Learning by travelling. Educational tourism as an opportunity for leisure and economic development from university programmes for the elderly.

There is a growing body of research findings on the health and social benefits of learning in later life. Studies such as Withnall's show that participation in learning spaces for older adults has positive consequences, such as self-satisfaction, intellectual and cognitive stimulation, pleasure and enjoyment (Withnall, 2002). Training programmes for the elderly, by their very nature, constitute a proposal for preventive action in favour of autonomous ageing in the cognitive, relational and physical dimensions, whose benefits go beyond the personal; some studies point, for example, to a reduction in social and health care and expenditure (e.g. Vilaplana, 2002). At the same time, these types of programmes, in addition to contributing to personal and economic development, should be conceived as spaces that generate processes of social innovation, allowing their participants to become social agents that contribute to community improvement from their environments. Lifelong learning should thus be understood as a "commitment to the construction of a society for all ages that is creative, innovative and supportive" (Lázaro, 2002).

1. The training of older people in Spain.

Training programmes for adults have a long history in Europe, mainly in the area of literacy, or in the acquisition or recycling of skills linked to a profession. However, if we focus on training aimed at older people, not aimed at literacy or professionalisation, we cannot go further back than the seventies of the 20th century. The university played a fundamental role in their appearance and development, so the main object of this work, as far as training is concerned, will be the University Programmes for Older Adults (PUM). 

In 1973, Professor Pierre Vellas, from the Université des Sciences Socialess de Toulouse, set up the Université du Troisième Âge, the first experience of a university training programme for the elderly in Europe. Two years later, the International Association of Universities of the Third Age (AIUTA) was created. At the end of the 1970s, the first "senior citizens' classrooms" were created in Spain, regulated in 1980 by the Ministry of Culture. Successively, different training programmes for the elderly organised by different universities appeared (Bru, 2012). In 1982, the AFOPA federation (Aulas de Formación Permanente para la Ancianidad) was created in Catalonia, which groups together the "university extension classrooms for the elderly", an organisational model in which the elderly themselves organise their activity from associative frameworks, under the academic tutelage of the university, understood as supervision of the training programmes. In 2001, the "National Commission of University Programmes for Older Adults" was created, which in 2004 became the "State Association of University Programmes for Older Adults" (AEPUM). In the academic year 2018-2019, AEPUM groups 46 Spanish public and private universities, with a total of more than 63,000 older students in its programmes. At European level, the trajectory of university programmes for seniors is similar, with the first experiences appearing in the mid-1970s, later consolidated through the creation of various networks and regulatory standards. 

In recent years, the PUMs have experienced enormous growth, both in terms of the number of programmes, the number of university sites and, above all, the number of students. This growth has coincided with the promotion of concepts such as healthy or successful ageing, and with the universalisation of the active ageing paradigm, promulgated by the World Health Organisation (WHO, 2002). It is worth noting that the Active Ageing paradigm was revised by the International Longevity Centre (ILC-Brazil) (Kalache, 2015), incorporating lifelong learning as a fundamental pillar of development, along with health, security and participation.

Currently, training aimed at older people is mainly grouped into three models that respond to the following formats: a first model in which training is aimed exclusively at older people; a second model in which training takes place in intergenerational contexts (older people are integrated into the classrooms where young people study), and a third model in which training proposals are formulated by older people themselves with the support of the university, developed mainly in their own municipalities. All of this under a large number of nomenclatures, access conditions, etc. This can be a disadvantage when it comes to regulating studies, planning, certification, etc., although it also allows for greater adaptability to the interests of the students. 

Currently, training aimed at older people is mainly grouped into three models: a first model in which training is aimed exclusively at older people; a second model in which training takes place in intergenerational contexts (older people are integrated into the classrooms where young people study), and a third model in which training proposals are formulated by older people themselves with the support of the university.

The challenge facing the future of the PUM is to respond to the new characteristics and needs of an age group, that of the elderly, which has been transformed by the socio-economic changes of recent decades. Students have an increasingly higher level of education, greater diversity of concerns, greater interest in participating in research activities, greater willingness to get involved in programmes, and they are demanding to participate in everything that concerns them. In the case of Spain, they have lived almost all of their adult years in a democracy, with aspects such as consumption or the enjoyment of leisure as emerging values. This challenge requires societies to implement policies, actions and programmes that respond to this new profile of older people through innovation in educational practices. 

2. Educational innovation: Leisure, training and tourism.

The PUMs, as well as being spaces aimed at training, are also spaces for leisure, in which their participants lack the pressure to acquire skills or knowledge that will lead them to the exercise of a profession. In this sense, training for older people is a response to a population that is becoming increasingly healthier and more physically independent, has more time available, and has a greater capacity for consumption (IPSOS, 2017). It is interesting to develop leisure initiatives that combine personal and social development with economic development. 

