Swimming pool among the olive trees, outdoor tables and zeroed notifications: it’s called “On holiday, for real” and it’s the new project with which Airbnb brings a family and a group of friends to spend a week completely offline in the heart of Salento. The idea is as simple as it is against the grain: smartphones, laptops and notifications remain outside the door, and something almost unusual returns to the center of the experience – being together without screens in between.
Why now
According to research commissioned by Airbnb, almost one in two Italians would really like to get away from their phone during their holidays, while over 60% believe that notifications and screens end up ruining time with friends and family. It’s not a new sensation, but it has become more acute: travel, in recent years, has transformed above all into something to be documented and shared in real time, a continuous storytelling that often consumes the experience rather than amplifying it. Here the mechanism is reversed: the phone remains in the suitcase and the days return to being marked by slow breakfasts, card games, chats under the stars and afternoons without plans.
Luca Bernardelli, a psychologist and expert in digital well-being, gives a theoretical framework to the initiative: in the era of continuous connection, he explains, disconnecting even just for a few days can help regain attention, quality of relationships and a more authentic relationship with time. It is therefore not surprising that offline travel is becoming one of the most recognizable trends in contemporary tourism, together with the rediscovery of villages, shared houses and stays immersed in nature.
The farm
The location chosen for the experience is a seventeenth-century farmhouse between Scorrano and Maglie, in the Lecce hinterland – a Salento far from crowded beaches and summer nightlife, made up of country roads, centuries-old olive trees, dry stone walls and small villages where the rhythm still seems different. The structure belongs to Marco, Airbnb Superhost for four years, who has recovered the historic family home transforming it into a place dedicated to slow hospitality. The ancient rooms once used for drying tobacco today coexist with spaces designed for those seeking quiet, privacy and contact with the territory. To complete the picture: a swimming pool surrounded by greenery, large outdoor tables, relaxation areas and a large park surrounded by countryside.
How to apply
To participate, you must apply on the dedicated website, describing your family or friendship relationship and explaining why you want to live a week away from smartphones and notifications. Airbnb will select two groups of up to ten people each: a multigenerational or extended family and a company of friends. No special skills are required — just the desire, and perhaps the courage, to resist the temptation to check your phone.
The dates: the week dedicated to families runs from 23 to 29 August, that for friends from 1 to 7 September. The stay in the farm is offered by Airbnb; travel costs to reach Salento remain the responsibility of the participants. Applications are open until June 14th.
