THE IMPACT OF SILVER TOURISM ON RURAL AREAS

The population of the developed world is continuously ageing. The phenomenon is predicted to represent a major challenge for the European continent, but at the same time, it also means a huge business opportunity for the economy. Experts of the European Union are already working on targeted programmes that collect and analyse the results of respective researches in order to develop alternative solutions for the 50+ age group. This new “niche” market segment had already been named “silver economy”. As the group of senior citizens affect almost all segments of the economy, marketing experts have to plan ahead to be prepared for the upcoming new consumers’ demands and preferences. Elderly people generally like to participate in tourism, thus the industry needs to keep up with their changing demands. In Hungary, there has been a significant increase in domestic rural tourism, mainly thanks to new tourism attractions and cost-effective leisure services developed with the support of EU funds. However, the sustainability of rural lifestyle requires a stabile economic background and high quality management. As of today, rural tourism is on the rise in Hungary, and will hopefully remain a success story, based on the economic benefits of the new trends of senior tourism.