Within the framework of educational innovation, we find the recent emergence of proposals that link lifelong learning with other types of leisure initiatives, such as those related to tourism. These proposals can basically be grouped into two models: a first model in which groups already formed consider a trip as the culmination of a previous training activity (for example, having taken a course on Roman art, and ending the course with a trip to Rome); and a second in which the training is carried out in situ (the equivalent example would be to travel to Rome to study Roman art in front of its main reference works). This second model, in turn, can be aimed at groups of students already constituted (who would be hosted by an institution that offers them a training programme), or at people who sign up for the training proposal individually. It is relatively common to find experiences of the first type (travel at the end of the training activity). What is not so common is for students to develop the training in situ, within the framework of tourist leisure activities. There are, however, experiences that may pave the way for the future development of this type of activity, interesting both for their innovative nature and for the boost to economic development that they represent.

Within the framework of educational innovation, we find proposals that can basically be grouped into two models: a first model in which groups already formed consider a trip as the culmination of a previous training activity (for example, having taken a course on Roman art, and ending the course with a trip to Rome); and a second in which the training is carried out in situ (the equivalent example would be to travel to Rome to study Roman art in front of its main reference works).

An example of an in situ educational leisure activity carried out by groups already formed would be the exchanges developed by the programme for seniors of the Complutense University of Madrid (UCM). Since 1999, the UCM programme has been carrying out exchanges with students from other communities in Spain; and since 2009, with students from senior programmes in different countries, such as Colombia, Cuba, China and Brazil. In this case, it is a type of tourism-training activity in the design of which the students are fully involved. Part of the school year is dedicated to the preparation of the subsequent exchange, in which the students themselves will also act as trainers (Barrero, B. et al., 2002).

Another experience worth mentioning, in this case aimed at people who do not necessarily have to be linked to any previous programme, is the Summer Senior University, organised for 10 editions by the programme for seniors of the University of the Balearic Islands (UIB). The proposal is oriented towards cultural exchange between seniors from different European countries through a recreational and educational programme that takes place for a week in the environment of one of the university's headquarters on the different islands of the archipelago, using English as the vehicular language. 

More recent is the experience of the Etheria inter-university programme, promoted since the 2018-2019 academic year by the "Xarxa Vives d'Universitats", an institution that brings together the different Catalan-speaking universities. The Etheria programme allows people over 55 years of age to take virtual courses related to different places and works catalogued as world heritage, to visit them later and expand their training in the field. As we can see, the programme adds another innovative component to leisure training, which is the fact of incorporating online training through an inter-university virtual classroom, making the proposal more accessible to people who find it difficult to attend the places where training for the elderly is given in person.

Beyond our environment, there are long-standing initiatives such as "Road Scholar", an American platform created in 1975 and based in Boston (Massachusetts), which offers different educational tourism initiatives. According to its website, it offers more than 5,500 proposals, both in the United States and in more than 150 countries around the world, bringing together more than 100,000 participants each year.

This type of "educational tourism" experience is of great interest because of the enormous advantages it brings: it provides students with knowledge of other existing historical and cultural realities, while fostering the development of links between degree programmes, universities and countries, thus facilitating scientific, intellectual and pedagogical possibilities. Furthermore, the advantages of this type of activity go beyond the benefits obtained by participants, programmes and reference universities, acting as an economic stimulus within the framework of a sector such as tourism. 

Another advantage in addition to the previous ones would be the contribution of this type of actions to the eradication of stereotypes, both those associated with ageing (generally linked to inactivity and passivity); and those associated with citizens from other territories, thanks to their knowledge through interrelation. This type of action promotes the formation of networks that could continue to function beyond the end of the training action, favouring the relationship between people and communities, and the exchange of culture and knowledge.

The fact that the training proposal is framed within a tourism activity should not devalue the training nature of the activity itself. For these proposals to be attractive, the study programmes must be of high quality, especially if they are aimed at certification, which is why the involvement of the university is essential. 

The fact that the training proposal is framed within a tourism activity should not devalue the training nature of the activity itself. For these proposals to be attractive, the study programmes must be of high quality, even more so if they are aimed at certification, which is why the involvement of the university is essential.

What attraction can older people find in educational leisure activities?

The type of initiatives linking education and tourism we have referred to would bring them closer to cultural knowledge from their own geographical, artistic, historical and social context. It is to be expected that this would provide an added motivation both to get involved in training and to travel. In this way, the attraction of tourist leisure, based on relational and cultural aspects, etc., would complement the attraction of a training activity: acquisition of knowledge, self-realisation, improvement of self-perception and self-esteem, the possibility of obtaining a certificate, etc. (Ahn & Janke, 2011). 

