“Day of Accessible Tourism” at the ITB Berlin 2014

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Berlin, 7 March 2014. The German National Tourist Board (GNTB) will host the third annual “Day of Accessible Tourism” at ITB, aiming to raise awareness of the topic of accessible tourism and the economic opportunities it presents.

ITB BerlinBerlin, 7 March 2014. The German National Tourist Board (GNTB) will host the third annual “Day of Accessible Tourism” at ITB Berlin travel and tourism fair, aiming to raise awareness of the topic of accessible tourism and the economic opportunities it presents.

The GNTB is supported by its partners , the National and State Offices of Tourism for All‘ (NatKo) and Barrier-free Destinations in Germany. This year, the event focuses on the challenges of demographic change and what the development of accessible tourism offers. Speakers from national tourism organizations, as well as service providers and groups supporting accessible tourism will present information, best practice examples and current trends in their areas. There will also be several panel discussions for interested parties to attend and engage in.

“Together with our partners we have set ourselves the goal to develop and market reliable and quality-tested products along the entire travel and service chain. The objective of the GNTB is to communicate the various travel options we offer internationally, and to anchor accessibility as an important facet of the essence of Destination Germany as a brand,” explains Petra Hedorfer, CEO of the GNTB.

In Europe alone there are about 50 million people with mobility and activity limitations and almost 90 million people who are older than 65. Therefore it is important to ensure that the specific requirements of this market are linked to long-term and cooperative actions by stakeholders in business, government, research and disability organisations. This is a worthwhile investment because accessibility should not only be an issue for travellers with mobility and activity limitations – but for everyone – including tourists and residents. Thus, the level of accessibility for all should be a benchmark of quality for tourist services and be a competitive factor for destinations.

The event takes place on Friday the 7th of March 2014 between 10.30am and 4.00pm in the “New York Saal” (Hall 7.1a ) in the morning and in the ” Berlin Hall” (Hall 7.3 ) at the Exhibition Grounds in Berlin in the afternoon.