Other Emigrants: Tourism of Retired People as a Challenge in Mexico and Spain

Resumen

In the present paper we offer a review of the literature on the tourism of retired people in the cases of Spain and Mexico. The main tendencies found are pointed out, establishing similarities and differences between the permanent and semi-permanent emigrant tourist population in the two countries. Besides pointing out these similarities, we focus on the links between the phenomenon of the boom of free-time in more advanced societies, and in the better life style and longevity following retirement, and the emergence of accessible tourism (tourism for everyone). In both cases, the reasons for traveling are similar: for health reasons and climatic conditions, economic reasons and the possibility of maintaining trans-national links. In the case of the United States, over the past years the loss of spending power has made for longer stays in Mexico (due to its being cheaper than the traditional destinations of retired people in California and Florida). The difficulties of integration and the high rates of segregation and dissimilarity are common in both cases. This becomes a fundament challenge for social work, the face of the integration of retired people in the communities where they have chosen to retire.