"Touched by Olivia" inclusive playgrounds, Australia (prize-winner) and the "Tourism for All" programme by Tourism Flanders, Belgium (highly commended) have been invited to Hangzhou, China to receive their awards during the 2nd World Leisure Expo and Forum on 18 November 2011.
Fourteen of Spain’s most prominent tourism businesses have signed their commitment to the Global Code of Ethics for Tourism at the first International Congress on Ethics and Tourism, which was officially closed by Their Royal Highnesses Prince Felipe and Princess Letizia of Asturias (Madrid, Spain, 15-16, September).
The World Tourism Organization (UNWTO), the ONCE Foundation for Cooperation and Social Inclusion of People with Disabilities and the European Network for Accessible Tourism (ENAT) have signed a Cooperation Agreement aimed at developing ever more accessible tourism for persons with disabilities (Madrid, Spain, 16 September).
Scandic, the Sweden-based hotel group, is intensifying its successful focus on improved accessibility. This year, over 100 new disabled rooms will be added to the portfolio and 2012 there will be even more to meet the large and growing demand. More and more companies and organisations seek rooms and conference facilities that are accessible to all.
People with mobility problems will soon be able to safely and easily enter the water at the public beach of Polis Chrysochous, Cyprus. Beaches equipped for wheelchair users are growing in number all over the globe and the facilities have already been successfully implemented in Greece by the Department of Aeronautical Engineering of the University of Patras.
Showing its commitment to put into effect Article 30 of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, the Italian Ministry of Tourism has created a Manifesto promoting Accessible Tourism. ENAT is the first international NGO to support the manifesto.
The 5th European Greenways Awards for trails built along former railway lines were awarded during the official ceremony in Épinal, the Vosges, (France) during the "15th Rencontres des Départements & Régions Cyclables" de France.
Projects to improve the accessibility of the Algarve for visitors and residents with restricted mobility continue to be put in place – but the changes being made to make the region accessible for all are not being put in place fast enough according to industry experts.
Accessibility is not just about improving your welcome for customers with a range of access needs, or ticking the right boxes – it simply makes good business sense. Here are 5 tips for improving your business.
Boomers, many of whom came of age holding a protest sign, are joining forces with disability and senior groups to add muscle to the cause of increased accessibility in travel. “They don’t intend to let hip replacements and insulin shots stop them from traveling,” says Rains. “Nor will they be pandered to, stigmatized, or written off.”
In a unique partnership – the first of its kind anywhere in the UK – Capability Scotland and VisitScotland have teamed up this summer to explore disabled people’s experiences of being a tourist in Scotland.
The first international certification programme for accessible tourism destinations has been developed and carried out in Lousã, Portugal by the Belgian Accessibility Office, Toegangelijkheidsbureau (TGB). The Certification Programme is a completely new destination management tool which provides an accurate measure of the excellence of an accessible tourism destination, based on strictly defined criteria.
