ELEVATOR Project Newsletter no. 1, June 2016, with information about the first project partner meeting and Workshop held in Třinec, Czech Republic in April 2016.
It is with great sadness that we wish to inform colleagues from around the world that Dr. Scott Rains, San Jose, USA, passed away on Saturday 30th April. Scott had been struggling with a brain tumor since December 2014. He will be greatly missed, not only by his wife Patricia and family, but also by his "extended family" of accesssible tourism advocates and activists, to whom he gave so freely of his knowledge and wisdom.
The first two professional tourist guides have been certified as "T-Guides" by FEG (European Federation of Tourist Guide Associations) and ENAT (European Network for Accessible Tourism) for guiding people with learning difficulties.
The Erasmus+ "ELEVATOR" project begins its work by reviewing the variety of tools and methods used for training tourism SME managers and staff in disability awareness, accesible tourism business development and customer service.
Boundless Discoveries Pvt Ltd conducted a Accessible Tourism training programme for the executive staff of Club Hotel Dolphin, Waikkal, Sri Lanka. The hotel became the first in Hemas Holdings PLC, Sri Lanka to receive this training.
The programme included sessions on disability awareness, theoretical models of disability, the laws and policies relating to disability, disability terminology and disability etiquette. There was special focus on the needs of older travellers too.
The training programme ended with a simulation exercise where the trainees practically experienced disability and shared their experiences in group presentations.
Hotels and tourism service providers in Egypt are invited to apply for the first ever "Tourism for All" awards, with the chance of winning a Study Tour to Europe and ENAT Memberships.
ENAT, the European Network for Accessible Tourism and FEG, the European Federation of Tourist Guide Associations, have signed a Partnership Agreement, aiming to improve the skills of professional tourist guides, who guide visitors with disabilities.
A guidance document from the UN World Tourism Organisation for tourism sector authorities, enterprises and other stakeholders on how to deliver accurate, relevant and timely information to customers, prior to, during and even after the journey.
APP TOUR YOU is an European project funded by the Erasmus plus programme, strategic partnerships for Vocational and Educational Training (VET). It experiments with new models of training on accessible tourism and information targeted to SMEs and entrepreneurs in the field of tourism.
A bottom-up, stakeholder-driven product for individual senior off-season travel to rural Micro-, Small or Medium sized Enterprises, established and managed through corporate agreements.
