Spain has a plan to keep Europe’s tourism industry strong by subsidizing vacations as a “reward for the elderly, who have suffered the most during the Covid-19 pandemic,” in the worlds of Spanish Tourism Minister Reyes Maroto.
Spain is already operating its own version of the scheme, called ‘Imserso.’ Under the plan, Spanish pensioners who are eligible can get holidays in different locations across Spain for €115 for four days up to €405 for ten days, including transportation, accommodation and meals.
At a recent conference on Senior Tourism in Dijon, France, a Spanish official pointed out that “Today, seniors constitute 21 percent of the total population of the European Union and spend 5.6 percent of their income on tourism.” He said that a program like Spain’s would ‘reinforce the sense of belonging to the European Union’ as well as keeping up employment in the tourism sector.
