From the 2026-2027 season, Imserso will end its long-standing partnership with 142 local councils for booking subsidized senior travel, closing a channel that has operated since 1989. Accredited pensioners will no longer be able to reserve trips through their town halls. Instead, bookings must go through authorized travel agencies or the websites and apps of the program’s contracted operators, Turismo Social and Mundicolor.
The change was addressed in a parliamentary proposal from the Partido Popular and affects municipalities that joined the historic agreement with the Federación Española de Municipios y Provincias (FEMP). The Ministry attributes the change to compliance with Law 40/2015, which requires updates to administrative procedures. Congress admitted the proposal on June 8 and published it on June 16, 2026, but it does not alter Imserso’s official instructions.
How to Book Imserso Trips in 2026-2027
Under the new system, eligible seniors can use the digital platforms of Turismo Social and Mundicolor or visit participating travel agencies in person. Municipal offices are no longer listed as booking points. Applicants who have submitted requests must wait for their accreditation letter, which grants access to reservations but does not guarantee a specific destination. Letters were expected to go out from the second week of August 2026, with each recipient assigned a personalized booking start date, typically between September and October. Telephone reservations are not available, though the helpline 912 667 713 can help with accreditation queries and password recovery.
To access available places online, applicants need a DNI or passport and the four-digit code included in the accreditation letter. Hosteltur has reported that places returned after cancellations remain available for an average of about 30 minutes, though the time varies by destination and when a cancellation is processed. That short window makes online booking especially time-sensitive for people seeking newly released places.
Impact on Rural Areas and the Digital Divide
The municipal booking channel was originally created to help seniors facing financial or administrative barriers, including limited access to technology. Most of the 142 affected councils are in regions such as the Canary Islands, Castilla y León, and Cantabria. Government data cited by La Razón show that these local offices processed about 13,000 travel slots annually, with nearly 4,000 seniors using the municipal route in the last campaign. The loss of in-person support is especially concerning for rural communities and people struggling with digital access.
The 2026-2027 program offers 879,213 places to 4,602,255 accredited people, roughly one place for every five accredited users. Mainland coastal trips account for 440,284 places, while island coasts have 228,142. Short-break tourism gets 210,787 places. The program operates at a national scale amid large demand, and cancellations provide another, time-limited route to availability. The Partido Popular calls the change a hidden cut, a political assessment. The issue raised is the loss of face-to-face assistance, not a reduction in the program’s total announced places.
Political Response and Next Steps
The Partido Popular has called for a temporary extension of municipal bookings while the agreement is updated to meet current legal requirements. Its proposal asks for a six-month deadline to revise the structure and create a working group with the FEMP. It also urges the government to report within three months on the territorial and social consequences of the change, and to introduce specific measures for users affected by the digital divide. As a non-binding parliamentary motion, these requests do not alter Imserso’s published procedures. Any return to the municipal system would require a new official announcement or agreement.
Confirmed Dates, Places, and Prices
The application window for the 2026-2027 season ran from June 22 to July 10, 2026, with 879,213 places available. Reservations began in September, and trips run through June 2027 while places remain available. Each participant receives a letter specifying their booking date. Mainland coastal stays cost from €224.63 to €409.22. Prices for the Balearic Islands range from €224.36 to €453.37, and stays in the Canary Islands cost €224.28 to €564.72. Short breaks cost between €132.91 and €412.51. Also, 7,447 places are available at €50 for people meeting strict income criteria. This rate is not automatic and is tied to non-contributory pension thresholds. A €100 supplement applies to a second or subsequent trip.
Changes to public service procedures are not unique to Imserso. For example, Spanish drivers with vehicles registered in 2022 will face their first mandatory ITV inspection in 2026, as detailed in this recent report on new vehicle inspection rules.
As the new booking system takes effect, seniors and local officials are watching whether digital access will leave some pensioners behind and whether additional support measures will follow. The program’s scale and the large number of accredited users make practical access basic to the debate. Some cancelled places remain available only briefly.
