Cities, tourism and slowness

In post-modern society, the concept of fastness has increasingly assumed importance because it is considered synonymous of efficiency, capacity and competence. This rapidity has settled a growing gap between a slow world and one more and more fast and a consequent negative impact, especially on the cities as well as on the lifestyles of citizens. On the other hand, slowness has gradually established itself as a kind of manifesto which opposes the dominant system of values and reaffirms the importance of other dimensions of life in addition to labour and productivity. In this scenario, in the last years, several models of sustainability have been developed, and among these Slow Cities take an important role (Ball 2015; Grzelak-Kostulska, Holowiecka and Kwiatkowski 2011; Heitmann, Robinson e Povery 2011; Knox 2005; Miele 2008; Pink, 2008). The vast majority of studies on urban sustainability (Haughton and Hunter, 2004; James et al., 2015; Mayer and Knox, 2006, 2010; Polese and Stren 2000) point out how the latest internationally adopted eco-compatible strategies praise the concept of slowness, not only combining cities of the slow network (Cittaslow). However, slowness has now imposed with force as an independent concept, and it is evident how this notion substantially also represents the convergence point of all the principles of environmental science and sustainable and responsible tourism. In fact, this concept has increasingly affirmed in recent times as a result of a growing attention to the responsibility and sustainability of all aspects of the urban life, including tourism. Slow Tourism is a philosophy of travel that encourages increasingly sustainable touristic practices. It is a form of tourism that respects local cultures, history and environment and values social responsibility. Although Slow Cities are not directly aimed at tourism, they can influence local tourism in different ways (Heitman, Robinson and Povery 2011). They can have an influence on destination development, furthermore the brand “Slow” can bring a quality reputation with it (Nilsson et al. 2007). In Slow Cities the principle of hospitality is reflected in the promotion of slow and high quality activities based on the enhancement of local resources and on the rejection of mass tourism. Therefore, tourism can draw benefits from the “slow” strategies of slow cities (Thimothy and Boyd, 2003). In this vision, the paper analyses the experiences of some cities of Cittaslow network and tourism development in the same contexts. The aspects, which link tourism and slow city, represent a feature that deserves greater attention in the analysis of the slow movements and the urban sustainability.