Sunset Lives

This book is the first to analyze the phenomenon of international retirement migration, to trace the story of the migrants from their old to their new homes, and to examine the conceptual and policy contexts of this relatively new form of transnational mobility. The Costa del Sol, the Algarve, Tuscany and Malta attract increasing numbers of retirees each year, especially British and other Northern European citizens. This study provides new insights into the motivations of the mainly well-off and well-educated retirees who settle in Southern Europe and how they manage the transition. It demonstrates the roles of international tourism and of living abroad earlier in life in the formation of the ambition to retire abroad, and it describes the dominantly positive consequences of the moves. The challenges of providing health and welfare services for the ageing population are also explored. The book develops fascinating perspectives on new constructions of old age as a period for personal development and positive changes, and on the ways by which Northern European retirees resident in the South are forming a new pan-national European identity. This book will have wide appeal to a range of readerships and its cross-disciplinary nature will make it relevant for courses on sociology, anthropology, cultural studies, tourism and leisure studies, migration studies, gerontology, social and health policy and area studies.