Make it accessible! A project to promote barrier-free travelling for senior citizens and people with handicaps through innovative marketing strategies based on awareness of specific requirements, needs and active interest in social inclusion.
We are working in a national project (“Puedo Viajar”) funded by the Ministry of Industry, Tourism and Trade (Plan Avanza 2009), which aims to provide information and several services on Accessible Tourism through the internet.
The objective of the project is to develop nature tourism services for a wider scale of customers. Another aim is to support organisations providing nature tourism services in their development of accessible environments and services. In addition, an objective is to launch strategic and persistent development for evaluating, instructing, and classifying accessible nature tourism.
The main aim of the project ITTI is to improve accessibility of tourism services through tailored training for tourism employees on working with disabled and elderly guests, and to increase the competitiveness of tourism facilities and tourism workers on the labour market.
Within the framework of of the European Union's Operational Programme of Territorial Cooperation between Spain, France and Andorra 2007-2013 (Interreg IV A), the project Accessi Tourisme is a triennial project of cross-border cooperation on Accessible Tourism, between the Department of Turisme de Catalonia and its conterparts, the Departmental Committee of Eastern Pyrenees Tourism, and the Elsa Fundació NGO.
On 23 December 2009 the Confortel Hotels, Almirante, Barcelona Confortel Bel Art and the Confortel Puerta de Triana in Seville, received the Certificate of Accessibility of the Spanish Association for Standardisation and Certification (AENOR), UNE Universal Accessibility 170001-2:2007.
Belgian, Bert van Driel became a wheelchair user in 2007. However, he wanted to remain active. Bert realised that active wheelchair users need to carefully plan any activity. During this process, he noticed that most on-line information is not accurate and outdated. Bert started the non-profit organisation "Access on Wheels" in 2009 as an independent forum by and for wheelchair users.
American lifestyle magazine, New Mobility, has named Dr. Scott Rains "Person of the Year, 2009". This special recognition goes to Dr. Rains "...for all he does to ensure that people with disabilities can boldly go where everyone else has gone before - and beyond..."! Congratulations, Scott, from the ENAT Members!
With thousands of blogs appearing on the Web every minute, it takes something special to make any single one of them stand out from the crowd. For those interested in research on accessible tourism, Dr. Simon Darcy's new blog on Accessible Tourism Research holds significant promise of making research findings more accessible to everyone. Also, it can help to shape the international agenda of research and development in this growing and diverse field of study.
No sensible person in business makes life more difficult for their customers. The most successful businesses make life easier. The information in this leaflet will make both your life easier and your business more successful.
Presentation by Ivor Ambrose, Managing Director of ENAT, at the "Accessi Tourisme Simposium. Building Accessible Destinations", Autonomous University of Barcelona, Spain.
