23 Jan
2020

How to slow travel and switch off on holiday in 2020

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Life can feel really fast at home, with all the techy devices glued to our fingertips. Whilst we scramble to get from A-to-B daily, a holiday is the perfect time to put your devices down and truly experience what is around you. 

Your travel plans in 2020 should be an opportunity for you to slow down the tempo and experience your holiday destination on a deeper level. 

Here are some tips for planning a getaway with an emphasis on how to go ‘slower’ and how to genuinely get to know your destination, rather than rushing through.

Take it slow, take the pressure off visiting all the holiday hotspots
If you’re planning a holiday, you’re probably planning to maximise your time away. However, ABTA’s Travel Trends 2020 report revealed people are looking into ‘slow travel’ options. This trend is as much about enjoying the journey as it is the destination and involves making a conscious effort to take in the sights and sounds, rather than worrying about sharing them on social media. Even on a shorter trip, a less packed itinerary takes the pressure off having to visit all the usual tourist hotspots and instead focuses on having more meaningful experiences.

Slower travel could help you connect more with your destination by visiting community projects, a local market or taking an alternative route like a train journey to sit back and unwind and take the pressure off from going from hotspot-to-hotspot. 

Relax in accommodation that gives back
With more time in one destination, slow travel can potentially reduce the journey footprint, and provide travellers with the chance to support more locally run businesses such as restaurants, guesthouses and community projects – resulting in a positive impact on the local economy and community. 

The Travelife Collection is a great place to start looking for sustainably certified hotels and accommodation providers in destinations, which ABTA approved travel companies sell to. 

Travelife is an internationally recognised accommodation sustainability programme and audits its members to improve their business's environmental, financial and social impact. 

Here are a couple of examples of hotels engaging their guests with their environmental programmes:
•    Paloma Hotels in Turkey have monthly food festivals for guests to try locally grown produce and;
•    Reethi Beach Resort in Maldives arrange volunteer beach and reef cleans and give tours around its hotel to demonstrate the environmental challenges faced on the island.

So, if you’re looking to book an accommodation provider that cares about people and the environment, Travelife can help you choose a sustainably certified hotel.

Switch off the devices and travel with some retro entertainment
A holiday is an opportunity to have a digital detox and there are several old-fashioned ways to have fun with friends and family without the techy devices. Take a pack of cards or old games like Uno, Guess Who or Monopoly Shuffle, which are all great alternatives to smart phones and tablets. Invest in a Polaroid camera too with the aim to create an album when you return home.

If you follow all these tips when planning a holiday in 2020, then there’s no doubt you will be taking the slow lane and enjoying a relaxed holiday in no time.