Events | ENAT

4th Workshop "Pre-BITS World Congress": Accessible Tourism

Ivor Ambrose — Tue, 24 Aug 2010 12:01:00 GMT

Ferrara, Italy. 1 September 2010. As a forerunner to the BITS World Congress, this workshop on Accessible Tourism is being organised by Emilia-Romagna Region, APT Services and Bureau International du Tourisme Sociale, in collaboration with the Association Village for All.

Ferrara, Italy. 1 September 2010. As a forerunner to the BITS World Congress, this workshop on Accessible Tourism is being organised by Emilia-Romagna Region, APT Services and Bureau International du Tourisme Sociale, in collaboration with the Association Village for All.

The Workshop will present and discuss international and Italian projects and best practices in accessible tourism.

ENAT's Managing Director, Ivor Ambrose, will speak about proposals for supporting the European "Calypso" social tourism initiative.

The Workshop conclusions will be presented by BITS President, Norberto Tonini.

Venue

SALA ROSSA
QUARTIERE FIERISTICO DI FERRARA
Via della Fiera, 11

from 09:30 to 13:15.

A buffet lunch will be served after the Workshop.

Download the following documents in PDF format from the right-hand panel.

Background document on accessible tourism, supplied by AICCON Research. (Italiano)
ENAT slide presentation by Ivor Ambrose (English and Italian versions)
Final Workshop Programme (Italiano)

Further Details:
From the web site of Village for All

BITS is an Honorary Associate Member of ENAT

Redesigning Tourism. Conference on Market Potential for Small and Medium-sized Enterprises

Ivor Ambrose — Thu, 19 Aug 2010 09:27:00 GMT

Berlin, 15 September 2010. The third German conference of the "Design-for-All" series addresses how this approach can help tourism and travel businesses improve the visitor experience and thereby enhance market share and business profitability.

The conference is organised jointly by the Rationalisierung- und Innovationszentrum der Deutschen Wirtschaft e.V. (RKW), the Europäische Institut Design für Alle in Deutschland e.V. (EDAD) and the Deutsche Seminar für Tourismus Berlin (DSFT).

Location

The Federal Ministry of Economics and Technology,
Invalidenstr. 48, 10115 Berlin, Germany.

During the German speaking event, you will be given a survey about the economic importance and success factors of Design for All in tourism.
Practical examples from tourism agencies and companies will visualize how this innovative strategy is put into practice.

What kind of services and products are needed to complete the tourism service chain in order to create a holistic concept?
What measures can create a convenient atmosphere?
What do travel themes and travel destinations, following the DfA concept, look like?
What are successful marketing strategies? What role does cooperation play?

Discuss with companies, representatives of economic and social associations, politicians and scientists, about how your offers can be designed
future-proof.

Further information at: www.rkw.de/dfa.

Download the Programme and Registration Form from the right-hand panel in PDF format.

Invitation to the World Congress of Social Tourism

Ivor Ambrose — Tue, 06 Jul 2010 12:49:00 GMT

19 to 23 September, Rimini, Italy. World Congress of Social Tourism Tourism: a time for social policies.

I’m very pleased to invite you to participate in the next World Congress of Social Tourism to be held in Rimini from the 19th to the 23rd of September 2010.

Ten years after our last Congress in Italy, we will once again meet in the heart of one of Europe’s most popular tourist destinations.

The theme of the Congress, “Tourism: a time for social policies”, perfectly reflects the importance we attach to the connection between social policies and tourism. The topic will be addressed from different perspectives in order to allow us to present a series of proposals useful for players committed to tourism for all.

The Congress will indeed be an event you will not want to miss out on. Plenary sessions, panels, round tables and animated workshops with international experts and field workers will allow the delegates to participate in debates and to exchange experiences.

The Congress will also mark an important step in the institutional life of BITS: proposals for important statutory modifications and for a name change for the organization will be submitted for members’ consideration during the General Assembly.

The regional sections – the Americas, Europe, and Africa – and the thematic sections, such as the Network of Local and Regional Authorities and the Platform for Training and Research, as well as the Task Force of Trade Unions, will meet on this occasion.

The event will be organized in Rimini’s brand new Congress Centre, coordinated by our friends of the Emilia-Romagna Region and the Republic of San Marino. It is our hope that the period we selected for the meeting and the various excursions proposed by the organizers will give you the possibility to mix business with pleasure and to fully enjoy the atmosphere of the Riviera di Rimini.

