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New! 20/05/2019 Chinese Experts Visit Madrid, Spain To Learn What Makes A Leading Accessible Tourism Destination

Thanks to the generous support of Booking Cares Fund (Booking.com), 10 Chinese guests will experience the best an accessible tourism destination can offer on a 4-day Study Visit arranged by ENAT - the European Network for Accessible Tourism - and some of its members in Madrid. Thanks to the generous support of Booking Cares Fund (Booking.com), 10 Chinese guests will experience the best an accessible tourism destination can offer on a 4-day Study Visit arranged by ENAT - the European Network for Accessible Tourism - and some of its members in Madrid. The Chinese delegation of disability advocates, researchers and university professors is led by ENAT member, Ms. Xun Ji, founder of “RARE N ROLL” - the hub of accessible tourism in China. In spite of physical challenges, social entrepreneur and change-maker, Ms. Ji, is an avid world traveller and blogger with a large following in China. The aim of this unique tour is to establish closer ties between Chinese, Spanish and international experts and organisations, fostering innovation and new opportunities for developing Chinese inbound, outbound and domestic tourism for visitors with disabilities or other specific access requirements. The Chinese delegation will visit and meet with representatives of key players in Accessible Tourism, including: the Regional Government of Madrid, Madrid Destino, SEGITTUR – The Spanish National Tourism Agency, PREDIF, ILUNION Hotels, Fundación ONCE, the Municipality of Alcala de Henares, Spain Heritage Cities Group, UN World Tourism Organization, Santiago Bernabeu Stadium and the Prado Museum. The Study Visit is arranged in association with local tour operator, Accessible Madrid. Monday's programme also included Guest Speaker and ENAT Member, Mr. Magnus Berglund, Director of Disability at Scandic Hotels, the Nordic countries' largest hotel group. He shared Scandic's motivations and some experiences of staff training, service design and welcoming all guests, which has given Scandic the position of world leader in the hotel sector. Speaking on the first day of the tour, ENAT Managing Director, Ivor Ambrose, said: “Our aim is to promote accessible, inclusive tourism everywhere. With this opportunity to showcase Madrid to Chinese experts from universities, disability organisations and business, we hope to start a positive cycle of change and development in the Chinese tourism sector. Giving the delegates first-hand experience of accessibility in Madrid will show how Spanish authorities, organisations and civil society are working together to reach new levels of customer service in the tourism sector.” Ms. Xun Ji, leading the delegation from China adds: “China is looking to improve all aspects of life for people with disabilities and having the possibility to travel and experience new places and cultures is vital to everyone. We hope this study tour will open up new ideas and new possibilities for collaboration with Spain and Europe in the future”. Chinese delegates include representatives of China Disabled Persons' Federation, the Institute of Accessibility of Tsinghua University Beijing, Fujian Minnan Normal University and the Fujian Provincial Foundation for Self-improving and Helping the Disabled and Needy Students. Ms. Sofie Soares, who leads on Accessibility at Booking.com, participated in the study tour, sharing in the exchange of knowledge with Chinese and Spanish partners. ENAT Non-Profit Association - Reaching Out To The World to Promote Accessible Tourism for All ‘Accessibility for All’ is fast becoming synonymous with the highest quality of customer service the tourism sector can offer. The convergence of Accessible Tourism with ‘the mainstream tourism sector’ was marked at the UNWTO World Tourism Day in September 2016, with a landmark event in Bangkok, Thailand. ENAT was there to highlight the value of accessibility, showcase best practices and point to policies, strategies and tools for development. ENAT members, including National and Regional Tourism Organisations, cities, businesses, researchers and NGOs are now working together to develop frameworks for action, engaging with civil society and using new technologies and social media to reach new levels of customer service in the tourism sector. ENAT aims to make tourism information, venues, transport systems, and services sustainable and inclusive - serving all visitors - and bringing rewards to both visitors and communities alike. Download two Study Tour leaflets in PDF format from the right-hand panel. 0 comments

