This demographic shift brings new demands for the tourism sector, which must adapt to a growing market of older travellers. In fact, as early as 2013, 47% of Europeans over 65 (76 million people) were already travelling, and by 2030, the number of tourists over 60 is expected to reach around 140 million. 

In response to this trend, Spain launched the Programa de Turismo del Imserso in 1985, an initiative promoted by the Instituto de Mayores y Servicios Sociales (Imserso), the country’s social security agency. 

The programme targets retirees and Spanish citizens aged 55 and over—including those living abroad and returnee migrants—offering, upon application and approval, organised trips at subsidised rates throughout Spain and, in some cases, abroad. 

The initiative promotes autonomy and physical-mental wellbeing among seniors, offering cultural and recreational activities designed to counter social issues such as loneliness and isolation, while making tourism more accessible and inclusive. 

Available packages include transport, accommodation, basic healthcare, and a wide range of cultural and leisure activities—all at affordable prices. 

One notable benefit is its impact on low-season tourism flows. A case in point is Ibiza, where between October 2022 and April 2023, the arrival of 24,500 tourists through the Imserso programme generated an economic impact of €15.4 million, sustaining 289 direct jobs across six hotels and supporting additional indirect employment in local food service and hospitality sectors. 

In the area of thermal tourism, Imserso has allocated €34 million to fund 190,513 stays across 84 wellness centres nationwide. The programme encourages active ageing and generates an estimated economic value of over €114 million annually. 

At Twissen, we observe that beyond the personal benefits for participants, the Imserso Programme acts as a strong catalyst for Spain’s tourism economy, especially during the off-season. It helps to reduce tourism seasonality and ensures employment and income stability for thousands of workers in the hospitality, food service, transportation, travel agency and leisure sectors. 

This social policy thus becomes an economic strategy, supporting the local productive fabric and contributing to the balanced development of less-visited tourist areas. 

Giorgia Sartorato

L'articolo Imserso represents Spain’s leading example of best practice in silver tourism proviene da Twissen.

Several factors are driving this momentum. First and foremost, accessibility: since 2021, the first direct flight between the United States and Vietnam (San Francisco – Ho Chi Minh City) has been operational, and by 2026, the new Long Thanh International Airport—set to serve Ho Chi Minh City—will open, increasing the country’s capacity to accommodate up to 25 million visitors. 

In addition, 2023 saw the implementation of new e-visa policies allowing stays of up to 90 days, along with visa exemptions for over a dozen key countries, including Italy, France, and South Korea. 

Vietnam’s positioning as a new premium destination in Asia is also being strengthened by the opening of high-end hotels such as the Regent Phu Quoc, Capella Hanoi, and JW Marriott Saigon, with brands like Ritz-Carlton Reserve and Park Hyatt in development. The 2024 expansion of the Michelin Guide further highlighted the local food scene, attracting a more sophisticated audience eager for new experiences. 

Jing Daily also reports that, according to Mike Nguyen, founder of luxury travel agency Ansova Travel, demand in the luxury segment is led by the U.S. and India—the latter especially in the wedding tourism sector, with over half a million arrivals (+297% vs. 2019)—as well as by affluent Chinese tourists seeking safer alternatives to Thailand following concerning news reports. 

Political cooperation between China and Vietnam is also gaining ground, particularly in student tourism. In a recent meeting, Chinese leader Xi Jinping and Vietnamese President Tô Lâm discussed strategies to leverage their land and sea connectivity. China is also planning “Red Study Tours” for young Vietnamese to explore their shared cultural heritage. 

The meeting also highlighted that in 2024, Vietnam welcomed 3.74 million Chinese tourists—a 114% increase from the previous year—while in Q1 2025 alone, 1.58 million arrivals were recorded, up 178% year-on-year. Currently, there are nearly 400 round-trip flights operating weekly between the two countries, and around 23,000 Vietnamese students are studying in China. 

At Twissen, we have observed that Vietnam is establishing itself as one of the most promising international tourism destinations, with a significant rise in arrivals. The combination of an expanding luxury offering, favorable visa policies, and growing air infrastructure creates the ideal environment to attract high-end travelers. Moreover, the country’s increasing cooperation with China further fuels inbound tourism. In this context, Vietnam has a unique opportunity to position itself as a premium destination in Asia—ready to welcome visitors from around the world and fully realize its tourism potential. 