Looking forward to seeing you in Rimini,

Yours sincerely,

Norberto Tonini
BITS President

For further Information and Registration please visit the Congress Website

BITS is an Honorary Associate Member of ENAT

Easy Access. International seminar for accessible tourism, Finland

Ivor Ambrose — Mon, 05 Jul 2010 15:51:00 GMT

15 to 16 September, Hyvärilä, Nurmes, Finland. The theme of this two-day international seminar is the marketing of accessible tourism and its development.

15 to 16 September, Hyvärilä, Nurmes, Finland.

The theme of the two-day international seminar is the marketing of accessible tourism and its development. In the seminar the problems of yielding and transmitting information from tourism businesses to consumers are discussed. The
use of classifications and standards as a solution to these challenges will also be discussed.

The lecturers include:

Lilian Müller, the president of the European Network for Accessible Tourism
Ulla Kramer, secretary-general of the Danish organisation Foreningen, Tilgængelighed for Alle
Markku Sivonen, the leader of the Eläkeliitto North Karelian district
Erkki Tuovinen, senior planning officer of Metsähallitus
Danny Silva, project manager of the ELMA project

The results from the customer survey completed in summer 2010 in the Well-being Through Travelling project are also presented in the seminar.

Preliminary programme:

Wednesday 15.9. seminar:
ca. 9.00–11.30 opening address, lectures
ca. 11.30–12.30 lunch
ca. 12.30–14.30 business exhibition: exhibitioner’s addresses
ca. 14.30 coffee break
ca. 15–17 lectures, closing address

Interpretation services are available in the seminar.

Business exhibition:
- on display accessible tourism, aid and equipment businesses

Evening programme 15.9.:
The seminar day closes with an evening programme, including buffet-style evening snack, live music, leisure time in the atmospheric Riihikota and going to the lakeside sauna. There is a preliminary enrolment for the evening programme.

Thursday 16.9. excursion:
- We take a tour of North Karelian resorts which have invested in accessible tourism services. The bus leaves from Hyvärilä ca. 9.00 and returns to Hyvärilä ca. 16.00. The tour takes us to Nurmes region, to see the Lieksan Matkakaverit resort in Ruunaa, Lieksa and the gorgeous Neitikoski rapids and to the Erä-Eero wild animal observation hut in the Lieksa wilderness.

Park Superintendent Kyösti Tuhkalainen will accompany us in Ruunaa and show us the accessible solutions of Metsähallitus. Up to 50 people can participate in the tour and the places are filled according to preliminary enrolments. The tour includes lunch and a coffee break. The detailed programme will be published later.

Accommodation
Hyvärilä Holiday Centre offers a wide range of possibilities for accommodation.

Enquires about accommodation from Hyvärilä: www.hyvarila.com, Tel. +358207466780 or +358207466781.

Enrolment
Please enrol at the latest by 31th August 2010 either by e-mail:

riitta.ikonen@pkamk.fi or telephone: +358509177201/Riitta Ikonen

Between 29th June to 1st August Anne Leppänen and Jaana Ahlholm respond to enquiries:
Tel. +358503625112 or e-mail anne.leppanen@edu.pkamk.fi

Please let us know of any special need (signer or other special assistance) and special diets.

Organisers
Well-being Through Travelling – the project for developing accessible tourism.
North Karelia University of Polytechnics
Centre for Design and International Business/ISAK

Well-being Through Travelling – project’s netsite: www.pkamk.fi/esteetonmatkailu

Project Manager Kaisa Mantsinen Tel. +358505632181, kaisa.mantsinen@pkamk.fi

The organiser reserves the right to make changes in the programme.

WELCOME!

26/8/2010 New version of Programme - download the PDF file.

One-Day Conference in Norway on Universal Design

Ivor Ambrose — Mon, 05 Jul 2010 12:53:00 GMT

30 August, Kristiansand. A meeting for those who are interested in learning more about new requirements, good examples, possibilities and challenges, organised by the Municipality of Kristiansand and partners. The event is in the Norwegian language.

Photo: Water Path, Norway

30 August, Kristiansand. A meeting for those who are interested in learning more about new requirements, good examples, possibilities and challenges, organised by the Municipality of Kristiansand in cooperation with the Ministry of Environmental Protection, Vest-Agder Regional Municipality, Aust-Agder Regional Municipality and KS Agder.

