3 December 2020. Press Release. Ensuring accessibility for tourists with specific access requirements can be a ‘game changer’ for destinations around the world as they look to bounce back from the impacts of the pandemic. A new set of Inclusive Recovery Guides from the World Tourism Organization, produced in partnership with the European Network for Accessible Tourism (ENAT), the ONCE Foundation of Spain and Travability from Australia, makes clear the importance of placing inclusivity at the centre of recovery plans and provides key recommendations for achieving this.
Projects from sixteen countries on three continents are included in the PREDIF online webinars series on accessible tourism this November. Register now!
Madrid, 3 August 2020. The World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) is calling on destinations to recognize the needs of travellers with disabilities or specific access requirements as they open up to visitors again. In partnership with the ONCE Foundation of Spain and the European Network for Accessible Tourism (ENAT), the United Nations specialized agency has released new guideline to ensure accessibility and inclusivity as the responsible restart of tourism gets underway.
The partners of the ACCESS-IT project invite you to answer a survey on tourism in rural and natural areas, including the countryside, seaside, lakes, mountains, rivers, forests, etc. We would like to know your views and experiences, especially regarding accessibility for people with disabilities and/or other access requirements.
Virtual reality-based technologies, using 360-degree videos of tourism destinations viewed on a VR headset can substitute for real trips and help tourists dream or plan for the next vacation. A new survey indicates an opportunity for creating a parallel economy for tourist guides as 360-video content providers.
Just as the tourism sector is affected more than others by the current COVID-19 pandemic, vulnerable groups within the sector are among the hardest hit. As laid down in the UNWTO Framework Convention on Tourism Ethics, the sector has a duty to promote the rights of the most vulnerable groups such as women, indigenous people and people with disabilities.
VisitBritain and VisitEngland publish survey data from 2018 showing a marked increase in travel and day trips in England by visitors with disabilities and long-term health conditions, continuing the growth trend of recent years.
The project, funded by EU ERASMUS+, aims to address the scarcity of available VET training courses by offering a holistic, package solution to render Tourism workers and professionals competent, ready to offer diverse tailor-made services to tourists with special needs, and notably, to subsequently act as the true promoters of Accessible Tourism.
Under the INVITE project funding scheme for SMEs, Eyemmersive (EYEM) proposes to create a Digital Market Place for Immersive Tourism based on VR technologies. The service concept provides a new source of income for professional tourist guides in destinations around the globe, delivering Eyemmersive™ local tourism content to extend the reach of tourism operators and provide a promotional opportunity towards independent travellers.
The IN-Tour project aims to cover a gap in the training system in Europe related to Accessible Tourism. With a wide range of partners who are experienced in accessible tourism, accessibility, training and education fields, the project will develop blended learning Vocational Training Courses for a postgraduate Inclusive Tourism Manager profile (ITM) and an undergraduate Inclusive Tourism Frontline Staff (ITFS) profile, involving 3 Universities providing VET.