Developing Senior Tourism in Remote Regions (TOURAGE)

“Good practices of senior tourism can be an instrument for dealing with depopulation, unemployment and other economical regression issues in Europe Unions remote areas.” With this idea project’s “Tourage” 1st Annual Conference in Granada, Spain, has concluded.

02.10.2012

Demographic Change and ageing can bring many opportunities to the regions. Tourism is one of the fastest growing industries in the Europe and relatively remote regions have both a lot of unexploited and unknown development potential in this regard. To seek most reliable and successful solutions for transforming societies ageing to the economical growth and regional development, project “TOURAGE - Developing Senior Tourism in Remote Region” partners from 12 different countries invites all the stakeholders to the project first Annual Conference, which will be held on September 25 in Granada, Spain.

We are glad to show for public the project Tourage 1st E-Newsletter. Every age is tour age!

The TOURAGE project is focusing on the exchange of experience among partners, and especially using the good practice exchange methodology. In the context of the INTERREG IVC programme, a « good practice is defined as an initiative (e.g. methodologies, projects, processes, techniques) undertaken in one of the programme’s thematic priorities which has already proved successful and which has the potential to be transferred to a different geographic area ».

The project has grown out from the idea that although Demographic Change brings many challenges it can also bring opportunities to the regions. Tourism is one of the fastest growing industries in the Europe and relatively remote regions have both a lot of unexploited and unknown development potential in this regard. The project seeks to identify good practices on developing tourism possibilities for growing segment of elderly travelers.

Vidzeme planning region is one of the most Latvian region in Latvia due to the fact that 85% of citizens are Latvians. With different traditions which are still strongly alive in almost every Latvian family Vidzeme region shares also with its tourists. 12th June 2012 project “Tourage” partners visited the most significant touristic sites in Vidzeme planning region, focusing on senior tourism.

During the first reporting period the Association undertook activities within all component of the project with special focus on communication and dissemination and identification of potential good practices. In order to introduce the project the members of the Association, the information about the project was presented during two meetings with senior local and regional decision makers.

BOURGAS REGIONAL TOURIST ASSOCIATION (BRTA) was established in 1998 as an organization in public benefit. It unites the existing in Burgas region local tourist organizations, regional tourist associations and local authorities (municipalities). The goal of BRTA is to support and encourage the development of tourism in Burgas region and alone or in cooperation with other organizations working to develop the region as a tourist destination.

The Lake Balaton Development Coordination Agency (LBDCA) is a nonprofit company and was established in January 2000 by the Lake Balaton Development Council (LBDC). The Agency performs professional and operative duties promoting the development of the LBRA and in relation to the activities of LBDC. The LBDCA employs 22 people working at three offices around the lake in Siófok, Keszthely and Balatonfüred.

The West Regional Authority (Ireland) is one of eight Authorities established by the Government under the Local Government Act 1991 (Regional Authority Establishment Orders 1993). One of its main functions  is the adoption of the Regional Planning Guidelines under the Planning and Development Act 2000 to 2010.

Regional Development Agency of the Prešov Self-Governing Region is a professional association of legal entities founded by the Foundation Agreement dated 3^rd  January 2005 and By-Laws dated 3^rd January 2005, for the purposes of coordinating activities, including financial activities, at a regional and local level for support and development of the Prešov Self-Governing Region and region NUTS II – Eastern Slovakia.

The Vidzeme Planning Region (VPR) was established in 2006. The main goal of VPR is to ensure regional planning and coordination, as well as cooperation between municipalities and different governmental institutions. VPR provides planning services on national, regional and local level; it ensures regional and local level representation in elaboration of entrepreneurship, employment and social policies. VPR mission is to coordinate and promote long-term and well-balanced development of the Vidzeme region by providing effective services to local inhabitants, NGOs, entrepreneurs and municipalities.

28.06.2012

Located on the northeastern edge of Greece, the Region encompasses three regional units of Thrace (Evros, Rodopi, Xanthi) and two of East Macedonia (Drama, Kavala). According to the temporary results of the 2011 census, the population of the Region comes to 606,170 residents, corresponding to 5.6% of the total population of the country. The economy is based mainly on agriculture and livestock farming, as well as on constructional and industrial activity, trade, commerce, transport, education, and public administration.

The North-West Region (Northern Transylvania) is one of the eight development regions in Romania and it has six counties: Bihor, Bistriţa-Năsăud, Cluj, Maramureş, Satu-Mare, Sălaj. The surface of the region is of 34.159 square km, 14.32% of the country’s surface with a total population of 2.744.914 inhabitants.

Podkarpackie Voivodeship (Region), which is a partner in TOURAGER Project, is a relatively young organization. Following administrative changes in Poland, self-governmental regions along with marshal’s offices were established in 1999. Marshal’s offices implement tasks of regional self-governments in respect of regional governance and management. Managing social and economical development of Polish regions belongs to their key competences as they support a number of sectors and individual initiatives, both in a short- and long-term perspective. That is the reason why a marshal’s office can be considered as the key regional player.

The Regional Council of North Karelia is regional, politically guided, municipal coalition which supervises the regional interest as well as guides the regional development and planning. It is owned by 14 municipalities and it employs around 45 persons. The highest decision-making body of region is the Assembly of the Regional Council whose members are elective members of the municipal councils. Executive functions are carried out by the Board which is elected by the Assembly.

28.06.2012

North Karelia University of Applied Sciences have created a definition for the “knowledge of ageing “ in their publication “Check Marks for the Knowledge of Ageing” based on their long expertise in that matter. According to that publication the knowledge of ageing means knowledge and skills in which the global phenomenon of ageing can be seen as an opportunity for all to learn and live a new type of a full life in all sectors and branches of the society.

The population of elderly people over 65 years in Észak-Alföld Region  is 17%, which is average in the EU, but has a growing tendency. Due to this, Észak-Alföld Regional Development Agency (ÉARDA) and other Institutions pay attention to silver tourism.

28.06.2012

The Diputación de Granada (County Council of Granada) is a Local Public Administration, which is the Local Government of the Province of Granada that represents and renders services to 168 municipalities: Coordinating municipal services; legal, economic and technical assistance to town councils; rendering public services with a supramunicipal or local nature; encouraging and administering particular interests of the province.

Established in 1997 the Association of Polish Communes Euroregion Baltic is a specialized non-governmental institution facilitating and strengthening cross-border cooperation of local authorities, as well as economic, social, educational and cultural institutions in the Pomorskie and Warmia-Mazury regions with their counterparts abroad.

Representatives of local and regional authorities, academic institutions, tourism organisations and enterprises were present to share their ideas on senior tourism on the 8^th June 2012 in Debrecen, Hungary. The event was an opportunity to introduce the TOURAGE INTERREG IVC project to the wider audience, and also to focus on the “2012 - European Year for Active Ageing and Solidarity between Generations” and its contribution to tourism development.

Project "TOURAGE - Developing Senior Tourism in Remote Region" kick-off conference was held from March 19 to March 22 in North Karelia, Finland. During the event 12 regional partners from 10 countries visited several tourist sites in North Karelia and jointly discussed the activities in order to effectively promote senior tourism in the European countries.

Twelve partners from ten countries joined the project "TOURAGE - Developing Senior Tourism in Remote Region" to raise the issue of senior tourism development in the European Union. Project opening event will take place in North Karelia, Finland March 19 - March 22.