The conference builds upon the experience of developing accessible solutions in Kristiansand and other places in Southern Norway.

Speakers will address issues including transport, access to nature, adaptations suitable for cultural heritage buildings and tourism.

The conference language is Norwegian.

For further information and registration, please visit the website of
Kommunesektorens interesse- og arbeidsgiverorganisasjon

First Ever Access Tourism Conference in Auckland, New Zealand

Ivor Ambrose — Wed, 23 Jun 2010 06:40:22 GMT

4 October 2010, Auckland, New Zealand. The first ever conference in New Zealand on Access Tourism is announced! It will be run by the New Zealand Tourism Research Institute at Auckland University of Technology.

Photo: Hohunu, New Zealand.

4 October 2010, Auckland, New Zealand is the date and venue for the first ever conference in New Zealand on Access Tourism.

The conference will look at various aspects of Access Tourism, including some of the following: the current situation in NZ and worldwide, website access and information best practice, government strategy, policy, and obligations, best practice in transport , accommodation, and attractions access, training for access in the tourism and hospitality sector, legal aspects, and quality rating for Access Tourism products in New Zealand.

It will also include brainstorming sessions on strategies for advancing the development of Access Tourism in New Zealand and developing collaboration as a tool to advance that development.

These topics are based on those most popularly picked from a list of possible topics in an online survey.

The conference is being run by the New Zealand Tourism Research Institute at Auckland University of Technology, and will be a no frills sustainable event.

For more information, contact sandrarhodda at hotmail.com.

Follow accessible tourism developments in New Zealand at http://www.accesstourismnz.org.nz/

Access Tourism NZ is an ENAT Member

Conference on the Calypso Social Tourism Study: Recommendations/Conclusions

Ivor Ambrose — Sat, 22 May 2010 08:34:00 GMT

10-11 June, Palma de Mallorca. This conference will present main findings of the the Calypso study, its recommendations and conclusions, besides discussing the way forward concerning forthcoming initiatives relating to Calypso.

The main objectives of the the Calypso initiative are: Enhancing employment, extending the seasonality spread, strengthening European citizenship and improving regional/local economies through the development of social tourism.

In 2009 the European Commission funded a study to provide knowledge about social tourism schemes in EU member states and recommendations for the possible establishment of cross-border social tourism arrangements.

The study team will present a compendium of good practices, recommendations and conclusions. Stakeholders will debate the issues and present their views on the way forward.

As a result of earlier Calypso workshops, the Commission's Tourism Unit has stated that it intends to give added value by assisting Member States to study ways and means on how to strengthen their internal structures (including possible involvement of NGO`s and other stakeholders) and collaborate with other Member States on facilitating exchanges in the low season.

The Commission also intends to launch a call for proposals later in 2010, following specific requests from participating stakeholders, as an intermediary step leading on to the demand-supply platform which has been elaborated already upon in the Calypso Brussels Meeting in March.

An exercise concerning the elaboration of criteria (sustainability and accessibility, amongst others) will also feed into the above initiatives accordingly.

Conference Programme and Registration

Download the latest version of the Conference Draft Programme (of 7th June) in PDF format from the right-hand panel.

Interpretation will be provided in Five Languages: Spanish – English – French – German – Italian.

Participation is free but all participants need to fill in the registration.

Registration will be available as from Tuesday 25th May by following this link:

http://ec.europa.eu/enterprise/sectors/tourism/calypso/2010/meeting4/index_en.htm

The Conference is organised by the European Commission and the Spanish Presidency of the European Union.

Conference: All Inclusive - Air Traffic Provides Economic Opportunities for All

Ivor Ambrose — Fri, 21 May 2010 08:11:00 GMT

10 June 2010. Berlin Schönefeld Airport. The Federal Government Commissioner for Matters relating to Disabled Persons is the host of this one-day conference at the Berlin Air Show addressing regulations, services, cabin design and economic aspects of air transport for disabled customers.

10 June 2010. Berlin Schönefeld Airport. Within the The Federal Government Commissioner for Matters relating to Disabled Persons is the host of this one-day conference which takes place in connection with the Berlin Air Show.

Presentations and discussions will address regulations, services, cabin design and economic aspects of air transport for disabled passengers and persons with reduced mobility.

