Project Summary

Silver tourism has been rapidly growing in Europe, with the percentage of travellers over the age of 65 expected to increase from 15 percent in 2010 to 25 percent in 2020 and 35 percent in 2050. While many European countries have adjusted their tourism product to the needs of senior citizens, Greece and Italy are lagging behind in offering specialized services for silver tourists, while tour operators have not developed products for senior travellers.

By adopting the Mediterranean diet and lifestyle (an Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity as recognized by UNESCO), the Silver Wellbeing project will exploit the silver tourism as an asset of growth for the cross-border region, and will promote the benefits of healthy and sustainable life to silver tourists. The latter will have the opportunity to experience unique moments of vacations, combining cultural and artistic interests with those of their wellbeing.

Thus, the Silver Wellbeing project will define and implement innovative guides and applications (web and mobile ones) developed in cooperation with different sectors such as tourism, healthcare and agro-food. The vision is to attract tourists through a qualified proposition with the involvement of tourism agents, and the collaboration of key people from the food and healthcare sector. The Silver Wellbeing tools will provide information on nutrition, Mediterranean diet and healthcare along with wellness travel information, tips and itineraries (routes of olive oils, wines, cereals) in association with historical and cultural heritage.

Overall, Silver Wellbeing will increase the quantity and quality of tourism in the cross-border area, while optimizing health costs and promoting food biodiversity.