EU Joint Conference: EU Day of People with Disabilities and European Tourism Day 2013

Brussels, Belgium 3 to 4 December 2013. The European Commission - DG Justice and DG Enterprise and Industry – celebrate the "European Day of Persons with Disabilities" and the "European Tourism Day" 2013 with the Joint Conference on “Accessible Tourism in Europe”.

The aim of this two-fold event is to raise awareness on the right of everybody to have equal access to tourism services and destinations and to present some success stories and best practices in the field.

New! 10.1.2014 Download speakers' presentations from the European Commission website.

Download the Summary Report of the Conference Sessions in PDF format from the right-hand panel of this page.

Accessible Tourism

Tourism is an important source of growth for the economy in Europe, representing today 1.8 million businesses and approximately 9.7 million jobs. However, travelling can still be a real challenge for some people as finding the information on services, checking luggage on a plane and booking an accessible room often prove to be difficult, costly and time-consuming.

The conference is part of the EU’s wider efforts to promote the mainstreaming of disability issues in line with the EU Disability Strategy 2010-2020 and the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UN CRPD).

Featuring SEATRAC - independent access to the sea for wheelchair users, by tobea.gr

On 3 December the discussion will take a closer look at access and accessibility for tourists and residents from the users' perspective. The conference will show examples of good practices of Tourism for All, and possible solutions for the obstacles most frequently encountered.

On 4 December the conference will cover the practical, political and economic aspects of these issues, focusing on how to overcome barriers that are limiting the potential of a more open Europe to international tourism and benefit from the tourism industry.

Ms. Viviane Reding, Vice-President of the European Commission responsible for Justice, will chair the Access City Award 2014 on 3rd December.

Mr. Antonio Tajani, Vice-President of the European Commission responsible for Entrepreneurship and Industrial Policy, will conclude the joint event on 4th December.

Interpretation will be provided in English, French, German, Italian, Spanish and Sign Language.
Participation is free but registration is mandatory

To register, visit the European Commission's conference webpage

Download the Outline Programme in PDF format from the right-hand panel (final version 3/12/2013)

SEATRAC inventor, manufacturer and distributor, TOBEA is an ENAT Associate Member.

Visit: SEATRAC website, with interactive map of Seatrac locations.