There is a widespread stereotype associated with older people and tourism that places them in passive, often subsidised, and almost exclusively focused on spa activities. This is a changing reality. The interests of the "new elderly" are no longer the same, there is a revaluation of leisure culture, and a growing interest in training and culture related to personal development (Rodríguez, 2013), as well as greater purchasing power (although in times of economic crisis such as the one we have recently overcome, and the one that is looming on the horizon, they often act as breadwinners in the family nucleus, in which the children have not left or have returned). These "new seniors" do not feel the same interest in traditional tourism proposals aimed at seniors, both in terms of the type of activities programmed and the gregarious nature with which they are often proposed. Other types of formats such as the one we are presenting can respond to the interests of this emerging reality. In the 2018-2019 season, the social tourism programme organised by the Institute for the Elderly and Social Services (IMSERSO) offered 938,000 places, financing approximately 20.73% of its total cost (IMSERSO, 2019). Currently, due to the COVID-19 health emergency, the 2020-2021 edition has been cancelled. Perhaps this is the time to consider the inclusion of training objectives in its definition, so that new editions incorporate related elements, or reinforce existing ones. 

It may also be interesting for this new profile of older people who, as mentioned above, often have a greater purchasing power, a better physical and health situation, with more free time to spend after retirement, and often with a certain sensitivity towards situations of inequality, to combine leisure and training activities with development cooperation and volunteering practices. Along these lines, proposals could be considered, for example, to improve skills in the field of volunteering, combined with the carrying out of solidarity actions. The fields in which the activity could be carried out would be very diverse: environment, cultural and artistic heritage, care for groups at risk, etc. Through activities of this type, participants would not only obtain the benefits of tourism and training activities, but they would also obtain the benefits of carrying out an activity within the framework of cooperation: personal development, improved self-confidence, greater self-esteem and life satisfaction, awareness of situations of inequality, etc. Although there are more and more cases of individual experiences of older people getting involved in this type of activity, the dissemination of these experiences is not usually aimed at this age group, which is why they do not always consider the possibility of getting involved in this type of action.

Given the interests of the "new seniors", with a greater purchasing power, better physical and health situation, with more free time to spend after retirement, and often with a certain sensitivity towards situations of inequality, it would make sense to combine the educational leisure activity with development cooperation and volunteering practices. In this way, they would also obtain the benefits of carrying out an activity within the framework of cooperation: personal development, improved self-confidence, greater self-esteem and life satisfaction, awareness of situations of inequality, etc.

Some facilitators and obstacles to take into account

A facilitating factor that we would find for the implementation of educational tourism actions is that the potential recipients are, for the most part, easily accessible. There are associations and federations that bring together older people who participate in training programmes, for example, the Confederación Estatal de Asociaciones y Federaciones de Alumnos y Exalumnos de los Programas Universitarios de Mayores (CAUMAS), in Spain; or the Federación Iberoamericana de Asociaciones de Adultos Mayores (FIAPAM). Another advantage is that there are several national and international networks between lifelong learning programmes (such as the aforementioned AEPUM and AIUTA), so that links are already established in many cases. It may be interesting to explore possibilities in both national and European environments, as well as in environments such as Latin America, due to their linguistic and cultural proximity. 

One advantage to point out is that there are previous experiences that link tourism with training for the elderly, such as those mentioned above. At the same time, if we focus on other age groups, such as young people, there are plenty of examples that combine tourism and training (mainly in foreign languages), which can also provide knowledge that contributes to the design of quality proposals.

In terms of funding, as mentioned above, we are talking about an age group with an ever-increasing purchasing power. It is to be expected that part of this group will not have great difficulty in accessing this type of proposals. Even so, the intervention of public agents is essential if the universalisation of this type of practice is envisaged. Experiences such as the aforementioned IMSERSO social tourism programme are interesting for promoting this universalisation. 

With regard to funding aspects, it should be noted that the European Commission has been promoting mobility among adult learners for years, through the former European Lifelong Learning Programme Grundtvig 2007-2013 (European Commission, 2010), and since 2014 through the European Union's education, training, youth and sport programme Erasmus+. Among other possible actions, Erasmus+ allows for the establishment of partnerships between institutions from different countries in order to facilitate the participation of their students in joint training projects, targeting, among others, students from adult education institutions. It is interesting to be aware of existing support initiatives, such as the Erasmus+ programme, when considering the co-financing of proposed actions. The Erasmus+ programme comes to an end in 2020 and will be succeeded by the Erasmus 2021-2027 programme, which maintains the focus on adult education.

