How to deal with tourism constraints for seniors? Evidence from social tourism programmes

ABSTRACT The article examines how tourism constraints for seniors are addressed through social tourism programmes. The research is aimed to (1) identify and (2) classify/categorise various adjustments in social torism programmes for seniors to determine the unique combination of adjustments that characterise social tourism programmes for seniors. Building on the hierarchical leisure constraints model [Crawford, D. W., Jackson, E. L., & Godbey, G. (1991). A hierarchical model of leisure constraints. Leisure Sciences, 13(4), 309–320. doi:10.1080/01490409109513147] the analysis intersects the three groups of constraints – intrapersonal, interpersonal and structural – with three strands of uncertainty faced by seniors – travel uncertainty, financial uncertainty and mobility uncertainty and corresponding social support adjustments: personal support mechanisms and instrumental support mechanisms. The proposed model shows that travel social support is of central importance for effectively negotiating the travel constraints in social tourism for seniors.