Speakers include:

Ms. Waclawczyk, Federal Ministry of Transport, Building and Urban Development, on "Experiences with Regulation (EC) No. 1107/2006 concerning rights of disabled persons and persons with reduced mobility when travelling by air"

Ms. Stötzer, Deutsche Bahn, on "Re-design in ICE trains taking account of the accessibility aspect"

Mr. Robinson, Blue Sky and and Mr. Mulholland, Thompson Aero Seating, on "Innovative Aircraft Seats and More Legroom"

Ms. Agata-Linke, bft - Barrierefreier-Tourismus.eu on "Economic Potential of Accessibility"

Workshops

Workshop A: "What requirements are an accessible cabin to deliver, such as on-board chair, storage space (folding wheelchair), contrast, safety instructions and announcements by video with sign-language, security information (map) in large print and Braille"?
Facilitator: Prof. Granzeier.
Workshop B: "All inclusive - universal design and socio-economic aspects of aviation"
Facilitator: Dr. Peter Neumann (ENAT Member).

Participation

The conference is open to all interested persons. It is free of charge. Delegates must register in advance.

The conference languages are German, English and German sign language.

For further details and online Registration (in German), please visit the Federal Commissioner's Website

TRANSED 2010 Special Session on Accessible Cruise Ships, Ferries and Terminal Designs

Ivor Ambrose — Thu, 13 May 2010 21:38:00 GMT

Hong Kong, 2- 4 June 2010. The TRANSED 2010 Conference will include a unique technical session on accessible marine travel featuring cruise ship, ferry vessel and terminal design as part of the Accessible Tourism Track.

For the first time in TRANSED history, a unique technical session has been organized on accessible marine travel featuring cruise ship, ferry vessel and terminal design as part of the Accessible Tourism Track.

An expert in accessible ferry transportation, Ms Katherine McGuinness, Kessler McGuinness and Associates, LLC, Newton, MA, USA will discuss key issues in accessible ferry docks, and a successful negotiated rulemaking process that resulted in state and national standards for accessible water transportation.

Prominent cruise and ferry terminal designer/manager in North America, Mr. Douglas R. Playter, Principal Project Manager of CH2M HILL, Seattle, US, will outline salient factors in accessible cruise terminal design and operation. Drawing on his extensive experience in over 35 ferry and cruise terminal improvement projects in North America, he will provide examples of cruise terminals embodying system-wide and intermodal transfer accessibility in accordance with the applicable ADA standards and guidelines.

An expert on passenger vessel accessibility, Mr. David S. Chapman, Program Manager for AMSEC LLC, a naval architecture and marine engineering design firm, will provide the companion technical piece on accessibility factors in cruise ship design. Mr. Chapman will describe cruise ship universal design and construction features in adherence with the applicable US ADA accessibility standards and guidelines.

Ms Wanda Harbin, Customer Relations Officer, Marine Atlantic, Canada will discuss the importance of staff and personnel training to enhance accessibility in the marine transport systems.

Mr. Clement Lau, Assistant Commissioner (Tourism), Tourism Commission, Commerce and Economic Development Bureau, SAR Government of Hong Kong will discuss “The Hong Kong Cruise Market and the New Cruise Terminal at Kai Tak”

WHY should you attend?
Hong Kong is about to embark on a major project to construct a state-of-the-art cruise terminal. In view of the recent passage of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, the construction, acquisition and operation all cruise and ferry terminal and vessels of signatory nations should comply with its accessibility provisions.

This timely gathering aims at increasing awareness and promoting knowledge transfer on cruise ship and ferry accessibility standards and best practices. Its objective is to promote better understanding of the responsibilities and opportunities of key actors in the marine transport system.

In TRANSED 2010, there will also be many tourism related presentations and numerous conference papers on the demographic profile and travel patterns of the well-travelled baby boomers and persons with disabilities. Greater understanding of this emerging market segment will help the marine transport industry respond to their growing needs through adopting innovative designs, products, services and staff training.

WHERE will this take place?
The main conference and exhibition will be held at the Hon g Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre, 1 Expo Drive, Wan Chai, Hong Kong.

WHO should attend?
Cruise ship and ferry terminal developers, regulators, designers, operators, ship builders, users and the general public will benefit from the discussions. The hospitality industry and port authorities should benefit from the knowledge exchange and networking opportunities at the conference.
Over 800 local and international delegates consisting of researchers, policy-makers, transport operators, consumers, social services specialists and students worldwide will arrive in Hong Kong to share innovations and best practices to make transportation accessible to everyone.

