Ludlow A Market Town Case Study

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Slow Tourism Alison Caffyn Tourism Research
Consultant 30 Oct 2007
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Introduction

• Background
• Ludlow
• Slow tourism

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Slow - imagery
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Slow tourism imagery?
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What is slow?

• Reaction against speed and the acceleration of
  culture
• Seeking real experiences, enjoying lifes
  pleasures
• Avoiding clock watching and perpetual hurry
• Appreciating quality of life
• Taking time to slow down

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Slow movement

• Slow Food
• treating food products and production as part of
  cultural heritage, improving public knowledge of
  food
• Cittaslow
• Carl Honoré In Praise of Slow
• slow living, health, education, leisure, sex
• Slow art, slow design, slow politics
• Slow Travel (US)

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Cittaslow

• Origins in Italy
• 60 goals relating to aspects of quality of life -
  towns where it is good to live
• Quality infrastructure and environment to help
  people savour and enjoy life at a human pace
• Using best aspects of modern world to preserve
  tradition, environment and culture
• Hospitality and service
• Slow Food
• Ludlow is first Cittaslow in UK and now UK
  Cittaslow HQ

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Slowing down in everyday life

• Reacting against long working hours, busy
  schedules, multi-tasking, impatience, road rage
  etc.
• Downshifting
• De-stressing activities e.g. yoga
• Healthy eating
• Gardening, allotments
• Local produce, organic boxes
• Crafts, book groups,
• walking
• Work-life balance
• So why not slow holidays?

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Fast Tourism

• Long distances for short
• breaks
• Crammed itineraries
• Ticking off sites
• Keeping in touch mobiles,
• email, BlackBerries
• Fast food
• Advertising and technology
• Adrenalin and speed
• Superficiality
• (Not all bad)

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Slow Tourism in principle

• Minimise travel distance (at least by car/plane)
• Maximise time for trip
• Relax and refresh mind and body
• Exploring local area in more depth
• Contact with local people, culture and heritage
• Food local restaurants, markets, producers,
  local beer/wine
• Children creative and unstructured play
• Minimum of technology and mechanisation
• Quality of experiences and authenticity
• Good for the environment smaller carbon
  footprint and more sustainable
• But also good for you

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Slow Tourism - definition

• Tourism which involves making real and meaningful
  connections with people, places, culture, food,
  heritage and the environment.
• People includes
• Local community
• Your companions
• Yourself

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Slow holidays - examples

• Wildlife watching
• Yoga holidays
• Spa breaks
• Gastronomic tours or food safaris
• Canal trips, sailing
• Painting/crafts (eg FSC)
• Conservation volunteer holidays (eg NT)
• Cycling/walking/riding long distance routes
• Canoe trips (eg river Wye)
• Abroad by train/ferry

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Questions

• Is this new?
• Is it just a luxury for the wealthy?
• Wont slow holidays be a bit dull?

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Market forecasts

• Henley Centre work for Visitbritain 2006
• Trends over next 10 years included
• Experience economy
• Wellbeing
• Environmental impact
• Scenarios included
• Deep peace
• Growing consumer types included
• Authenti-seeking
• The busyness of leisure
• The new puritans

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Henley Centre for WTB
More standardised tourism industry
More individualised tourism industry
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So what?

• Its a large and growing market older people,
  stressed out couples and families, discoverers
  and traditionals
• There are opportunities for mainstream businesses
  to make adjustments or offer extras
• As well as developing specific slow products

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Implications for tourism businesses

• Offer relaxation facilities or services
• Offer longer tours or extensions
• Remove time restrictions and offer more
  flexibility
• Offer discounts/benefits for longer stays
• Enhance a relaxed atmosphere
• Reduce prominence of technology
• Train staff to recognise body language
  impatience v relaxation
• Offer slower more detailed options for
  interpretation
• Promote public transport options
• Provide information about local heritage,
  culture, landscape and how to explore it locally
• Source food and other products locally and
  promote the fact
• Develop specific slow tourism products

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Balance

• Some tourists want speed
• Business tourists, impatient types
• Scope to offer choice of speed
• To suit timescales, and level of interest
• Tempo giusto
• The right speed for each activity or context

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Implications for destinations e.g. Ludlow

• Helping visitors slow down, chill out
• Outdoor cafes, viewpoints, benches, picnic sites,
  rowing boats, walks and cycle routes
• Retain visitors locally and for longer
• Heritage and culture, festivals and events
• Food, restaurants, markets, specialist shops,
  Slow Food, local sourcing
• Quality environment - Cittaslow - making more of
  local character and distinctiveness

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Implications for holiday makers

• Allow time to do justice to a destination
• Choose a slow activity or learn something new
• Explore the locality, resist whistle-stop tours
• Choose genuine local eating places
• Leave the BlackBerry at home
• Allow time to prepare, research, pack etc no
  last minute panics
• Relax!

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Slow holidays lead to

• More contentment and satisfaction
• Better health
• More communication
• Happier consciences
• More fulfilment
• Sustained environments and economies

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Useful websites

• Slow
• Inpraiseofslow.com
• Cittaslow.org.uk
• Slowfood.org.uk
• Slowmovement.com
• Slowdownnow.org
• Slowsociety.se/eng
• Slowtrav.com
• Idler.co.uk

• Ludlow
• Ludlow.org.uk
• Localtoludlow.org.uk
• Foodfestival.co.uk
• Visitsouthshropshire.co.uk