In terms of obstacles, one to consider may be the language barrier. The current population of older people has not always had access to language training, so this would be an element to consider, as it may condition aspects such as the selection of participants, the destination of the activity, or the type of activities to be carried out. With the aim of reducing this barrier, the Erasmus+ programme, for example, in addition to financial support for expenses related to the preparation of the activity, accommodation and travel, also offers funds for language preparation activities.

Something more subtle to detect, but no less present, is the barrier that we find in many older people related to the low expectation of self-efficacy linked to studies. We have a population of older people who in many cases had great difficulty in gaining access to formal education, especially older women. Not having had the opportunity to receive training, many older people perceive access to education as something they will not be able to do. The new generations of older people have had more opportunities to come into contact with training environments, so it is to be expected that this conditioning factor is no longer present with the same intensity. Even so, we should not forget that within the age group there is a great diversity, where the first profile is still present.

Reference has been made on several occasions in this work to the "new elderly" as a new profile of older people, with greater functional and economic autonomy, and with better health conditions. It is important to highlight that this image omits a very heterogeneous reality, in which many people coexist who could be interested in the type of proposals described, but do not meet these conditions, so that measures should be explored to guarantee access to their enjoyment.

On the other hand, following the section on obstacles, it is clear that the mobility restrictions caused by the health emergency caused by COVID-19 do not contribute at all to the implementation of new projects. Beyond the current impact, we must hope that in the short to medium term we will have opportunities similar to those that existed before the pandemic. The extent of the economic crisis resulting from the emergency situation remains to be seen, and initiatives such as those described in this paper can contribute to the recovery of a sector as badly affected as tourism.

3. Elements to explore linked to tourism and training activities for the elderly.

There are several studies that link the advantages of tourism on the health and quality of life of the elderly, with the "economics of tourism" as a discipline that supports this. Studies linking training for older people with health benefits for their participants are not as frequent, and even less so in economic terms. Although there is a consensus that training programmes for older people represent a "preventive activity in the face of dependent ageing in the mental, social, physical and psycho-pedagogical dimension" (AEPUM, 2012), the research carried out so far in this regard is very limited, which represents a field of opportunity for research.

Several studies link the advantages of tourism on the health and quality of life of the elderly, and "tourism economics" is the discipline that supports this.

Despite the scarce trajectory in our environment of educational innovation practices linking training and tourism, we currently have an increasing number of experiences. We have the opportunity to generate knowledge about the impact of this type of practice by studying them, which would allow us to contrast the theoretical argumentation with results validated by research. Thanks to their study, we could find out which elements facilitate the success of the initiatives, which aspects are worth promoting, what we should pay special attention to, learn more about the characteristics of the participating population, etc., which would allow us to be more accurate when defining proposals.

Another area which, although linked to ageing, goes beyond the field of training and tourism, in which we find possibilities for the generation of knowledge, would be the involvement of older people in the design of actions aimed at their age group. The advantages of the so-called user involvement, or involvement of future users in the design of activities, are multiple, the main one being that we will approach their interests more effectively than if we did not take them into account. At the same time, the actions will presumably be more attractive, as they will have been proposed "among equals". It should not be forgotten that the characteristics of this age group are changing, and it may no longer be so attractive for some of them to travel in a group, or to share accommodation. Nor can we apply logic derived from assimilating educational tourism aimed at older people to that of other age groups: a stimulus for the training of people of working age may be obtaining a qualification, but for older people it does not have to be. We therefore see that it is of interest to involve older people in the design of possible proposals with the aim of getting their approaches right, involving them as agents of change and social innovation. 

Another area where we find possibilities for the generation of knowledge would be the involvement of older people in the design of actions to be addressed to their age group.

4. Conclusions

Training aimed at older people brings benefits to the participating population. The fact of proposing training actions within the framework of tourism activities can be perceived as an additional attraction to each of its components, both for people who are interested in training and for those who are interested in carrying out tourism leisure activities. The development of this type of proposal can be a stimulus not only for personal and social development, but also for economic development.

The "educational tourism" actions are identified as interesting for the potential age group at which they are aimed, which has the economic capacity and the physical and health conditions to enjoy them. Although there are experiences that highlight the advantages of this type of action, there is still a long way to go, not only in terms of the growth in the number of experiences, but also in the generation of knowledge about the impacts that this type of action generates in both the personal and economic spheres.

Educational tourism" actions are identified as interesting for the potential target age group, which has the economic capacity and the physical and health conditions to enjoy them. Although there is still a long way to go in the generation of knowledge on the impacts generated by this type of action both in the personal and economic spheres.

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