TOURage Good Practice for Senior tourism
ACTIVE AND NATURE
Good Practice
1 Title of the practice
Warmia Mazury Senior Games
2 Location (country, region/municipality)
Poland, Warmia-Mazury
3 Contact information
Marshal’s Office of Warmia and Mazury in Olsztyn
Department of Sport - [email protected]
Department of Promotion Coordination - [email protected]
4 Other interesting information (website, documents with www link: reports, presentations,
events etc.)
http://www.seniorgames.pl/index.php/pl/
5 Details of the practice
5.1 Origin (organization etc.)
Initiated and organised by the Provincial Government of Warmia-Mazury in cooperation with
municipal governments of Olsztyn, Iława, Lidzbark Warmiński, Orneta and Academic Sports
Association of the University of Warmia and Mazury in Olsztyn. The first edition of WarmiaMazury Senior Games was organized in 2012 in response to the initiative of the European
Parliament and of the Council of the European Union on the establishment of the 2012 European
Year for Active Ageing and Solidarity between Generations. The idea was inspired by a similar
event held in the Netherlands in 2009. The Games are also in line with the provisions of the
Warmia-Mazury Regional Programme for Seniors 2009-2013.
5.2 Timescale (implementation period, continuous + starting time)
A biennial event held since 2012. Next edition scheduled for 2014.
5.3 Financing (budget, sources)
The project is financed by the lead partner – Provincial Government of Warmia-Mazury and
partners – municipal governments of towns and cities participating in the project. The project is
also supported financially by the Ministry of Sport and Tourism, sponsors and participants
through participation fees.
5.4 Legal Framework (if applicable)
n/a
5.5 Bodies involved in implementation, partners
The second edition of the Warmia Mazury Senior Games 2014 will be implemented by a
partnership consisting of:
- Provincial Government of Warmia-Mazury
- local governments of Olsztyn, Iława, Lidzbark Warmiński, Nidzica, Ostróda, Orneta and Pasłęk
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TOURage Good Practice for Senior tourism
ACTIVE AND NATURE
5.6 Target groups, beneficiaries
The project targets directly all active people aged 45 and more (40+ in case of team based
disciplines) from Poland and abroad who will take part in the Games. The project will also engage
tourists coming to Warmia-Mazury who will be able to attend particular sports events and other
accompanying events, and local communities in the cities and town coorganising the event. In
2012 the project directly engaged 1025 participants aged between 40 and 82 from many
countries.
6 Precise theme/issues tackled by the practice (problems/challenges/why this project?)
The first edition of Warmia-Mazury Senior Games was organized in response to the initiative of
the European Parliament and of the Council of the European Union on the establishment of the
2012 European Year for Active Ageing and Solidarity between Generations. The inspiration for the
organization of the event came from contacts established with the organisers of the first
European initiative of the Senior Games, held in 2009 in the Netherlands. Course of actions for
seniors of Warmia and Mazury is defined in the program, which was adopted for the period 20092013 entitled „Cheerful and safe autumn of life in the Warmia and Mazury region.
The main theme of the project is to promote sports and active and healthy lifestyle among people
aged 45 and more with a particular focus on senior groups thereby actively engaging these groups
in social activities by promoting social inclusion, openness, tolerance and respect for all nations,
cultures, religion, ages and lifestyle. The Games will be accompanied by a series of cultural and
educational activities emphasizing the importance and role of sport activity among people over 45
years, including an educational conference inaugurating the project scheduled for June 2014.
Other activities will include the organization of a regional recreational event for seniors
("Seniorada") and other accompanying events, integrating people 45 years old and more.
The project will also contribute to the promotion of the region of Warmia Mazury as a desirable
tourist destination for senior tourists and their families and will build upon the previous campaign
entitled “Masuria the Wonder of Nature” which emphasized the natural richness of the region
and a perfect place for all those looking for peace and tranquility in natural surroundings.
7 Objectives of the practice
Social objectives:
- promotion of sports among people aged 45 +
- promoting healthy lifestyle
- promotion of social activity, openness, tolerance and respect for all nations, cultures and
religions, ages and lifestyles
- maintaining international dialogue (Cooperation with foreign and international organizations
and institutions);
Promotional objectives:
- promotion of the project, region of Warmia and Mazury and Poland as the area of sustainable
development and as interesting and desirable tourism and business investment location
- creative continuation of the campaign „Masuria the Wonder of Nature”
- promotion of the cities co-organising the event
- creating and marketing a new brand of Warmia and Mazury - Warmia-Mazury Senior Games
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TOURage Good Practice for Senior tourism
ACTIVE AND NATURE
8 Connection to developing ageing tourism
The project is directly connected to the idea of senior tourism as it promotes sports and active
and healthy lifestyle among people aged 45 and more with a particular focus on senior groups,
and due to the fact that is promotes the region of Warmia Mazury as a favourable tourist
destination for all age groups, including seniors.
9 Evaluation (demonstrated results: indicators, success factors, difficulties, lessons learned)
The first edition of the Warmia Mazury Senior Games held in 2012 was well received both in
Poland and abroad. The competition received an official honorary patronage from the President
of Poland and was supported by the Polish Ministry of Sport and Tourism as an event creating
intergenerational dialogue and promoting social inclusion of senior communities in Poland and
abroad. The Games gathered 1025 participants aged between 40 and 82 from many countries
including Estonia, the Netherlands, Russia, Germany, Lithuania, Belgium, Canada, Sweden, Great
Britain, USA, Ukraine, Denmark and Spain.
Based on the success of the first edition of the Games the project will be continued in 2014 with a
broader list of partners implementing it.
10 Transferability of the practices (to other country, region, municipality: is it transferable?
already transferred? possible constrains and possible success factors to be taken into account?)
The practice is easily transferable to other regions. The framework of the Senior Games has
become well known since its inception in 2009 and can be easily adopted to the needs of
organisers. Similar events can be organised in other countries both on national and regional/local
levels. The organisers are very open to cooperation on the project and are eager to involve
representatives of senior communities from other countries. The Warmia Mazury Senior Games
project could potentially be developed into a larger international project involving other partners
interested in developing similar events in the future.
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