Oaxaca Launches 'Raíces Viajeras' Free Travel Program for Seniors

The Oaxaca state government has introduced the "Raíces Viajeras: Programa de Turismo Social para el Bienestar de Personas Adultas Mayores (Xcú riza’)" to provide free trips for senior citizens. Coordinated by the Secretaría de Turismo and the Sistema para el Desarrollo Integral de la Familia (DIF) Oaxaca, the first phase will take more than 1,000 older adults from 15 municipalities in the Valles Centrales region to the coastal town of Puerto Escondido. The initiative includes 21 round‑trip journeys with transportation, travel insurance, full meals, medical care and accompaniment. Deputy Monica Belén López Javier highlighted the program as a social‑justice measure, noting that it is the first policy of its kind in Oaxaca and most of Mexico aimed at guaranteeing the right to rest and recreation for the elderly.