Senior Tourism is a Solution to Improve the Health of the Elderly; Investigating the Pattern of Tourism for Senior Tourists in Khorasan Razavi

ABSTRACT
Iran will face an aging population in the near future. Elderly tourism with the aim of prevention and treatment is a new approach that has received special attention from policymakers in the structures of providing and improving the health of the elderly. This article aims to examine the pattern of elderly tourism in order to improve their health and well-being in Khorasan Razavi Province, one of the tourist areas for the elderly in Iran. The present study is applied in terms of purpose and descriptive-survey in terms of data collection method. A researcher-made questionnaire was used to collect data. Descriptive and inferential analyses were conducted in SPSS software, and in order to determine the relationship between variables, chi-square tests, bivariate regression test and eta coefficient and Mann-Whitney U test were used in this software. The statistical population of the study includes tourists within the province who are elderly over 60 years old who have traveled to the cities of Khorasan Razavi Province in 2010. The results showed; Tourism patterns are the main criterion for segmenting the elderly tourist market, and the development of domestic tourism, especially slow tourism, providing special services for the elderly in tourist locations, designing recreational and health villages with special facilities for the elderly, and planning low-cost tours specifically for the elderly through activating relevant communication networks and having the elderly join them can turn elderly tourism into a tool for improving the health of the elderly.
Extended Abstract
Introduction
Today, countries are facing the global trend of urbanization along with the aging of their populations. The aging of the population in Iran is also increasing, and experts have been warning about it for a long time. Currently, four million and 800 thousand elderly people over 60 years old live in the country, but by 1430, the number of elderly people over 60 years old will reach 30 million. Considering the positive effects of travel and tourism on providing health and the health needs and physical and mental health of the elderly, it is necessary to conduct special research. Therefore, considering the position of Khorasan Razavi Province in attracting domestic and international tourists, the dominant type of tourism in this province (pilgrimage and religious tourism), the concentration of more than 50 percent of the country's active tourism facilities in this province, as well as the age characteristics of tourists in this province. the present study will examine the pattern of travel by the elderly to Khorasan Razavi Province and provide practical suggestions for the development of elderly tourism in this province. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to investigate the pattern of elderly tourism in Khorasan Razavi Province, which is one of the tourist areas for the elderly in Iran.
 
Methodology
The present study is applied in terms of purpose and descriptive-survey in terms of data collection method. In terms of time, it is a cross-sectional study because it examines the phenomenon in question only at a specific time and will not continue (as opposed to longitudinal research) and because it was implemented at the level of Khorasan Razavi Province, it is broad-based. The required information was collected using two documentary and field methods, and the field data collection tool was a researcher-made questionnaire. The scope of the present study is Khorasan Razavi Province, and given the conditions governing tourism activities during the spread of the Corona epidemic, the statistical population of the study includes individuals and heads of households (elderly tourists) over 60 years of age who have traveled to the cities of Khorasan Razavi Province in 2010. The sample size was calculated using the Cochrane method, and a total of 500 questionnaires were completed by elderly tourists over 60 years old in the province, of which only 152 were usable in the analyses and were used. Descriptive and inferential analyses were performed in SPSS software, and chi-square tests, bivariate regression tests, eta coefficient, and Mann-Whitney U test were used to determine the relationship between variables.
The variables studied include; motivation and purpose of travel, transportation (means of travel, means of transportation at the tourist destination, method of traveling to the destination), accommodation and stay (place of stay and duration of stay at the destination), nutrition, buying souvenirs, desire to visit attractions and their evaluation of the quality of facilities available at the attractions, travel costs, how familiar they are with the tourist destination and use of electronic devices at the destination, level of interaction with the local host community, satisfaction with the travel experience, their evaluation of the hosting culture at the tourist destination, and the social tolerance capacity of tourists at the tourist attractions, which were examined and analyzed in this study.
 
Results and discussion
The results of this study indicate that the general and dominant pattern of senior tourism in Khorasan Razavi Province has unique characteristics, because the issue of pilgrimage in the city of Mashhad and the special interest of Iranians in pilgrimage as a specific competitive advantage of this region have affected the planning of destinations and senior tourism. Also, the existence of unique natural, historical, and cultural attractions in the provinces can provide the basis for designing thematic travel packages specifically for the elderly. In the present study, most of the indicators mentioned in these studies were examined, and given that Khorasan Razavi is considered a special destination for the elderly, the necessity of examining all these factors, especially issues such as the amount and pattern of expenses, as well as tourists' tastes in purchasing souvenirs, has also been considered.
 
Conclusion
The results of the present study on the segmentation of the elderly tourism market in different cities of Iran and the characteristics and patterns of tourism and travel of elderly tourists in Khorasan Razavi Province showed:

Experience, interests, and individual characteristics play an effective role in predicting the behavior and classification of the elderly, so travel planning for this group requires in-depth studies in order to manage this heterogeneous market.
The two indicators of "travel behavior pattern" and "travel interests" are the main criteria for segmenting the elderly tourist market and predicting their behavior, so it is suggested that these options be used in segmenting the elderly tourist market in Khorasan Razavi Province.
Most elderly tourists have a medium income; therefore, the development of domestic tourism, especially slow tourism, will be an efficient option for these people to boost the region's economy, prevent foreign exchange from flowing out of the country, and especially improve the health and well-being of the elderly, and reduce treatment costs throughout their lives.
In addition to providing free services to the elderly in tourist locations to carry luggage and wheelchairs, it is recommended that the construction of urban and tourist facilities make it a legal requirement to adapt the space in stores and major attractions for the elderly.
Family recreation villages for all ages, and health villages with special facilities for the elderly, should be established in the province's tourist destinations.
The production, sale and rental of caravans or mobile homes for these people, especially in natural areas, seems to be an attractive option and has the potential to invest and implement new startups.
In all retirement centers, cooperatives and various professional guilds, municipal neighborhood councils, village councils, trade associations and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) active in the field of tourism for the elderly should be established and they should plan and design low-cost tours specifically for the elderly.
The results of the study indicate that the social tolerance capacity of tourists, the culture of hosting and the use of electronic devices at the destination do not affect the "travel cost" of elderly tourists. Also, no significant relationship was found between tourists' interaction with the local community and their satisfaction with the trip and "travel expenses". The amount of travel expenses paid by the elderly is not directly related to their satisfaction with the trip. These features in the travel and tourism pattern of the elderly provide very good opportunities for designing travel packages specifically for the elderly by provincial and national policy-making institutions and agencies, as well as private tourism sector activists.

 
Funding
There is no funding support.
 
Authors’ Contribution
Authors contributed equally to the conceptualization and writing of the article. All of the authors approved thecontent of the manuscript and agreed on all aspects of the work declaration of competing interest none.
 
Conflict of Interest
Authors declared no conflict of interest.
 
Acknowledgments
We are grateful to all the scientific consultants of this paper.