Europe Senior Tourism pilot programme

Punta Umbría, 01/10/2009

The Europe Senior Tourism pilot programme was launched on 1 October with the arrival of the first tourists at the participating destinations, Andalusia and the Balearic Islands. These first reservations reveal that tourists are coming to Spain from markets which are new for Spain in winter, such as Greece, Romania and Poland. This therefore achieves one of the objectives of the project, namely to increase the number of tourists in the low season.

Viajes Zoetrope is responsible for marketing this programme through the commercial brand Travel Senior. This company has signed agreements with various agencies and local tour operators in 14 countries in the European Union, as well as with seven airlines.

This first edition features trips for over 55s resident in EU countries who may travel with a younger companion. The trip is partly subsidised –with 100 or 150 euros, depending on the country of origin– by the Spanish central government and the regional governments of Andalusia and the Balearic Islands, and includes transport, entertainment, full board, and extra travel insurance.

It should be remembered that the objective of the project is to reactivate economic activity in Spanish tourist destinations during the low season through an active employment policy designed to maintain and create jobs. The aim is also to contribute to the idea of the active aging of the European population, and to building the concept of European citizenship. And all under the criteria of sustainability.

The project is part of the CALYPSO Preparatory Action of the European Parliament and Commission, which promotes the establishment of social tourism projects between Member States, in view of the social and economic importance of the existing projects of this nature.

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