The Municipality of Arona, Tenerife Sur, has taken up the challenge to make its tourist offers available to everyone, including people with disabilities, through the Arona Integral Accessibility Plan. An access guide to Tenerif Sur, produced in 2007, covers information bureaux, facilities, transport and accommodations in three languages, Spanish, English, German. The Guide has 170 pages and is richly illustrated.
Development and application of a set of standardized pictograms for public facilities which respect the universal design principles and enable international travellers, including persons with disabilities, to recognize them at a glance.
"The issue of adapting environments that have been created over the centuries represents a major challenge. New functions and techniques have to be added to old environments, at the same time as we cherish our unique cultural heritage. Preserving and changing at the same time is a task that demands special skill, creativity and prudence."
The project aims at offering travelling, volunteering, learning, intercultural and income generation opportunities to people over 55 years old from 10 countries.
At a congress held last week by the European Network for Accessible Tourism (ENAT), over 200 representatives from international disability organisations, tourist boards and private enterprise came to the overwhelming conclusion that accessible tourism is the fastest-growing business opportunity in the tourism industry.
This report updates the Commission’s first analysis of the European tourism sector and extends it to the tourism industry of the enlarged Community. It provides a solid statistical overview and analysis of tourism demand, the competitiveness of the industry, employment and innovation.
