Travelling without leaving any impact at all, we know, is an impossible ideal. Moving from one place to another and through a place inevitably leaves a trace – of our movement and our presence. What we can do, however, is consciously choose what kind of trace we want to leave: choosing a way of travelling that impacts our destination as little negatively as possible and that, whenever possible and without altering its identity, can even contribute positively to its growth and future.
Walking holidays create a deeper relationship with places: following a trail step by step, moving slowly through a landscape; arriving at a local bar where residents and walkers mingle together, sensing traces of distant stories woven into the rhythm of everyday life; staying in a small accommodation we know remains open – and perhaps even exists – because travellers continue to arrive, creating work for someone, convincing someone else to return.
That is when we truly begin to feel that our presence matters, that the sustainability we want to pursue is not only environmental but also human and territorial: made of respectful interaction with places and the people who inhabit them, of exchanged values and positive energies, of contributing something meaningful to a territory.
And perhaps we can also think about the idea of a “trace” in another way: on one side, the one we leave behind – whether positive or negative – and on the other, the one a walking journey leaves inside us.
This is how choosing a walking holiday can support territories and communities: we wanted to tell you through concrete examples, journeys we have developed and continue to offer with enthusiasm because of the positive impact they can have on the places they cross.
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One of the beautiful things about walking holidays is that many trails, with their “predefined” routes shaped by historical, religious or cultural reasons, pass through small villages and little-known towns. In doing so, they bring people away from the major tourist circuits, support local economies and small businesses, and cross communities whose identity has not been irreversibly transformed by tourism.
By travelling this way, you support local economies, help distribute economic value across the territory and have more opportunities to create sincere and meaningful human connections.
One of the journeys closest to our hearts is the Magna Via Francigena, a trail that has had a deeply positive impact on the territories it crosses. Starting in Palermo and reaching Agrigento, it traverses inland Sicily – the Sicily not traditionally associated with beaches, sunshine and volcanoes.
Local communities – for example Prizzi, where many people have restored their grandparents’ houses to welcome pilgrims and many young residents have returned home – now live partly thanks to the trail and its travellers. The hospitality here is warm, genuine and heartfelt. You walk into a village café and immediately feel at home; hospitality feels familiar and personal. People are sincerely happy to welcome you.
To better understand the territory, we suggest visiting the CIDMA museum in Corleone, which preserves the stories of those who fought against the Mafia and helps visitors discover a land proudly resisting stereotypes and prejudice.
Not every destination suffers from overtourism. Some places experience only occasional tourism, often from visitors not fully aware of the beauty and value of the territory hosting them. This is where walking holidays become exactly the kind of slow and respectful tourism these places need: they help enhance lesser-known territories while also helping travellers discover them.
Travellers who move slowly along roads and trails, who stop to listen with curiosity and attention, are often the most suitable and appreciative visitors these places could hope for.
To describe Cilento simply as an alternative to the Amalfi Coast would truly diminish its value – although it does share some of the same extraordinary qualities, while still remaining untouched by mass tourism.
Cilento offers unspoiled nature, quieter villages and beaches often awarded Blue Flags, and archaeological sites of international importance together with a unique gastronomic heritage – this is the homeland of some of Italy’s most celebrated ingredients.
With us you will stay in locally run, family-owned accommodations, perfect places to hear firsthand why this territory is so special.
Seeing travel simply as an invasion of territories would be deeply unfair: travel, especially walking travel, can become a form of presence and concrete support for local communities.
When places are still fragile, slow tourism can help keep services and communities alive: it gently embraces villages and landscapes and helps preserve them.
Trails created through fragile territories also serve this purpose: bringing back life, enthusiasm and human connection to places that are slowly beginning to shine again.
This journey crosses territories affected by earthquakes, helping support fragile local economies and offering opportunities for renewal.
It is also a deeply meditative experience, filled with the silence of nature welcoming and accompanying you.
Travellers can stop to buy local products, visit museums and even travel off-season to further increase their positive impact.
Majella is an enchanted region with powerful nature and wild landscapes, where slow tourism becomes a way of supporting the territory while fully respecting nature and its inhabitants.
You can join experiences with local guides or take part in a cooking class to reconnect with the place in a meaningful way.
Travelling slowly changes us too: the imprint remains inside us, in our habits and in what we have learned.
After such a journey, we consume less, live more simply, and above all pay more attention to time and to what surrounds us.
Montefeltro is a land of quiet and authentic beauty, still untouched by mass tourism.
Walking here means discovering artisan workshops, small cultural realities and a living heritage.
It is a journey that teaches the value of slowness and attention.
Travel can – and should – leave something positive behind, creating connections with places and people.
Every travel choice contributes to shaping a territory: we can strive to make that influence as respectful and regenerative as possible.
What remains inside us after a walking journey? Can we bring some of that slowness into our daily lives?
We leave you with these questions, which may help you choose – and experience – your next journey even more deeply.
Written by the SloWays Team
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Nominee Best Specialist Tour Operator 2025
Touroperating
S-Cape Countryside Travels srl
Borgo Allegri 16R
50122 Firenze FI
P. IVA 05227330486
