Silver hair tourist - new trends in tourism and recreation

English. The aging of European societies causes completely new social, economic and demographic problems. The increasing number of people of retirement age poses silver economy challenges for almost all EU countries. One of the issues that is becoming more and more important in view of the current demographic situation is the development of the surplus of free time of older people. The growing requirements are also important as to attractiveness and diversity, as well as the degree of professionalism of offers for seniors and their growing awareness in this regard. The answer to this trend is the silver hair tourist concept, which assumes targeting of profiled services for people aged 50+. Silver tourist is a segment with a distinct diversity of needs, and people in this age group are demanding a variety of products and services. Zsarnoczky writes (2016, p. 556) "As a result of the growing demand, senior tourists are foreseen to become a powerful consumer group in the near future". Especially in Europe, where silver tourism will develop most dynamically. The objective of the presented article is to indicate that the silver tourist assumptions are currently extremely important from the point of view of the issue of ageing Polish population. To this end, the needs of people from the oldest age groups as to the ways of spending free time will be diagnosed. In addition, it is important to point out that a good recognition and understanding of the needs of seniors is very important for people involved in the creation of tourist offers. It is also crucial for the elderly that their requirements help to co-create the tourist offer.

English. aging, silver economy, silver tourist, free time, old people

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