Dragoman has been travelling in the slow lane for 37 years and so are loving the trend for “slow travel” that has been highlighted in a recent Travel Trends report by ABTA. The travel association’s 2020 report highlights five key trends for 2020 with the rise of “slow travel” at the top of the list.
ABTA is seeing holidaymakers choosing to slow down the tempo of their holidays and experience destinations on a deeper level – making more genuine connections with local people and cultures along the way. “Slow travel” is as much about enjoying the journey as it is the destination, and a less packed itinerary takes the pressure off having to visit all the usual tourist hotspots. With more time in one destination, it can potentially reduce the journey footprint and provide travellers with the chance to support more locally run businesses – resulting in a positive impact on the local economy and community.
For a great account of slow travel in Bangladesh, read Voyage to the Sundarbans Mangrove Forest.
Charlie Hopkinson, Dragoman’s Business Director has welcomed the report saying, “This is completely and utterly what Dragoman’s ethos is all about. Since we started in 1981 with overland tours through Africa we have been getting genuinely off the beaten track and taking the time to really get under the skin of the places that we travel to. It is great to see that in this busy world that people are happy to take their time to explore rather than just working through a tick list to say that they’ve been there – done that.”
With Dragoman you can still see all the usual highlights of a tour; be it the iconic Taj Mahal, the mighty Victoria Falls or the incredible ruins of Machu Picchu but by taking our time it is possible to become completely immersed with the local communities such as staying with local Kyrgyz families in their yurts, or maybe taking a trip into the desert to a San village in Namibia. All Dragoman’s trips take place at a considered pace, with additional time spent along the way buying food at local markets, taking part in additional activities such as a two day canoe safari up the Zambezi with local guides which also ensures the regional economy is able to benefit.
Penny Watson’s book on Slow Travel Reconnecting with the World at Your Own Pace also launches today and features Dragoman’s 134 day Western Trans Africa from Dakar to Cape Town features in Penny’s book and is described as an, “epic trip, where you should expect the unexpected and embrace it”.
Cover photo by Thomas Fuhrmann.
