Comment: How single-centre trips tap into slower, greener travel trend

Agents should be prepared to offer clients slower, greener holidays as the world reopens, says James Coughlan, director of sales and business development at Cox & Kings

For many clients, their next holiday will represent the first chance in at least two years to set foot on foreign shores. That’s a long time to be staring wistfully at old travel snaps and itching to explore.

Meanwhile, the world in those photographs has changed. Our industry has had to be fleet-footed in adapting to unpredictable circumstances.

At the risk of being accused of optimism: I see a silver lining to all of this.

We’ve had a chance to pause, catch our breath and consider our direction of travel.

That goes for our clients, too. Now more than ever, they understand the value of a holiday, as well as what they want out of one.

So, what can agents offer them that matches the moment?

One answer earning my full support is slow travel.

It’s a timely trend born out of Italy’s Slow Movement – originally a protest against fast food at the Spanish Steps that has grown into something of a cultural revolution.

The mantra underpinning the movement is simple enough: that, in our deadline-driven, convenience-oriented world, faster isn’t always better.

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Slow travel revels in the fundamental pleasures and rewards of being on holiday.

It’s about uncluttered itineraries, a relaxed pace, and immersive experiences that allow travellers to soak up the atmosphere and culture of a place.

At Cox & Kings, that’s exactly what many of our clients are looking for in their first post-pandemic trip abroad.

In fact, we designed our new range of Spotlight tours with exactly this ethos in mind.

Spotlight tours are about immersing clients in the culture and scenery of a single location, with time enough to explore its lesser-know facets. It’s slow travel to a tee.

I mentioned ‘single destination’, which brings me to another salient point: for clients concerned about the environment, single-centre holidays offer a greener alternative to trips featuring internal flights and lengthy transfers.

Focusing on one location is a simple way for eco-conscious clients to slim down their carbon footprint, and – with the right experiences and expert guides – the resulting holiday can be just as rewarding.

Slower, greener holidays are on the up. Let’s embrace the manifesto of Italy’s Movimento Lento and ensure clients have the option not only to visit beautiful, fascinating corners of the world, but to linger in them.

After all, as Aesop’s Tortoise would agree, slower is often better.