The Slow Trips Transnational Cooperation project  

A transnational cooperation (TNC) partnership of nine Local Action Groups (LAGs) from six Member States is successfully managing an innovative rural economic development initiative that has been operational for nearly a decade and has evolved to reflect market demand for packaged ‘slow tourism’ experiences.

Slow tourism is a concept that has emerged as an alternative to mainstream tourism models. It encourages travellers to take their time, immerse themselves in the local culture and truly experience their destination. This approach to travel not only aims to benefit the tourists but also has positive impacts on the environment and local communities by fostering a sense of appreciation and respect for different cultures and environments.  

By staying longer in one place rather than travelling from one destination to another quickly, tourists can reduce their carbon footprint by minimising transportation emissions. Furthermore, slow tourism often supports local businesses such as family-owned accommodation or small restaurants instead of large multinational chains. These are the principles that drive the Slow Trips TNC project, which attracts visitor income to rural areas in Austria, Germany, Italy, Lithuania, Luxembourg and Sweden. 

The project´s advertising portal and main information point explains more, stating that “nine diverse European regions have come together to develop new Slow Trips Experiences. We want to reach out to a different type of tourist — people like you, who appreciate discovering places off the beaten track and want to experience life the way it’s actually lived by the locals”. 

All the travel offers on the Slow Trips portal are described as “niche products in the field of creative tourism, ranging from the amusing to the downright kooky. We want to leave dusty old tourism behind and give you sustainable cultural tourism off the beaten track instead. You, the traveller, will have the opportunity to realise your creative potential through active participation in your trip. You’ll get a peek at (and take part in) the actual realities of the people who live and work in the region, discovering and experiencing everyday local cultures”. 

Catalytic LEADER 

LEADER TNC support was the original catalyst for Cultrips, the predecessor to Slow Trips, and many of the same LAGs are still involved with this ongoing TNC success story. Its achievements and added value rely heavily on the collective critical mass that has been built in the participating rural regions. Together, the LAG areas are able to advertise a wide menu of slow tourism offers under their Slow Trips brand to a large international market via their collective project's common web portal.  

Their cooperation helps them to learn from each other while also being able to market themselves globally as a competitive package of different destinations and visitor experiences. Such critical mass provides business advantages for local firms in the LAG areas that they would not be able to access by working alone.