HOW can you contribute and benefit?
As presenters and discussants, delegates will benefit from the technical exchange and networking opportunities with visitors worldwide. The conference proceedings will be a treasure trove of scientific findings, tools and best practices on accessible marine transportation, universal design and accessible tourism.

LANGUAGE of the Conference
The conference will be held in English with simultaneous interpretation in Putonghua for the plenary sessions. All written communication, abstracts and proceedings will be in English only.

Register NOW
For registration and hotel booking, see http://www.transed2010.hk/front/Registration.php?font=14

Call for Papers: III International Congress on Tourism for All, November 2010, Spain

Ivor Ambrose — Wed, 12 May 2010 10:23:00 GMT

Valladolid, Spain. 24-26 November 2010. The ONCE Foundation for co-operation and inclusion of disabled people invites you to participate at the 3rd International Congress on Tourism for All, addressing the main theme of Cultural Tourism.

Valladolid, Spain. 24-26 November 2010. The ONCE Foundation for co-operation and inclusion of disabled people invites you to participate at the 3rd International Congress on Tourism for All, addressing the main theme of Cultural Tourism.

This event is organised with the special co-operation of the European Network for Accessible Tourism (ENAT).

Congress participants will be public administrations, companies and users of products and services related to tourism, as well as all those people and institutions interested in knowing the current and future state of Tourism for All.

Congress Theme: Cultural Tourism

The main theme of the 3rd International Congress of Tourism for All is Cultural Tourism, and the Congress is therefore aimed at professionals in the cultural sector wishing to enhance their participation in the tourism sector, and has as its main goal that of establishing Universal Accessibility and Design for All, with which to promote inclusion of people with special needs.

In a broad sense Culture is a mainstay of tourism, especially if we consider tourism as more than a leisure activity and return to its origins as curiosity and the need to know and discover new things.

If we consider cultural tourism as what tourists do when they consume any cultural product, be it at the cinema or at the theatre, be it dance or music, or literature, the number of cultural tourists increases sharply.

Spanish tourism has traditionally been characterised by the offer of sun and beach. However, over the past 15 years competition has increased from countries such as Croatia and Turkey, which, like Spain, are able to offer sun and beach destinations. That’s why, in order to maintain its leading position as a player in the global tourism market, Spain has decided to diversify its tourist offer, branching out into cultural tourism, for example.

We can all be consumers of different tourist options in diverse circumstances. Within the same journey, the multiplicity of interests and consumption may be great. While very few people, for instance, only visit museums, the vast majority of travellers combine different kinds of activities on the same journey. Prices would seem to greatly influence the consumer’s decision regarding tourism options.

The following factors make Spain a great cultural tourism destination:

The diversity of offers
The quality of resources
The broad market of potential customers
The high level of quality.

One of the main goals of Fundación ONCE is to ensure the full inclusion of disabled people in all areas of our society. Making access to cultural tourism easier for disabled people helps them get to know the culture of the place they are visiting. On the other hand, incorporating Design for All into the new cultural tourism offerings makes more people aware of the importance of Design for All and Universal Accessibility.

Submission of Proposals (Note: Extended deadline!)

Papers related to topics of the Congress are to be submitted, either as abstracts or in full, by 18 June 2010.
The length of the proposal shall not exceed 1,000 words and must be written in an accessible version in Spanish or English.

Proposals are to be submitted to the Programme Committee at the following email address: turismo@fundaciononce.es

Deadlines

Abstracts due: 18 June 2010
Notification to authors: 30 June 2010

Official Languages of the Congress

Spanish
English

Spanish Sign Language interpreters will be available.

Participation can be as follows:

Attendee,
Speaker,
Exhibition stands for tourism-related leisure and cultural products and services. (Written proposal required),
Workshops. (Written proposal required),
Presentation of research and projects, completed or otherwise, to exchange experiences. (Written proposal required).

In case you would like to get further information about past editions, please visit the following link, where you may check the programme of the two previous editions of the congress which took place in 2005 and 2007:
http://www.fundaciononce.es/ES/AmbitosActuacion/Accesibilidad/Paginas/Eventos.aspx .

Visitor information: Valladolid Turismo

Fundación ONCE is a Founding Member of ENAT.

