AIM.
Creation of a specific tourism product focused on senior target groups (over 55) travelling in low/medium season to small lakeside towns.

According to the World Tourism Organisation (WTO), the most important of the 2020 future market trends is an increase in the number of elderly tourists. The segment of adults over 55 years of age will increase the overall volume of tourism; these adults are characterised by extensive experience in tourism, making them more demanding consumers and allowing demand to shift away from peak seasons, because this is a segment of the population that is often retired. One of the key elements that can be drawn from the above, both from the perspective of the tourist sector as well as the individual tourist, is the importance of the segment formed by older people that, because of the aging population, will continue to increase steadily. Thus, it is essential to consider senior tourism as crucial to the reformulation of tourism or the range of available products and destinations. One of the areas most relevant to the elderly is their leisure time, mainly their leisure time dedicated to tourism, which influences their physical, mental and social well-being. For the reasons explained above, senior tourism is predicted to be a major force in the 21st century as population age

THE PACKAGE.
Will be developed tailor-made for each destination, based on a basic concept and enriched with several special collateral activities.

The basic concept is the following:
An organised 3-5 days programme for groups, including:
- Accommodation and transport during the programme.
- Guided visits to the most important attractions of the territory of different type: cultural, historical, folkloristic, natural, scientific, religious.
- Activity on the lake (boat cruise, rowing or similar) and around the lake (walking).
- Social meals with entertainment and degustation of typical local products.
- Participation to local specific events.
- Entertaining language courses
- Sanitary/medical care when necessary – this is an extra service which is not offered in traditional tourist packages, but considering the particular necessities of our target group, is an important part of our idea.
Every destination will adapt this basic scheme for the local attractions and specialities, which their territory offers.

THE PARTNERS.
The “LAKtive Tourism” project will be proposed and developed in 6 towns situated on beautiful lakes representing 5 European countries: Italy, Republic of Macedonia, Slovenia, Ireland and Spain.
The partnership is already operative on a European level for transnational project linked to the promotion and upgrading of their territory in cultural, social, economic and environmental terms.

1) Municipality of Iseo, Italy – leading partner
2) Municipality of Bled, Slovenia
3) Municipality of Ohrid, Macedonia
4) Municipality of Manzanares El Real, Spain
5) Leitrim County Council, Ireland
6) Municipality of Candia Canavese, Italy
7) Drustvo Upokojencev Bled, Slovenia (Senior association of Bled )
8) VIS POJ, Ohrid – Macedonia (Tour Operator based in Ohrid)
9) Cooptur Sarl, Iseo – Italy (private SME acting in tourism sector)

THE OBJECTIVES
a) Establish a tourism mechanism exchange between “LAKtive Tourism” project partners” (LAKtive European network);
b) Increase the number of senior tourists travelling among “LAKtive Tourism” project European countries in low and medium season. The proposed project intends to further increase the typical tourists’ presence especially as regards the low season, by fostering deseasonalization.

Specific objectives of the project
On basis of the overall objectives listed above, the mandatory result of the action is the “creation of a specific tourism product focused on senior target groups (over 55) travelling in low/medium season towards small towns placed on lakes”. In order to achieve the mandatory result, the project “LAKtive Tourism” aims at obtaining specific expected results which can be identified as follows:

1) Improved tourism seasonality and tourism season extended;
In the LAKtive project European countries, on average, the development of activities connected with senior tourism (dialysis treatments, active ageing paths, and foreign language courses at universities for the elderly, fairs) can bring about an estimated annual increase of 10% in the number of visitors connected with elderly tourism. This increase will mainly be distributed in the pre- and post-seasons, for the benefit of tourism providers and tour operators who will have a higher occupancy coefficient in these periods, The occupancy coefficient in the months between January to May and from September to December is below average. This applies not only to the coordinator Iseo, but also to the other lakeside partners.
The increase of tourism in the low-medium seasons will satisfy the specific need for a more homogeneous distribution of tourist flow - and consequently of income - for the sector operators.
2) Improved tourism offer through the creation of the existing packages relating to specific project tourism product proposed;
3) Increased number of jobs in the tourism sector;
4) Increased exploitation of accommodations through the new touristic product;
5) Improved individual territory promotion as destinations particularly ideal for those looking for health, nature, culture and wellness;
6) Improved promotion of small touristic centres; promotion of tourism potentials and tourism offer of all project partners, especially for tourism in low/medium season;
7) Creation of a shared calendar of events on a European level;
8) Increased of awareness of local communities about the importance of care treatments and physical and mental exercises for the physical and mental wellness (through the organization of events involving an audience mainly composed of elderly, characterized by different lifestyles and physical and healthy conditions);

LAKtive Tourism also intends to build a solid cooperation that goes beyond the 15 months of the project. Thanks to the replicability of the new touristic product, especially for lakeside towns, the product could be easily extended to other European countries.