Beyond Pace: Residents, Sustainability And Experience In Slow Tourism Research

Abstract

This dissertation explores the phenomenon of slow tourism, emphasizing the interconnected roles of residents, sustainability, and tourist experiences. The central research question is: What has academic research revealed about slow tourism and its practical applications, and how do residents and tourists influence its experiences and practices? Structured as an article-based dissertation, the research comprises three complementary publications: a book chapter and two peer-reviewed journal articles. Together, these studies investigate slow tourism from conceptual, analytical, and empirical perspectives. The first publication (B1) establishes the theoretical foundation of slow tourism by situating it within the Cittaslow movement and linking it to sustainability and the slow food philosophy, while adopting a multidisciplinary approach that draws on the slow movement, gastronomy studies, and urban governance. The second publication (P1) conducts a systematic literature review of studies published between 2010 and 2021. The findings show that research has predominantly focused on the demand side - tourists’ perceptions, attitudes, and behaviors - while the supply side, particularly the role of residents, remains insufficiently addressed. The review maps recurring themes, methodological approaches, and geographical patterns, emphasizing the need to recognize residents as central actors in slow tourism. It also highlights the growing significance of slow tourism in Europe following the COVID-19 pandemic. It identifies Australia as another context where slow principles are firmly embedded, most visibly through slow food restaurants and festivals. The third publication (P2) addresses this gap through an empirical analysis of user-generated content across multiple Cittaslow towns. It examines key dimensions of slow tourism - Social Interaction, Engagement, Intention to Revisit, or Electronic Word-of-Mouth (eWOM). Findings show that tourists frequently highlight positive emotions when describing interactions with residents, which strongly shape authenticity and meaningful experiences. This study also introduces “service experience” as a crucial aspect of engagement in slow tourism, an element overlooked mainly in earlier research. Main contributions of the dissertation include: clarifying the conceptual foundations of slow tourism; identifying research gaps related to residents’ involvement; demonstrating how resident-tourist interactions influence authenticity, satisfaction, and loyalty; and introducing service experience as a new analytical dimension. Finally, this dissertation positions residents as a foundational pillar of slow tourism, demonstrating their essential role in co-creating sustainable, authentic, and memorable visitor experiences.