The desire to travel is within us; it is not a curve that can be flattened. It is a curiosity and a craving for a new perspective, to discover new places, to escape and to feel free. As the borders of Europe start to open many of us are planning adventures, seeing them as the antidote to months at home and the return to a greater normality. This period has been a chance for reflection and introspection so as we plan our next trips we must ensure that the lessons learnt are applied our future adventures.

Travel is defined by the movement of people and despite borders being closed for the previous four months never has the concept of human connectedness or the consequences of a globalised world been felt so acutely

In previous years the idea of slow travel and slow adventure has been gaining momentum as a remedy for over-tourism in key destinations. Adrenaline-inducing instagramable activities have been on the increase and countries have struggled to manage visitors numbers in key locations. The slow movement originated in Italy with the slow food movement; it was developed to preserve local cuisines, traditional culinary methods and advocate the use of local ingredients. It asked consumers to support producers; it is the antithesis of the fast-food revolution. And so the slow adventure movement is the antithesis of the tick box form of travel, of arriving at a destination taking a selfie-and moving on. Slow adventure is about the journey; it is not just arriving; it is not jumping on the plane; it is the road trip your parents used to love. Slow travel is immersive, it is about connecting to and understanding destinations, it is about spending enough time in one location to gain a sense of place and an appreciation for local heritage and traditions which breeds empathy for local communities.

This summer and into the next year, the slow adventure movement has never been more fitting as a tourism concept. Through 2020 many of us have enjoyed a slower pace of life, we have had time to reconsider what is important to us and our families. This combined with a potential economic downturn and concerns for how to stay safe while we adventure will undoubtedly affect how we travel. Choosing wild and remote places and immersing ourselves in one location for longer may appear safer and more cost-effective. Considering the provenance of food, opting for human-powered travel over public transport makes good sense. For those that can, travelling in the less busy seasons will be cheaper and will mean less contact with other travellers. Picking activities that will suit a smaller group such as foraging, cycling, kayaking etc. will be popular. For the destination we are choosing to travel to, this means direct investment in local communities, it means tourism money staying within the country it is spent and being more evenly spread throughout the year. All of the above results in less impact in high season and more jobs in the shoulder season. It means fewer movement of people, not less. It teaches the traveller about heritage, landscape and traditional skills and ultimately it has less impact on the landscapes that we love.

Before we return to the race against time that defined our pre-Corona world we should think about the destinations we want to visit, the adventures we want to have and consider how we can do this whilst encouraging safe travel and meaningful experiences that benefit both ourselves, the destinations we travel to and communities we temporarily become part of. We are privileged to be free to move within our own countries and across borders, but with freedom comes responsibility, therefore we must respect this by must choosing to travel responsibly and embrace slow adventure.