Competitiveness for European Tourism for All - CETA International Conference, Sweden

Ivor Ambrose — Tue, 11 May 2010 12:00:00 GMT

Falsterbo, Sweden. 27-29 May 2010. Travel and tourism businesses in Europe are increasingly looking to "accessible tourism" as a way to attract more customers and improve services for everyone. The CETA conference aims to inform small and medium-sized enterprises, in particular, about innovative as well as tried-and-tested method for making tourism businesses accessible, sustainable and competitive.

Falsterbo, Sweden. 27-29 May 2010. Travel and tourism businesses in Europe are increasingly looking to "accessible tourism" as a way to attract more customers and improve services for everyone.

The CETA conference aims to inform small and medium-sized enterprises, in particular, about innovative as well as tried-and-tested methods for making tourism businesses accessible, sustainable and competitive.

Speakers will include business and destination managers, representatives of the European Union and Swedish Enterprise Ministry, as well as members of the CETA consortium and the European Network for Accessible Tourism, ENAT.

The Conference Venue is Falsterbo Strandbad, Falsterbo, which is part of "Destination Söderslätt", Skåne, Sweden. The area is known for its unique nature, bird-watching, local produce and gastronomy, active holiday offers, villages and heritage sites, to name a few of its attractions.

A Conference Programme Tailored for SMEs

With a specially-designed programme, taking into account the limited time available to many business owners and managers, participants can choose to attend on one, two or all three days of the conference.

Half-Day 1 Thursday afternoon, will give an overview of tourism and enterprise policy, the business case for accessible tourism, and the main results of the EU CETA initiative - with CETA handouts and reference materials;
Day 2 Friday - all day, will provide an in-depth look at strategies and methods for improving accessibility and training for destination and enterprise managers;
Half-Day 3, Saturday morning, takes the delegates on an excursion to local examples of sustainable, accessible tourist attractions and venues.

All participants will receive a signed Certificate of Attendance.

Download the following documents from the right-hand panel:

Conference Programme and Practical Information, including accommodation and transfers from Malmö South Station. Nearest airports are Copenhagen (Denmark) and Malmö (Sweden).
Registration Form. New! 11-5-2010. Prices of meals & refreshments now in Euros.

Sorry! - We made a mistake about the meal prices on the previous registration form. If you have already sent your payment in Swedish Crowns, you will have to pay more. You can either send the balance to the named bank account or pay the extra amount in cash (Swedish Crowns) at the event.

Please note that Registration is obligatory.

When filling in the registration form, please notify the organiser about your possible requirements for transfers:

When will you arrive at and depart from Kastrup Airport or Malmö Syd Railway Station?
Do you need wheelchair accessible transportation?

The deadline for sending your registration has been extended to 21 May 2010.

Provisional Programme

Thursday 27 May

14:00 hours
Welcome and Introduction
Nils-Arvid Andersson, Vellinge Municipality, Sweden
Ivor Ambrose, European Network for Accessible Tourism

Improving the Competitiveness and Sustainability of Tourism in Europe
Francesco Ianiello, Head of Tourism Unit, European Commission DG Enterprise
(to be confirmed)

Sustainability and Accessibility in Swedish Tourism Policy
Ms Anna Hag, Swedish Ministry of Enterprise

CETA: A Business Orientation to Accessible, Sustainable Tourism in Europe
Lilian Müller, Tourism for All in Sweden
Graham Miller, University of Surrey, School of Management and Law, UK

Quality Label Söderslätt! Destination Marketing
Nils-Arvid Andersson, Vellinge Municipality, Sweden

Sustainability and Accessibility in Tourism SMEs: Example, Ängavallen Farm
Rolf Axel Nordström

The CETA Information Toolkit for Small and Medium-Sized Tourism Enterprises
Lilian Müller, Tourism for All in Sweden

18.30 End of 1st day of Conference.

20.30 Dinner (payment required at the restaurant).

Friday 28 May

9.30 Coffee at Strandbaden
10.00 Presentation of CETA Results

1. Competitiveness for a European Tourism for All – Business Requirements
Graham Miller and Victoria Eichhorn, University of Surrey, UK

2. Training in Accessibility for the Tourism Sector: Good Practices and Tools
Annagrazia Laura and Maurizio Panzironi, Consorzio Sociale COIN, Italy

Questions, Answers and Discussion

13.00 Lunch (advance payment required).

14.30 Presentation of CETA Results (continued)

3. How Does Your Business Measure Up? Development of Indices for Tourism Competitiveness and Sustainability
    Nina Pecoler, National Tourism Association of Slovenia

