Unraveling Causes and Consequences of International Retirement Migration to Coastal and Rural Areas in Mediterranean Europe

Abstract

In a context of aging, low fertility, and progressive slowdown of both internal population mobility and international migration at working age, residential mobility at older ages was regarded as an emerging phenomenon in Mediterranean Europe, a region with increasingly attractive retirement places. The present work discusses the socioeconomic processes (and the environmental impacts) associated with an increasing flow of retirees, which decide to settle from ‘Northern’ countries to Southern Europe, concentrating in coastal districts and in rural countryside. Understanding lifestyle preferences and territorial patterns of residential mobility at older ages allows a refined analysis of short- and medium-term impacts of International Retirement Migration (IRM) on population dynamics in economically growing and declining regions. A refined analysis reveals that destinations of IRM are progressively enlarging from strictly coastal places to a broader set of locations in the rural countryside. Mobility choices among retirees may jeopardize the role of spatial planning, which is increasingly asked to provide specific services for an international, elder population, e.g., stimulating re-use of abandoned rural buildings. Taken as an effective option for rural development, an improved planning and management of local districts attracting and hosting intense flows of residential mobility at older ages is urgent in the present socioeconomic context. A convenient set of policies and a refined taxation system may contribute to reconcile demographic shrinkage with local competitiveness and social cohesion.

A Diversity of Migration and Land Couplings: An Introduction to the Special Issue “Migration and Land”

“…Egidi and colleagues [10] examine the phenomenon of international retirement migration from northern to southern Europe and its consequences for local rural communities through a comprehensive literature review. Retirees from northern European countries are increasingly attracted to locales in the Mediterranean for the climate and lower cost of living, among other reasons.…”

“…Two articles in the collection present case studies from Europe. Zimmerer and colleagues [9] focus on the transformation of agrifood land systems in Spain, while Egidi and colleagues [10] cover various locations in the Mediterranean, where migrants are retired people escaping from the cool northern climates. Two final articles focus on China and analyze land dynamics associated with internal migration flows.…”

Smart ‘Tourist Cities’ Revisited: Culture-Led Urban Sustainability and the Global Real Estate Market

“…Indeed, during the last decades, inner cities around the world have been involved in multifaceted initiatives to improve urban infrastructure and services, with the target of a healthier and more resilient environment [4]. These initiatives were also aimed at reaching social and economic prosperity [5], improving local competitiveness [6], and making cities more appealing [7], with a view to benefiting from tourism [8]. However, it is the smart city concept that outlines how cities might attain such long-term development objectives; therefore, the smart city notion is earning popularity amongst governments and local/regional authorities [9].…”

Altering consumer practices, facing uncertainties, and seeking stability: Canadian news media framings of international retirement migrants during the COVID‐19 pandemic

“…Global pandemics and their management can create disruptions in the lives of many, and especially those for whom travel across international borders is necessary (Grépin et al 2021). It is thus not surprising that the transnational practice of international retirement migration, both by Canadians and others, was unsettled in response (Egidi et al 2020;Zoğal et al 2020;Crooks and Snyder 2021). We specifically present the findings of a framing analysis that explores how Canadian international retirement migrants and their responses to the unfolding pandemic were framed in print media coverage in 2020.…”