Celebrate Slow Tourism Month at Ashford Castle

In order to help promote a more sustainable and immersive form of travel, Tourism Ireland have marked out June as the ‘Slow Tourism Month’ of the calendar, inviting the nation’s visitors to pause, breathe, and experience the emerald landscape in a meaningful manner. Here at Ashford Castle, we couldn’t be more thrilled with this development, as it dovetails perfectly with our own view of what tourism is and the experience we offer.

What is slow tourism? 

Slow tourism is about travelling with purpose and mindfulness. It means immersing yourself in fewer places, staying longer, and engaging more deeply with the local culture, people, and environment. It's about walking rather than rushing, tasting rather than sampling, and listening rather than simply seeing.

In essence, it's not about how much you do. It’s about how much you feel.

Slow the pace on the Ashford Estate

Ashford Castle is a natural home for slow tourism. Here, life moves to the rhythm of the landscape: quiet mornings on Lough Corrib, the crunch of gravel beneath your feet on a woodland path, the comforting ritual of Afternoon Tea in The Connaught Room.

Our 350-acre estate offers space to breathe, explore, and reconnect. Enjoy unhurried moments of discovery, whether through a guided walk with our resident hawks, fishing with our experienced ghillie, or simply watching the swans glide by on the Cong River.

For deep relaxation, the Spa offers a sanctuary of stillness where time slows, senses awaken, and wellbeing is restored in the most peaceful of settings.

Exceptional Irish Experiences

As part of our commitment to sustainability and cultural heritage, we are proud to offer a collection of Exceptional Irish Experiences that take you beyond the gates of Ashford, crafted to give guests an authentic sense of place while supporting the people, traditions, and natural beauty of the west of Ireland.

These are immersive, full-day excursions that take you into the heart of local communities. You’ll meet farmers, artisans, musicians and storytellers, learning directly from those who keep Ireland’s cultural heritage alive.

You might savour the flavours of the region through local farm visits and meals shared in family homes, or engage with craftspeople who are preserving Ireland’s age-old skills passed down through generations. Through music and storytelling, you’ll find yourself immersed in rich cultural heritage. And in the wild beauty of Connemara, you’ll find space to slow down and absorb the soul of the landscape.

Each experience is thoughtfully curated to foster meaningful connections with our land, our people, and our traditions.

An invitation to pause

With ‘Slow Tourism Month’ here, we invite you to discover Ireland as it’s meant to be experienced. Slowly, meaningfully, and with open eyes. Whether you stay close to Ashford Castle or journey beyond, you owe it to yourself that every step, every taste, and every encounter be savoured to the full.