Znojmo - It pays to be a pensioner in Znojmo. The local town hall has decided to contribute in part to seniors' costs of a holiday at sea. The town hall has earmarked CZK 1 million from this year's budget for these recreations.
"We want to pay one half of a holiday at sea to each pensioner interested," Znojmo Mayor Petr Nezveda (ODS) describes the intention.
He expects the price of the tour to be approximately CZK 10,000. Tours to the Dominican Republic or the Maldives with plane transfer will not be covered.
The Town Hall chooses the travel agency
"We are going to call a tender for the travel agency. It should offer senior tours, probably to Croatia," he says specifying the town hall's idea.
For CZK 10,000, the pensioners should get transport, insurance, accommodation, full pension, guides and trips. Buses should set out to sea in May and June when prices are lower.
If CZK 5,000 will be paid to each pensioner, the town hall will satisfy 200 applicants. A total of 7,000 people over 60 live in Znojmo.
The Mayor doesn't know whether they will have to decline hundreds of those interested or whether the million will be used up at all.
"Other things are needed more"
Olga Kopecká of Život 90 (Life 90), NGO assisting old people, is surprised by the broad-mindedness. She finds it hard to get finances for much simpler things.
"I have never heard of something like this before. I am sorry, but the first thing that comes to my mind is that somebody from the town hall owns a travel agency," Olga Kopecká of Život 90 says.
"As far as we know, pensioners need services of three kinds. Attendance services for the lonely, consultations and free time activities in the form of courses or clubs," Kopecká thinks.
Cities should contribute to these services in the first place. "Only then should they think of recreation. This really isn't really what seniors need most," she adds.
Seeing the sea for the first time
However, Znojmo Mayor Nezveda thinks the pensioners deserve a holiday at sea.
"The quality of each society is proved by the way it takes care of its seniors. Some old people have never seen the sea and we want to enable this to them," Nezveda says.
The town hall does not fear indictments of populism and buying votes. "Everything can be marked as populism. This doesn't bother us," he claims.
Znojmo town hall is probably the only one in the country to send its pensioners to the sea.
"I do not know about any other Czech town. We were inspired by our partner city Bratislava Ruzinov that has been doing this for six years already," the Mayor says.
Pensioners important clients
According to the Association of Czech Travel Agencies, pensioners and the handicapped are becoming a very important client group.
Czech society's demographic changes are behind this.
Some health insurance companies provide pensioner discounts for holidays at sea. Also some travel agencies' catalogues describe some tours or destinations as "suitable for pensioners".
Seniors go to the sea mostly in May and June when tours are cheaper and it's not too hot. Croatia is the most popular destination.
