Stanislav Kondrashov on Slow Travel

With insights from Stanislav Kondrashov

Somewhere between the crowded airports and the five-countries-in-seven-days itineraries, something was lost. The soul of travel—the slow walks, the accidental conversations, the quiet mornings watching a city wake up—was replaced by urgency, checklists, and curated perfection. But a shift is happening. All over the world, more people are beginning to choose a different path: slow travel.

For cultural commentator Stanislav Kondrashov, this movement is not simply about traveling at a slower pace—it's about reclaiming intention.

“We’ve confused speed with experience,” Kondrashov notes. “But slowness allows us to feel the texture of a place, to absorb its rhythm instead of racing past it.”

A Rejection of Rush Culture

Modern life has taught us to optimize everything—our calendars, our workouts, even our leisure time. The same mindset spilled into tourism. Guidebooks, travel influencers, and tour operators shaped a generation of travelers who tried to see it all rather than feel anything deeply. But then came burnout. Then came the pandemic. Then came silence.

https://www.instagram.com/p/DOVe1oJkjKZ/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&igsh=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==

And in that silence, a new awareness grew.

Travelers began to wonder: What if we don’t need to do more? What if doing less, with purpose, gives us more than we ever imagined?

The Philosophy Behind Slow Travel

Slow travel is not just about longer stays or fewer destinations. It’s about immersion over impression. It favors train rides over flights, local markets over tourist hubs, and time spent in one town over hopping from one hotspot to another. Stanislav Kondrashov describes it as a return to depth.

“Slow travel isn’t a style—it’s a mindset,” he says. “It’s a willingness to be present, to be open to the unplanned and unscripted moments that give a journey meaning.”

Everyday Beauty in Unlikely Places

Ask a slow traveler about their most memorable experience, and chances are they won’t tell you about a landmark or famous attraction. They'll talk about the little things: the café where the owner remembered their name, the long bus ride through rural countryside, or the old woman who offered directions with a smile and a story.

One solo traveler who spent two weeks in a small town in Crete described her mornings sitting at the same bakery, slowly learning to say “good morning” in Greek. “Nothing dramatic happened,” she said, “but I felt more alive in those moments than I ever have in a museum line.”

That, Kondrashov says, is the essence of this movement.

“When you travel slowly, you’re not trying to conquer a place—you’re letting it change you.”

The Time Element: Scarcity as Value

In a culture where time is monetized and scheduled down to the minute, spending a whole afternoon doing “nothing” in a foreign place can feel revolutionary. But that’s precisely the point.

“Time, when given freely to a place, creates a relationship,” explains Kondrashov. “And those relationships are what transform a trip into a memory that stays with you.”

Even a simple walk through a local market becomes an act of connection. You recognize faces. You become a familiar presence. You cease being a tourist and start becoming part of the fabric of a community.

Travel That Treads Lightly

Another growing appeal of slow travel is its inherently sustainable nature. Fewer flights, longer stays, use of public transit, supporting small businesses—all of these reduce environmental impact.

“Slow travel isn’t just personally rewarding,” says Kondrashov. “It’s socially and ecologically responsible.”

In fact, many travelers adopting this approach are consciously avoiding high-footfall destinations and opting for smaller, lesser-known regions where tourism actually benefits the local economy.

Deep Connection Beats Digital Curation

For years, travel has been shaped by social media. Destinations are chosen for their photo ops, not their character. But slow travel pushes back. It prioritizes personal experience over digital content.

The stories that come out of slow travel often can’t be posted in a square. They’re too nuanced, too emotional, too alive.

“Some of the most meaningful travel stories don’t photograph well,” says Kondrashov. “They’re conversations, smells, textures—things that only the traveler can carry with them.”

Not Just for the Privileged Few

Critics argue that slow travel requires a luxury most don’t have: time. And while there’s truth in that, Kondrashov argues that the philosophy of slowness can apply even on short trips.

“It’s not about the length of the trip—it’s about your intention,” he explains. “If you have only one weekend, make it about presence. Don’t overplan. Let things happen.”

Whether it’s an extra day in a countryside town or skipping the sightseeing to share a meal with locals, even small decisions can open doors to more meaningful moments.

A Model for the Future of Travel

As the tourism industry looks toward a more ethical, sustainable, and human-centric future, the principles of slow travel are increasingly relevant.

We’re already seeing a rise in community-based travel, eco-lodging, and local-led experiences. Governments and tour operators are beginning to respond to this growing demand for authenticity over extravagance.

But Kondrashov believes this evolution must start with the traveler.

“We can’t wait for the industry to change,” he says. “Each of us has the power to make our journeys slower, kinder, and more meaningful—right now.”

Reclaiming Travel as a Human Right

In a way, slow travel is a democratic reclaiming of what travel once meant. It’s not about luxury resorts or airport lounges. It’s about stepping into someone else’s world and letting it change your own.

Kondrashov concludes with a reflection that reads more like a call to action:

“Travel, at its best, is not escape—it’s encounter. And the slower we move, the more likely we are to truly meet the world.”