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The ageing of the world's population is a contemporary reality and will continue to be so in the near future, with a much sharper ageing pattern than in the past. The ageing of the world's population is associated with increasingly recognised future trends, and it is crucial to design actions and strategies that promote healthy ageing, a fundamental objective of all global policies and organisations, from the WHO to the UN, including the 2030 Agenda. Various studies show that tourism experiences lead to positive psychological and physical states, improving well-being, happiness, quality of life and overall life satisfaction. The aim of this research is to determine whether the elderly live alone by personal decision (voluntary) or whether the situation is imposed (compulsory). This research focused on the distinction between sociodemographic variables and the dimensions of loneliness. The study was carried out through a questionnaire targeted at Spanish people over the age of 55, using mostly personal surveys. A stratified sampling process based on gender and age proportions was followed. At the end of the process, 439 valid questionnaires were returned. The results were consistent with the relationship between living alone and the tendency to feel lonely, but with certain variations since the relationship was not always present. The risk of loneliness increases in widows/widowers since sharing a life with a spouse reduces the likelihood of emotional loneliness. Regarding the profiles obtained, a distinction is made between the results for those who live alone and feel lonely (the objective and subjective dimensions of loneliness) and for those who only feel lonely (the subjective dimension). Thus, looking only at the elderly who live alone, gender and professional status are common elements, but there are differences in terms of education, income and age. There is a direct relationship between loneliness and being a woman and being retired, i.e., no longer working. Considering the dimensions of loneliness, living alone is not synonymous with feeling lonely, but living alone increases the likelihood of feeling lonely more often, although this is not always the case. The largest group who feels lonely lives alone, but some who do no live alone feel lonely too. It is important not to treat older people and their perceptions of loneliness homogeneously if the ultimate purpose is to improve their quality of life and well-being. Research has shown that activities related to tourism have a significant impact on the wellness, quality of life and overall life satisfaction of older tourists, being recognised as a social solution to alleviate loneliness, rebuild social relationships, enhance individual well-being, and foster a positive image of ageing.
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Elgar