Midnight Trains, a startup, planning to launch luxury sleeper cars on routes from Paris to over 10 cities starting in 2024. The pandemic-induced shift to remote work has allowed many people to extend their travels, with Airbnb reporting a 10 percent increase in stays of 28 days or more in the first quarter of 2021 compared to 2019, and Exclusive Resorts seeing a 550 percent growth in bookings of 21 days or more in 2021 compared to 2019. The current travel requirements, such as testing and entry procedures, are causing delays in travel. In the past, travelers would visit multiple countries in one trip, but now many are choosing single-country safaris due to COVID testing and flight issues. Getting a COVID test before returning to the US adds to the complexity of travel. Some companies are recommending clients add extra days at the end of their trip to accommodate testing requirements. These practicalities, along with other factors, are slowing down travel. Travellers who may be feeling overwhelmed after a year of living with the coronavirus are finding comfort in the idea of "kos," a Norwegian term that represents peace, harmony, and gratitude. Up Norway, a bespoke travel company, is offering 28-day stays in remote areas of the country where travellers can take their time to appreciate the simple joys of culture and natural beauty. This is a departure from the typical rushed sightseeing trips to popular tourist spots in Europe and Asia. Denise Ambrusko-Maida, a travel adviser from Buffalo, New York, notes that people are now seeking more meaningful travel experiences away from crowded tourist destinations. "They do not want to be crowded and shuffling along in lines," said Rebecca Werner, a travel adviser from Chicago who recently arranged a train trip to Glacier National Park for a family of four from Wisconsin who are fans of the Netflix series "The Queen's Gambit." It provided an opportunity for the family to bond, enjoy the scenery, and play chess on the train. For these travelers, focusing on personal interests has become more important than checking items off a bucket list. David Demers of Naples, Florida, is planning two month-long trips to Israel and the Mediterranean next year with the help of the bespoke travel agency Untold Story Travel, allowing him to explore his interests in history, theater, food, and art at a leisurely pace. Demers, who recently sold his health care company, emphasized the importance of slowing down and focusing on what truly matters, a lesson learned during the pandemic. Sojrn, a travel company, has also introduced month-long trips centered around a single destination with educational themes like philosophy in Athens, wine in Italy, or Spanish language in Colombia. Travellers choose to stay in local apartments during their trips and take part in weekly dinners and events, allowing for plenty of free time to work and explore. Cara Wright from Apple Valley, Minnesota, is looking forward to her upcoming trip to Italy with Sojrn, where she plans to work for a nonprofit without scheduling every minute of her trip. Potter Donna Hetrick, from Pittsburgh, is opting for slow travel to Africa in 2022 with TDA Global Cycling to reduce her environmental impact and spend more time exploring the continent by bike. This longer journey not only helps offset her carbon footprint but also allows for a deeper connection to the places she visits. “When you’re riding a bicycle, you are more accessible to people,” she explained. Slow tourism, which involves treading lightly, exploring lesser-known areas, engaging with local communities, and supporting locally owned businesses, is gaining popularity as a sustainable travel option and a solution to overtourism. Martha Honey, former executive director of the Center for Responsible Travel, views slow tourism as a more sustainable approach because it encourages visitors to spend more time in a destination and spread out, reducing overcrowding. She believes slow travel benefits both the traveler, who can immerse themselves more deeply in a location, and the destination, which experiences the economic advantages of tourism being distributed more evenly. Honey attributes the rise of slow tourism principles to the recent emphasis on buying local during the pandemic, which helped support small businesses and promote a less disruptive and more economically beneficial travel experience. Travellers are increasingly avoiding crowded destinations, opting for places like Alaska and Montana this summer. A recent survey by Flywire found that three-quarters of respondents in five countries, including the United States, prefer uncrowded destinations. Responsible Travel has introduced an 11-week trip around the world by train and cargo ship for eco-conscious explorers. According to Anna Rice from Responsible Travel, the journey becomes an integral part of the travel experience, allowing for a deeper understanding of cultural and environmental connections between countries. For those who prefer a slower pace, human-powered travel like hiking, biking, and paddling offer a closer connection to nature and a chance to observe small details often missed at higher speeds. Kristi Growdon, a personal golf trainer from Seattle, mentioned that cycling allows you to notice things that are not visible when driving a car due to the slower pace. She recently went on a cycling trip to Utah with VBT Bicycling Vacations, a company that has almost sold out all of its domestic departures this year. Membership at the Maine Island Trail Association, which provides access to information about a route across over 200 undeveloped islands along the Maine coast, increased by 23% last year. Michael Daugherty, co-owner of Sea Kayak Stonington, explained that sea kayaking allows you to explore places that other boats cannot reach, such as the intertidal zone. He and his wife, artist Rebecca Daugherty, have paddled 625 miles along the Maine coast and published an illustrated book in 2020 called “Upwest & Downeast.” Daugherty, a painter, mentioned that it takes time to truly see and appreciate a place. During my 55-day journey, I realized that the pace was not slow enough for me. Tour operators are now offering new relaxed vacation packages to cater to this trend in travel. Backroads, an active travel company, recently introduced a division called Dolce Tempo, which provides a more leisurely pace for travelers. The demand for these trips is high, with nearly all 2021 departures already sold out. In 2022, Backroads plans to add 100 new Dolce Tempo trips both domestically and internationally, including destinations like Scandinavia, England, and the Danube River. While it typically takes about 5 1/2 hours to drive from Denver to Moab, Utah, travelers can now opt for a more leisurely two-day journey on the Rocky Mountaineer train, with an overnight stop in Glenwood Springs, Colorado, starting in August. The new Rockies to the Red Rocks route has been so popular that the company has increased capacity and extended the season until November 19. There is no Wi-Fi available onboard. In southern Utah, the Aquarius Trail Hut System features five backcountry huts made from recycled shipping containers and powered by solar energy along a 190-mile biking route from Brian Head Peak to Escalante. Cyclists ride through Dixie National Forest, Red Canyon, and Bryce Canyon National Park. Jared Fisher, owner of Escape Adventures in Las Vegas, created the Aquarius Trail Hut System over five years to make bike-packing more accessible by providing food and bedding, reducing the need for extra gear and planning. Fisher, a passionate bike-packer, has crossed the United States three times on his bike. He enjoys the freedom and mental clarity that comes with traveling by bike, as well as being immersed in nature and experiencing it with all his senses.