The 3rd Accessible Izmir Congress was realized for the third time between the dates of November 1 and 3, 2018 in İzmir, Turkey under the main theme of “New Production Models and Employment for the People with Disabilities."
The new "Adagio Tours", available for Mediterranean cruises on the flagship Costa Diadema from January 2019, will also allow guests with impaired mobility to take part in group shore excursions at no extra cost. The programmes have been planned with the help of 15 women with multiple sclerosis, thanks to an initiative promoted by the Costa Crociere Foundation and AISM.
The European Disability Forum and 19 other organisations demand that EU decision makers must deliver a strong and meaningful Act to protect the rights of people with disabilities as several Member States try to erase essential elements.
The European Commission announces two cities to hold the title of "European Capitals of Smart Tourism" in 2019 and recognises a further four cities for their outstanding achievements in: accessibility, sustainability, digitalisation and cultural heritage & creativity
The Wheelchair Basketball World Championships are being held in Germany between August 16 and 26. Scandic Hamburg Emporio is the official team hotel thanks to its successful work to promote accessibility. Now, the hotel is hosting 300 wheelchair athletes, a unique clientele.
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.
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.
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.
Lonely Planet has released its first ever travel phrasebook for travellers with disabilities thanks to Martin Heng and many other volunteer translators who helped contribute to the book. Accessible Travel Phrasebook is available online and can be downloaded for free via mobile devices, laptops and tablets.
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.
The project, wholly financed by a grant from the Booking Cares Fund awarded to Ms. Xun Ji, a young disabled Chinese woman, will provide accessible tourism information services and cultural experience opportunities for both Chinese and foreign travellers with particular access needs, while at the same time engaging professionals in the travel industry, preparing them for the new caring economy.