4. Social Sustainability and Accessible Tourism – Information Services, Networking and Support for Tourism SME’s
    Ivor Ambrose, European Network for Accessible Tourism and
    Nils-Arvid Andersson, Vellinge Municipality, Sweden

Questions, Answers and Discussion

17.30
Conclusions and Closing
Lilian Müller, Tourism for All in Sweden

18.00 End of 2nd day of Conference

20.00 Dinner at Ängavallens Gård, Vellinge (advance payment required).

Saturday 29 May

10.00 Excursions and Visits: Sustainable Tourism at Söderslätt: Falsterboslingan, and Falsterbo Kursgård

13.00 Lunch at Falsterbo Kursgård (advance payment required).

End of Conference

Fifth European Greenways Conference

Ivor Ambrose — Mon, 03 May 2010 11:03:14 GMT

Madrid, 10 to 12 June 2010. The Spanish Railways Foundation (SRF) and the European Greenways Association (EGWA) are organizing the Fifth European Greenways Conference, coinciding with the period of the Spanish presidency of the European Union and the celebration of the 10th anniversary of the Lille declaration.

Objectives

The aim is the exchange of experiences and good practices, between political and technical agents in charge of European Greenways entailed in its planning, maintenance, management and promotion, as well as related civil associations such as as: cyclists, pedestrian, disable people, and companies interested in its use and operation.

The event will also focus on proposing recommendations to promote and develop a European greenways policy.

The sponsors of this international event are ADIF and Fundación ONCE.

Participants

The Conference is oriented to experts, consultants, politicians and technicians involved in the development and promotion of greenways and non motorised itineraries, working in areas such as environment, sustainable mobility and transport, active tourism, universal accessibility, rural development, healthful leisure, regional balance and employment.

Speakers

Speakers include representatives of the Spanish Ministry of Public Works, the European Commission, United Nations Tourism Organisation, European Parliament, Spanish Railways and international bodies including ENAT.

Interpretation will be provided between English, French and Spanish.

About Greenways

European countries are increasing their interest in developing infrastructures to promote non-motorized commuting and travel between citizens as a clean and healthy form of leisure sustainable tourism in rural areas and creating jobs. In this context, Greenways play a very important role as they are accessible for every people, continuous, secure and very attractive, thus promoting a change of mentality and attitudes on citizens.

The European Greenways Association (EGWA) was created in 1998 with the aim of spreading and promoting greenways in Europe and has developed numerous projects, co-financed by the European Commission and national partners. Currently 32 member organisations from 10 countries support EGWA: national, regional and local institutions, greenway managers and promoters, associations and foundations, public railways companies, etc.

Visit the Conference Website for further information and Registration.
http://www.aevv-egwa.org/conference2010/

Launch Event. "Brussels for All" Tour Guide for Persons with Reduced Mobility

Ivor Ambrose — Mon, 03 May 2010 07:43:48 GMT

Brussels, 4 May 2010. AMT Concept asbl and the Secretary of State for Tourism, Mr. Christos Doulkeridis, present the third edition of the "Brussels for All" tour guide at a Press Conference. All interested persons are welcome to attend.

Place
Salle Iris (Level : 1,5), CCN,
Ministère de la Région Bruxelles - Capitale
Gare du Nord, 80, rue du Progrès,
1035 Bruxelles

Téléphone : 0030 (0) 2 204 2111
Please confirm your attendance in advance!

About the Guide

The guide aims to provide a diagnosis of accessibility of the tourist infrastructures to people with reduced mobility (PRM) who seek information when staying in Brussels.

We intend this guide be an effective tool for travel agencies and tour operators, the service providers of transport or accommodation. This booklet gives information on the accessibility of accomodation, hotels, restaurants, commercial spaces, sports centres or other leisure facilities.

When making this third edition of the guide we could note, at the time of our new visits, that certain hotels or restaurants had carried out improvements to accommodate disabled tourists. Several new hotels offer an optimal accessibility for the travellers to reduced mobility. Without forgetting that several municipalities of Brussels and the Brussels-Capital Region have launched projects to improve the accessibility of green areas, playgrounds, roadway systems and transport.

Lastly, this guide is not intended to be sufficient on its own; it is complementary to other traditional tourist guides which remain essential to appreciate the expansive cultural and leisure activities in Brussels.

