SANTA CRUZ DE TENERIFE, 20 Feb. (EUROPA PRESS) –
The social tourism program launched by the Instituto de Atención Social y Sociosanitaria (IASS), an autonomous body of the Cabildo de Tenerife, has come to an end after offering 365 elderly people on the island with limited resources the opportunity to enjoy a few days on vacation in hotel accommodation in Puerto de la Cruz and Adeje.
The beneficiaries, who come from 17 different municipalities, have been selected by the different town halls and have had access to cultural, leisure and entertainment activities, as well as four nights with full board, which have allowed them to visit some enclaves of the island.
The third vice president and councilor for Social Action of the Cabildo de Tenerife, Marián Franquet, considered this program “a success”, since “it has allowed this group to return to normality after the pandemic, since it has been one of the groups that has received the most It has been difficult for them to take this step, while at the same time promoting active ageing, which is key to the quality of life of these people”.
He also explained that this experience is an example that social care and economic development can go hand in hand. “We have met two clear objectives: the access of groups with special risk of exclusion to leisure and cultural activities from an inclusive perspective and support for the reactivation of the tourism and hotel sector of our Island after the crisis situation,” he said.
“There are some and some participants in the program who have never been able to afford a few days of disconnection in an environment other than their place of residence, so this experience represents another step towards the well-being of the elderly,” he added.
In addition, the counselor advanced that the Island Corporation already has the next edition of this program in mind: “We are already thinking about the social tourism program for this 2023 and we have an advantage; we know what older people want, since we have listened to their suggestions and contributions, which allows us to adapt this activity to your preferences and needs”.
The programme, which has received funding of 259,200 euros, provided entirely by the Cabildo, started in November and came to an end on January 28, with the return of the last beneficiary group. Its objective has also been to encourage meetings between the elderly from different parts of the Island, generating links and promoting the integration of these people into Tenerife society.