Martina Baldo

She graduated in Intercultural Development of Tourism Systems and she has a passion for foreign languages and cultures. Since 2016 she works as administration and tourism project manager at Twissen.

L'articolo Vietnam Looks to Accessibility and the Luxury Segment to Boost its Tourism Sector proviene da Twissen.

The T&T GDP multiplier represents the ratio between tourism’s indirect and induced contribution to GDP and its direct contribution. In other words, it measures how much additional economic value the sector generates beyond its immediate impact.

The T&T Employment multiplier reflects the ratio between total employment (direct, indirect, and induced) and direct employment generated by tourism. A high value suggests that the tourism sector stimulates significant job creation throughout the value chain.

A Comparison Across Countries

In Europe, Iceland stands out as a leading case, with high values on both multipliers—around 5 on a scale from 1 to 7. Croatia and Portugal also show strong performance, with notable GDP multipliers and solid employment impacts (an average of 3.44 for Croatia and 4.76 for Portugal). Greece is also on the rise, with values approaching 4, demonstrating how tourism can serve as a catalyst for both economic growth and sectoral development.

On the other hand, countries like India, the Philippines, and Indonesia emerge in terms of the employment multiplier, where tourism generates at least two indirect jobs for every direct one.

China and Australia, despite the substantial absolute contribution of tourism to their GDP, show relatively low employment multipliers: while both countries score the maximum 7 on the GDP multiplier, they rank only 63rd and 70th respectively in employment impact. This suggests that value creation is concentrated within the directly involved tourism sector, bringing benefits that do not spread as effectively to other industries.

At the top of the global ranking is Laos, an emerging country in Southeast Asia, which scores the highest in both indicators. This clearly shows the central role that tourism plays in its national economy.

At Twissen, we have observed that countries with a high GDP multiplier but a low employment multiplier may have highly productive yet less inclusive tourism sectors. Conversely, countries with strong employment impact but lower economic return may use tourism as a tool for social inclusion but require investment to enhance service quality and value.

The challenge ahead will be to balance both dimensions: generating more value and more jobs through policies that promote innovation, sustainability, and skills development in the tourism sector.

Twissen

L'articolo Tourism and Economic Multipliers: GDP and Employment proviene da Twissen.

According to the UN estimates, about 650 million disabled people live on this planet. Considering their relatives too, it is estimated that about 2 billion people – almost one third of the global population, are directly affected by this problem regarding disability.

Moreover, many people have problems with accessibility, regardless of they are disabled or not. For example, elderly people who have reduced movement ability or have deambulation aids, have accessibility needs that can turn into serious limitations while on holiday.

According to the Tourism Unit of the European Commission, the European population is growing older. They foresee that by 2050 the number of people aged over 65 will be three times higher than in 2003, while the number of people aged over 80 will be five times higher if compared to the present level.

Travelling for these people could be a problem, as searching information on accessible services, managing the luggage in airplanes, booking an adequate room in a hotel result to be difficult and expensive activities which require more time.

These results reveal a huge potential market that remains partially unserved nowadays.

According to the European Commission’s study “Economic impact and travel patterns of accessible tourism in Europe”, published in 2014, the demand of travels in the European Union made by tourists with specific needs of access will rise to about 862 million by 2020, compared to 783 million in 2012. This will have an important impact on local economies.

At Twissen we notice a strong interest of the private and public part, even though an additional activity of information and awareness should be done to tourism stakeholders.
A further knowledge of the “accessible tourist”, a specific training in this sector, improvement of the accessible services and a proper and efficient divulgation are some of the activities that need to be done in order to catch the opportunities in this segment.

Francesco Redi

President and founder at Twissen. Manager in Local Development, Tourism Policies,  EU Funds. He cooperates with several European universities, public bodies, development agencies, DMOs and enterprises.

L'articolo Enhancing accessible tourism to improve offer for 650 million of tourists proviene da Twissen.