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.

With the special attention to European year for Active ageing and Solidarity  between Generations 2012 - conferences first speaker Ms. Maite Pozo Querol - Institute for Elderly and Social Services of Spain- introduced participants with the activities in Spain in terms of the specific year.

As the economical growth is the main issue in most of the EU countries, Spain is one of the rare ones which is successfully dealing with depopulation and unemployment issues with the senior tourism development. One of the most successful development programs has been connected to external and internal senior tourism promotion. Programs “Europe Senior Tourism” representative - Ms. Marta Santamaría García - emphasizes: “With the special offer for seniors all over the EU, Spain has implemented the senior tourism program which allows elder tourists visit the country in “non-season” for lover and more acceptable prices.” It gives an exclusive possibility for senior tourists visit most popular touristic destinations for cheaper price and allows the entrepreneurs and regional authorities from the certain counties develop economic and tourism in “low season” with greater numbers.

Other possibility for tourists from Spain is program developed by IMSERSO (Institute for Elderly and Social Services of Spain). With its success in more than 25 years program can call itself as self-financed program because of its income numbers, which covers all the support government has invested.

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 2nd part of the conference was for one transferable good practice presented by each partner.

Twelve different practices were presented in several themes:

• Religious tourism
• SPA and rehabilitation for people with disabilities
• Active Leisure time
• Transportation systems
• Eco-tourism and Natural heritage 

The list of good practices:

• “Sierra Nevada a mountain and ski resort also for older” (County Council of Granada, Spain)
• "Wooden Churches in Eastern Slovakia – Preservation and Promotion” (Regional Development Agency of Prešov, Slovakia)
• “Koli Shuttle Taxi – Sustainable Way to Reach a National Park” (Regional Council of North Karelia, Finland)
• “Rehabilitation center Līgatne” (Vidzeme Planning Region, Latvia)
• “Challenges and Obstacles towards a focused touristic product in East Macedonia and Thrace" (Region of East Macedonia & Thrace, Greece)
• “Good practice provided by the Agency of Regional Development and Environmental Management of the Province of Szabolcs-Szatmár-Bereg” (Hungary)
• "Regional and Provincial Programs of Hydrotherapy Baths in Spain" (County Council of Granada, Spain)
• “Tourism as a tool for physical, mental and social engagement of seniors” (Association of Polish Communes of the Baltic Euro-region, Poland)
• “Strandzha Nature Park” (Regional Tourist Association of Bourgas, Bulgaria)
• “Podkarpackie region as a senior tourism destination” (Region of Podkarpackie, Poland)
• “Ability Thermal Spa in Tamási, Hungary" (Coordination Agency for the Development of the Balaton Lake, Hungary)
• “Active retirement in Ireland. A regional perspective” (West Regional Authority, Ireland)

Presentation will be uploaded here soon.