Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
travel (Dickinson et al, 2010b) and enjoy what Larson (2001) describes as the
'travel glance'. For instance, Dickinson et al (2010b) explain how a woman
chose a long train ride across France in order to spend time with her teenage
children and to take in the scenery. The mode of transport was obviously
instrumental, but it was the experience afforded that provided the motivation.
In this context, the low-carbon consideration was not a main motivator.
Sociability has recently come to the fore as an important feature of travel
(Urry, 2000; 2007) and the social side of travel, such as meeting new people,
making friends and being with existing friends, is a feature of slow travel
(Dickinson, 2008). Arnould and Price (1993) refer to this as an element of
communitas; that is, a sense of group belonging and cooperation. 'Being with
family and connecting with others gives a “new perspective on life” and helps
people see “what really matters”' (Arnould and Price, 1993, p38). The con-
nection to people can be played out both in relation to encounters with others
in destinations and encounters during the course of travel. Such encounters
may be with significant others, such as friends or family, or with strangers who
may even become friends in the course of a trip.
Drawing on Pine and Gilmore's (1999, p31) matrix of experience realms
(Chapter 3), slow travel implies immersion in the environment, where partic-
ipants become physically a part of the experience itself. However, there is also
evidence of absorption, in which the environment is experienced only in pass-
ing and holds the participant's attention for a limited period - the travel glance
(Larsen, 2001). Pine and Gilmore's ideas on participation also provide a use-
ful framework to analyse slow travel. In slow travel the importance of being
involved in the construction of the experience stands out, and this implies a
strong active involvement in the creation of slow travel experiences, although
it is less clear whether this is a function of independent travel as opposed to
slow travel. Pine and Gilmore (1999) suggest this strong involvement enables
more influence on the experience. However, people can only influence travel
experiences up to a point, and there are occasions where the participation is
passive and individuals have little control over the travel situation. This is the
case for both slow and non-slow travel and, to some extent, people are always
passive and weakly involved in the creation of experiences when travelling due
to unexpected events such as bad weather or travel disruption.
Slow travel implies taking time both during travel to and within the des-
tination area. The nature of slow modes of travel provides many opportunities
to break the journey at interesting stopping-off places en-route. If desired, such
journeys can be extended to allow a longer stopover. Therefore, while slow
travel can, undoubtedly, take more time than flying, where longer distances
are concerned, the whole trip provides an extended opportunity for tourism
encounters beyond the airport lounge. Exploratory work shows that a strong
element for slow travellers is the taking of time to recover from hectic life.
Carù and Cova (2003) have suggested this is a reaction to extraordinary expe-
riences, and that people do in fact seek out pauses and periods of inactivity:
'Each consumption experience is not necessarily memorable or unforgettable,
as the supporters of the economy and experience marketing would like' (Carù
and Cova, 2003, p277). Part of the point of any holiday is taking time out of
