Conceptualising slow tourism : a perspective from Latvia

Serdane, Z; Maccarrone-Eaglen, A; Sharifi, S

Abstract

Slow tourism is perceived as a new type of sustainable tourism and a promising alternative
to mass tourism with which tourists, destination managers and tourism service providers
are willing to engage. However, inconsistent interpretations impede the clarity of
communication between tourism suppliers and consumers. This study re-examines the
phenomenon of slow tourism to address this gap in the literature. The focus of the study is
Latvia where slowness, until recently, was adopted in tourism branding. This qualitative
study revealed that slow tourism is an approach to tourism underpinned by a slow mindset
which enhances the core experiential aspect of the phenomenon within ethical boundaries.
The environmental and economic aspects appear to be marginal and may fluctuate in
intensity according to individuals’ perception. This study offers a theoretical perspective
alongside some practical implications for slow tourism and enhances industry awareness of
the phenomenon, satisfies consumers’ expectations and improves marketing
communications.

Citation

Serdane, Z., Maccarrone-Eaglen, A., & Sharifi, S. (2020). Conceptualising slow tourism : a perspective from Latvia. Tourism Recreation Research, 45(3), 337-350. https://doi.org/10.1080/02508281.2020.1726614

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Acceptance Date: Feb 4, 2020
• Online Publication Date: Feb 20, 2020
• Publication Date: Feb 20, 2020
• Deposit Date: Feb 5, 2020
• Publicly Available Date: Aug 20, 2021
• Journal: Tourism Recreation Research
• Print ISSN: 0250-8281
• Electronic ISSN: 2320-0308
• Publisher: Routledge
• Volume: 45
• Issue: 3
• Pages: 337-350
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/02508281.2020.1726614
• Publisher URL: https://doi.org/10.1080/02508281.2020.1726614
• Related Public URLs: https://www.tandfonline.com/loi/rtrr20