As Taiwan officially enters a super-aged society, responding to the growing demand among active seniors for a higher quality of life and more meaningful travel experiences has become an increasingly critical issue. On January 21, National Chung Cheng University (CCU), through its Center for General Education and the Laboratory for Talent, Entrepreneurship, and Aging Society Studies (Lab TEAS), launched a France travel program specifically tailored for active seniors.

The program was developed under CCU’s guidance in collaboration with the youth startup Cheng Sheng International Co., Ltd. as part of the “Active Senior Travel Program Design Guidance and Marketing Promotion Project.” The launch event marked the public debut of a travel solution designed to meet the specific needs and expectations of the active senior population.

Held under the theme “Give Life a Taste of French Living,” the event presented the program’s design concept, itinerary highlights, and elements of French lifestyle aesthetics. The launch also demonstrated CCU’s concrete achievements in talent development for an aging society and its ongoing commitment to university–industry collaboration. Lab TEAS, supported by sustained funding from the Higher Education SPROUT Project, has built stable professional capacity that enables the laboratory to provide hands-on guidance to youth startup teams.

Professor Ya-Hui Lee, Dean of Center for General Education at CCU, noted that travel programs for active seniors differ fundamentally from conventional travel design. Such programs must take into account seniors’ physical conditions, psychological needs, and social interaction patterns, while also ensuring safety, a comfortable pace, and culturally enriching experiences. She emphasized that CCU provided systematic guidance from an active aging perspective, establishing a practical travel design framework that can serve as a reference model for the tourism industry.

Ms. Ru-Yun Kang, General Manager of Cheng Sheng International Co., Ltd., highlighted that a key feature of the program is that all staff members involved have completed professional training in active senior service competencies designed by CCU. The training covers understanding the characteristics of active senior, communication and interaction with older adults, activity design, and service response skills. This approach ensures that the journey is not merely international travel, but a safe, reassuring, and enjoyable lifestyle experience.

To further immerse participants in the spirit of French living, the launch event featured tastings of French cuisine, desserts, and cheeses, allowing attendees to experience French lifestyle aesthetics through their senses. This arrangement echoed the program’s core concept of “an elegant approach to slow travel.”

The event attracted representatives from government, industry, and academia, reflecting strong cross-sector interest in the active senior travel market. Attendees included Mr. Feng-Ming Cheng, Deputy Director of the Construction Department of Yunlin County Government; Mr. Chin-Liang Huang, Chairman of Taiwan Sugar Health Co., Ltd.; as well as professionals from the hospitality, food processing, and logistics sectors. Lively exchanges throughout the event underscored the industry’s growing attention to the development potential of active senior tourism.

CCU stated that it will continue to leverage Lab TEAS to deepen research and industry collaboration related to aging issues. Through these efforts, the university aims to support industries in addressing the needs of an aging society while promoting innovative solutions that combine social value with sustainable industrial development.