ABSTRACT
This chapter focuses on a range of physical conditions and psychological issues in order to demonstrate how the visitor economy is impacted by people with these conditions and the types of awareness and management that may be needed, particularly in terms of tourism and travel medicine. In Europe, for example, there has been a general growth in neurodegenerative diseases. One important marker of this growth is the rise in dementia as a major problem of ageing that has replaced heart disease in the UK as the major cause of death among older people. We explore how leisure activity among an ageing population, particularly physical activity, assumes a greater significance in policy and practice because it may slow down the progress of neurodegenerative diseases like dementia. Furthermore, the chapter briefly reviews the impact of death. The issues and implications for managing visitor-economy businesses is explored from these perspectives.
