Senior Travellers for Heritage and Sustainability

With the launch of the Interreg project SAGE (Senior Travellers for Sustainability and Heritage) in September 2024, the herbal village of Irschen in the cross-border area between Slovenia and Austria is setting new standards in sustainable tourism. Over a period of 24 months, until August 2026, the project is dedicated to the development and implementation of customised, cross-border tourism offers specifically for senior citizens. The aim is to preserve the natural and cultural treasures of the region and at the same time strengthen its tourist appeal in the long term. Our region, rich in cultural heritage and natural beauty, faces the challenge of guiding tourism flows more sustainably and promoting regional value creation. Local services and products are to be more closely networked in order to create synergies across national borders. One focus of the project is on the growing target group of older travellers, whose needs have often not been sufficiently taken into account to date. Demographic changes, such as rising life expectancy and the increasing proportion of over 65-year-olds in the overall population, require new approaches. In a comprehensive analysis of the travel preferences of senior citizens, SAGE will identify specific requirements, such as accessibility, health needs and cultural interests, and develop innovative tourism packages on this basis.