26/08/2018 ELEVATOR Project - Press Release, 26 August 2018. Accessible Tourism Training in Europe

Ostrava, Czech Republic, 26 August 2018. Download our free reports. The EU funded Elevator Project, has run for 3 years and is now coming to an end. A key driver for the project was recognising that for people with disabilities to be able to participate in tourism, the tourism sector must have a good understanding of this growing market. In addition, the performance of well-trained professionals is fundamental when serving people with access requirements. 0 comments

23/07/2018 Blue Flag International teams up with European Network for Accessible Tourism to promote Beaches, Marinas and Boat-based activities for All

The Foundation for Environmental Education, long recognised through its Blue Flag certification as the global benchmark for sustainable beaches, marinas and boat-based activities around the world, has signed an agreement with ENAT – The European Network for Accessible Tourism non-profit association to work together to promote access for all visitors to beaches, marinas and boat-based activities. 0 comments

29/06/2018 ENAT Launches World Tourism for All Quality Programme

Brussels, 26 June 2018. VisitFlanders, the tourism authority of the Flemish Region of Belgium, hosted a gathering of tourism organisations and professionals at the launch of the new World Tourism for All Quality Programme. 0 comments

27/05/2017 Zero Project 2018 Opens for Project and Policy Nominations in Accessibility

Nominate and share your best practice project or policy in accessibility. Since 2012 the Zero Project has disseminated replicable and innovative solutions for the problems people with disabilities face, raising public awareness, stimulating reform and acting as a catalyst for a world without barriers. 0 comments

29/09/2018 TAD - The Ability Advisor. First Report: A Tour Around

The first report from TAD - The Ability Advisor project - examines accessible tourism and vocational training in Belgium, Italy, Lithuania and Portugal. Download the report free of charge from the ENAT Library.

15/05/2018 EU Parliament Study Report - Transport and Tourism for Persons with Disabilities and Persons with Reduced Mobility

8 May 2018. This study has undertaken literature reviews, user and experts’ questionnaires, interviews and workshop surveys, analysis of EU legislation, SWOT and Multi-Criteria Analysis, identification of best practices and analyses of case studies. This has led to a mapping of accessibility across the EU Member States (identifying relevant state clusters) for three different sectors: local transport, long-distance transport, and tourism. Specific policies, research priorities and recommendations are made per state clusters and for the EU, which can enhance accessibility in each of the three sectors.

12/04/2018 COME-IN! Inclusive Museums in Europe Project

The COME-IN! Project aims at valorizing the Central European cultural heritage, making smaller museums, accessible to a wider public of people with disabilities. 0 comments

01/12/2017 Madrid, Spain

Madrid is a top tourist destination, offering everything from art and culture to leisure and sports, as well as restaurants, shops and green spaces. There are so many places to go, so many things to do… And the city continues to improve its accessibility provisions so that all visitors can make the most of their trip to the Spanish capital. 0 comments

05/11/2017 TAD - The Ability Advisor

TAD is a project funded by the European Union Erasmus+ programme under Key Action 2: Cooperation for innovation and the exchange of good practices, (KA202 Strategic Partnerships for Vocational Education and Training), addressing accessible tourism. 0 comments

01/11/2017 Visits4u. Capacity Building Project Aiming to Improve Inclusive Tourism Provision

An 18-month, EU-funded COSME project that aims to develop and deliver inclusive tourism training and capacity building to improve user experience and sustain inclusive design in tourism. 0 comments

16/04/2017 Pantou.org - The European Accessible Tourism Directory

The Pantou Accessible Tourism Directory was established initially as a data collection tool for a European Commission study of the supply of accessible tourism in Europe in 2014. It lists tourism suppliers who are able to offer accessible tourism services to customers with specific access needs, older persons, people with disabilities, families with young children and those who have a long-term health condition. Since the end of March, 2017 the Pantou Directory has been opened up to include accessible tourism suppliers based in any country - not only those located in Europe. Suppliers may register free of charge. 0 comments

ENAT - European Network for Accessible Tourism

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