Chapter 8: The Development and Management of Slow Tourism Through the ‘Intangible Cultural Heritage’

Taking as a starting point the existing reality, as it was shaped during the pandemic period and the environmental crisis, which despite warnings manifested its symptoms with unexpected frequency and severity, the inevitable need for societies to change their orientation is highlighted. It is a fact that the exit from similar situations and from introversion leads to a redefinition of aims, through a return to the basics, to the essence of things, to the search for what is true, authentic and resistant to time and challenges. Alternative choices in daily life that balance work and leisure time require creativity that is qualitatively recharging and not simply discharging in a de-stressing way. In this context, the concept of intangible and living cultural heritage on one side and the forms of alternative tourism, on the other, focusing on slow tourism, are presented and discussed, together with the slow city, and an attempt is made to show how two fields seemingly indifferent to each other interweave, achieving the aforementioned objectives. These qualitative characteristics are concentrated and sought primarily in the cultural environment that always provides a solid basis in the ever-evolving society.