ENAT Joins European Disability Forum's "Freedom of Movement Campaign"
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EDF’s Freedom of Movement campaign is a much-needed initiative to raise awareness of the huge gap between the expectations of people with disabilities to travel freely and the actual situation in Europe, here in 2011. ENAT is pleased to give its support to EDF’s demands for equal access to goods and services and the recognition of disability entitlements across national boundaries.
EDF’s Freedom of Movement campaign is a much-needed initiative to raise awareness of the huge gap between the expectations of people with disabilities to travel freely and the actual situation in Europe, here in 2011.
The gap is of course not one but many gaps: in information, transport, facilities and services.
ENAT is pleased to give its support to EDF’s demands for equal access to goods and services and the recognition of disability entitlements across national boundaries.
ENAT was formed specifically to promote the culture of accessibility and inclusion for all and to spread good practices in the European tourism sector. Our members are companies, destinations and organisations that recognise persons with disabilities as an integral part of the tourism and travel market, whose needs should be catered for, just as for any and every customer.
By joining EDF’s Freedom of Movement campaign we are saying to all tourist destinations and businesses:
Make yourselves accessible to disabled visitors and they will come!
Making tourist offers accessible and inclusive has a double benefit. It opens up tourism to the participation of more social groups, both within Europe and from overseas – persons with disabilities, seniors, families with small children and others; and - at the same time - it encourages economic and social sustainability in the European tourism industry.
Accessible tourism offers concrete opportunities for businesses to increase their revenues and strengthen their global attractiveness and competitiveness.
Accessibility, Inclusion and Freedom of Movement must therefore be key building blocks in European, National and Regional policies for tourism.
Freedom of Movement is an essential part of European citizenship, yet it is not available to all. What better way is there to experience our shared heritage than by visiting other regions and countries as a tourist – for leisure, business or education?
Let us work together through this campaign to ensure that every destination and every venue in Europe will welcome tourists with disabilities as equal and valued visitors.
Ivor Ambrose, Managing Director, ENAT
Download the EDF Freedom of Movement Toolkit in PDF format from the right-hand panel.
New: 14.10.2011 Download the ENAT campaign article: Let's Make Europe a Tourism Destination for All!
Update: 2.3.2012 The Freedom Guide is published as an e-Book and as a downloadable PDF document. (Downloading requires registration and login). Read Freedom Guide on-screen
Visit the Freedom of Movement Campaign website