1. Calypso study on social
tourism
Spain

4. Generality
 The tourism sector is
considered to be the
most important
economic sector in Spain.
 Tourism represents 10, 8
% of the gdp.
 Tourism employed 2,7
million people in 2005,
which is 12,4 % of the
total working population

5.  Competitiveness and
strengths
 The proximity to the
main European markets.
 Favourable weather
conditions.
 Several consolidated
tourist destinations.
 Large variety of cultural
resources distributed
across the territory.

6.  Weaknesses
 it’s
characterised by a
strong seasonal
component.
 Lack of identity in
tourism proposal for
traditional destinations.
 Excessive geographical
concentration of tourist
and residential
accommodation offer

7. Spain is one of the countries with a
stronger tradition in social tourism.
 In Spain, the main actors involved with social
tourism are of an institutional nature.
The most important are:
 IMSERSO is a management Organisation of the
Social Security, belonging to the ministry of
health and social policy

8.  SEGITUR is a public company created by the
ministry of Industry and tourism.
 COCEMFE is the Spanish Confederation of
Persons with Physical and Organics Disabilities.
 TheUGT, union general de trabadores, also
arranges it’s members requests for seats to
enjoy their holidays.

9. II The target groups of social
tourism in Spain

10. The segmentation profile: Senior citizens
 The population over the age of 65 in Spain is
more of 7 million.
 The economic problems derived from the fact
that participants depend on a retirement
pension.
 Accommodation is usually in hotels.

11.  The seniors like mostly
cultural visits to cities,
museum, sun and beach
tourism, gastronomy routes
(the food component is
increasingly important).
 Thisgroup can travel during
the low season, as they are
not usually engaged in
employment.

12. Young people
 Between 15 and 35 five years old, there is
more than 12 million people in Spain
• Constraints:
 The economic difficulties: young people with
low income
 Geographic obstacles: young persons living in a
rural or remote area.

13.  They prefer European
destinations.
 The accommodation will
depend on the nature of
travel, but for them it’s easy
to find.
 The demand of activities is
wide.
 They are very sensitive to the
price.
 The period as many of them
are students, is summer or
other school holidays.

14. Families facing difficult circumstances
There is a lack of legal and institutional
definition of this group, the limits of which are
blurred.
•Constraints:
Tourism of families with difficulties is not
developed in Spain. Marketwise doesn’t exist.

15. Adults with disabilities
The sector represents between 9% and 10 % of
Spanish population.
 Who are they: between 18 and 60 years old,
with a disability of more than 33%
•Constraints:
 Economic problems because most of them
depend on a non-contributing pension.

16.  Problems derived from
their own disability.
 Difficulties derived from
living in a rural or poorly
communicated area.
 According NGOs, 84% of
all like travelling. Demand
largely exceeds the
existing supply subsided.
 The accommodation
usually takes place in
hotels.

17. III The IMSERSO program
(Instituto de mayores y servicios
sociales)

18. Generality
 The program
 IMSERSO was created in
1985, it starting offering
16000 seats and until now it
has offered 1,2 million seats.
 The target group is seniors
from the age of 65.
 Since it started, more than 10
million persons have taken
part in this program.

19.  The objectives
It’s a social program with a
double dimension:
 To improve the quality of
life and wellbeing of
seniors.
 To favour the creation an
maintenance of
employment and economic
activity during the period
of low activity.

20.  Requirements, modalities and duration:
 Aged 65 and over.
 Pensioners of the Public Pension System.
 This is an intra-regional social tourism program.
There are no exchanges.
 Cultural trip: 6 day routes, full board.
 Nature tourism: 5 days full board, in
recreational and contemplative areas.

21.  Description of
support
mechanisms
 Partial financing from
the IMSERSO, equal
for all persons.
 Reservation facilities:
more than 9300 travel
agencies offer the
programme.

22. Funding mechanisms and results
• Description of funding
mechanisms
 the total amount of
direct resources
allocated to be 300
million euros.
 The following economic
impact is estimated: 1,53
euros are recovered by
the state for every euro
invested.

23.  The result on the Spanish economy
 13000 direct jobs and 85000 indirect jobs in the
low season are created every year.
 The employment generated has a direct
repercussion on the public administration
income.
 Not only sun and Beach destinations: Inland are
included. ( more than 82000 persons in 2007-
2008).
 Wealth and employment are generated in all
regions.