The Guide is available from AMT Concept.
See PDF file attachment for details (download from right-hand panel).

Visit the website, Bruxelles Pour Tous

(The site provides information in English, French and Flemish).

Development of Tourism for All: International Congress in Alba, Italy

Ivor Ambrose — Wed, 21 Apr 2010 09:38:00 GMT

11 and 12 June, Alba, Piemonte, Italy. A two-day international congress fully dedicated to accessible tourism and its perspectives for the future will examine “Development of Tourism for All – Promotional Strategies and Good Practices in the Offer” at the Congress hall of the Ferrero Foundation.

A two-day congress fully dedicated to accessible tourism and its perspectives for the future will examine “Development of Tourism for All – Promotional Strategies and Good Practices in the Offer” at the Congress hall of the Ferrero Foundation.

The congress is addressed to all those (from the tour operators to the specialized journalist) who, in various ways, are interested in tourism for people with special needs, which in the next years can possibly become a key field in the travel and tourism economy.

The goal of this event is to characterize strategies that can lever the potential demand of over 50 million people in Europe, by providing touristic offers for all, drawing on examples of effective transformations, thanks to the work of bodies and institutions in different European regions.

The congress is jointly organised by the Association CPD (within the project Turismabile), the Association Sportabili Alba, the IsITT - Italian Institute for Tourism for All, with the support of the Regione Piemonte and of the Ministero del Turismo. The Minister Michela Vittoria Brambilla will attend.

Speakers will include representatives of the United Nations, the UN World Tourism Organisation, The European Disability Forum, ENAT, Fundación ONCE, and many other significant tourism businesses and organisations.

The conclusions will be delivered by Giovanni Ferrero (Director of the Council of People with Difficulties Onlus), and the representatives of Enit, of the Ministry of Tourism and of the UNWTO.

Programme, Registration and Travel Information

Download the draft Programme, Registration Form and travel - accommodation details from the right-hand panel.

Enquiries

Turismabile c/o CPD – via san Marino 10, 10134 Torino
Telephone: +39 011-319.81.45
Email: segreteria [at] turismabile [dot] it

Web: www.turismabile.it

Download the Speakers' Presentations

Speakers' presentations may be downloaded from the Alba Accessible Tourism Congress website.

Turismabile - CPD and IsITT are Full Members of ENAT

View of Alba, Piemonte. (CPD)

ENAT Annual General Assembly, 2010. Leuven, Belgium

Ivor Ambrose — Tue, 20 Apr 2010 17:17:00 GMT

Leuven, Belgium 6 May 2010. The Annual General Assembly of ENAT will take place in Leuven from 10:00 to 11:30 a.m.

The Annual General Assembly of ENAT will take place in Leuven from 10:00 to 11:30 a.m. on Thursday 6 May 2010.

According to its Statutes, the ENAT non-profit association must hold an Annual General Assembly of its Full Members, where the activities and accounts of the previous year shall be approved and any formal matters are discussed.

ENAT Associate Members can attend the General Assembly but do not have voting rights.

Only Members who are up-to-date with their subscriptions and invited Observers may participate in the meeting.

Agenda

Chair: Lilian Müller, President

Opening and Welcome
Activity Report 2009 from the Managing Director
Financial Report 2009 from the Treasurer
Report from the Auditor
Approval of the Financial Report
Election of 2 New Board Members (2 positions are open for re-election)
Submissions of Candidates for Full Membership
Forward planning
Any other business
Under this point, short reports will be made on the current EU projects in which ENAT is involved and ENAT's new proposals in support of the EU Calypso Social Tourism initiative.
Closing of the General Assembly

The reports referred to above and related materials will be available to ENAT Members for downloading from the "About" section of the ENAT website from Monday 26 April.

Link to: "Annual Report 2009"
(Members should first login to the Members' Area of the site in order to view the above page).

Venue
BOERENBOND, Diestsevest 40, B- 3000 Leuven. Meeting Room: "Polders".

See the route from Leuven Railway Station (A) to Boerenbond (B) on the Google Map, below.

View Larger Map

ENAT Members or Observers who wish to attend the Annual General Assembly should notify their attendance to the ENAT Secretariat, no later than Thursday 29 April 2010 by email to:
enat[at]accessibletourism[dot]org

ENAT Board Meeting

The ENAT Board will hold its meeting immediately after the close of the General Assembly.