It begins sending accreditation letters to pensioners so that they can book their trips in the tourism programme for the 2024-2025 season.
The Institute for the Elderly and Social Services (IMSERSO), part of the Ministry of Social Rights, Consumption and Agenda 2030, has begun sending letters to pensioners to confirm their accreditation so that they can book their trips under the Tourism Programme for the 2024-2025 season. This is a new tourism programme with which the IMSERSO aims, among other things, to combat loneliness. ‘These trips promote social networks among users, and this is essential to prevent loneliness,’ said Mayte Sancho, director general of this institute. The head of the IMSERSO also referred to the health benefits of this type of activity. ‘There is already scientific evidence that shows that people with greater social activity live longer,’ she said, alluding to studies that have shown this to be a key element in longevity.
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IMSERSO launches its new tourism programme to combat loneliness
According to the latest official data published by the National Statistics Institute (INE), 41.7% of people living alone in Spain are aged 65 or over. ‘In many cases, loneliness is a problem and it gets worse as people get older, especially among women, as the data show,’ explained Mayte Sancho, while at the same time she claimed the beneficial effects of IMSERSO trips to face this challenge facing our society: ’One of our priorities with this tourism programme is to strengthen the social relationships that are woven between users and thus achieve a positive impact on their lives.
The IMSERSO also stresses that this Tourism Programme contributes to active ageing and the promotion of an active life for users. Furthermore, it is emphasised that it encourages intergenerational solidarity and also inter-territorial solidarity, using trips between different autonomous communities. On the other hand, it is stressed that these trips generate employment and significant economic activity in our country, with the added advantage that this programme has become a tool to alleviate the seasonal nature of the tourism sector, as it avoids the loss of many jobs during the low season.