Travel has seen a resurgence after Covid and has even seen the coining of the term “revenge travel” as people decided to undertake trips they’d always dreamt of while they still could after being stuck inside in lockdown. Other new ways to enjoy the wonder of travel have proliferated too. “Slow travel” has embraced the quality of the journey rather than the destination, and authenticity, rather than pre-packaged experiences. Local convenience stores, rather than well-known statues in foreign lands, often trend these days on social media.
Tapping into that, is “small town travel”, or “the Small Tour”, the newest trend?
Since the advent of “the Grand Tour” in the 17th century, mostly focused on Italy, tourism has largely been seen as a way to expand one’s cultural horizons, or at least to gain exposure to the cultural icons of Antiquity and the Renaissance, as recognised by polite and educated society.
But, when two young Brits who had worked for a year before going off to Uni decided to treat themselves to a trip across Europe before beginning the next phase of their studies in 2023, which places would they choose for their itinerary? They started in Amsterdam and made their way to …
Quedlinburg, a small German town that, unless you’re a history buff, it’s unlikely you’ve ever heard of.
Is this part of a rejection of received wisdom about what’s worth seeing by the upcoming generation? No. And, it’s not, as some suggest, a lack of respect for traditional travel must-sees; this pair went swimming in the famous Lake Bled, in Slovenia, and visited Naples after all, but they went to the Italian city by a 45-minute ride on public transport from the little-known town where they had chosen to stay. Why not stay in Naples itself? Partly it’s to do with the “feel” of the place.
“We were both keen to explore more of the ‘more authentic’ parts of other countries,” Anna Branson told Travel Tomorrow. “We liked the feel of a quieter, cosier town rather than a busy city which felt more catered towards tourists than locals.”
The sense that overtourism is creating resentment towards visitors is also a factor.
“We found that smaller towns were nicer as a base, from which we could travel into a city (for example, we stayed in Bacoli but did a day trip into Naples, 45 minutes of public transport away). Personally, I felt that smaller towns which were less tourist-centric were more welcoming, and the locals were far more willing to chat to us and give us tips on where to go and what to see than city-based locals, fed up of tourists swarming through the cities. And also, in deciding to explore more provincial towns, we stumbled upon lesser-known gems like Quedlinburg, the first capital city of Germany!”
The phenomenon is not exactly part of a generational divide either. Anna and her travel companion are Gen Z, the generation that followed the first “global” generation, Millennials. Alex Langdale-Smith, a millennial herself, told us she and her wife Kerry, chose to holiday in Cabo Roig, one of the smaller resort towns on Spain’s Costa Blanca, “Because we want an apartment not a hotel and to show Theo [their son] semi-real Spain, even though it’s a little close to Alicante for my liking.”
Meanwhile, Kathy Korpe, an educational consultant and baby boomer, said her love of the lesser known place is to do with the sense of unexpected discovery. “I love the surprise factor of a small town: the local museum with quirky artefacts, the gallery with a surprise piece of splendid art.”
So, have you ever curated a “small tour” of your own, and where did you go?
