Ms. Ana Garcia, founder of Accessible Portugal and ENAT Board Member, has been selected in her personal capacity as member of the EU Low Season Initiative Board, established by the European Commission's Tourism Unit.
On 5 December 2014, 27 speakers from local regional authorities and others met at the EESC to discuss ways of improving inclusive social, political and physical infrastructures while promoting accessibility for all within the tourism industry.
The fourteenth meeting of the World Committee on Tourism Ethics meeting in Rome, Italy (17-18 November 2014) commended the efforts of UNWTO and its partners to advance Accessible Tourism for All.
President of Turismo de Portugal, João Figueiredo Cotrim and Anna Grazia Laura, President of ENAT - The European Network for Accessible Tourism, have signed a Framework Agreement to help develop accessible tourism in Portugal as part of the Tourist Board’s plans for improving tourism accessibility during the coming years.
Catalonia has been recognised at London’s World Travel Market for its work advocating accessible tourism and has garnered First Prize in Europe’s CHARTS awards for its work fostering cultural and sustainable tourism. “The Way of Saint James for All” initiative was chosen from amongst 27 candidates from all over Europe as a benchmark of excellence and good practices in the field of cultural and sustainable tourism.
People with disabilities and older people are considered as an important and growing number of clients for all kind of events and meetings (about 20 % of the population today). Accommodating and supporting their needs and providing accessible services is becoming more and more a success criterion for conferences and events.
The Declaration which resulted from the 1st UNWTO Conference on Accessible Tourism in Europe, held on 19-20 November 2014 in the Republic of San Marino, can be read and downloaded here in English, French and Spanish.
The Manual on Accessible Tourism for All: Principles, Tools and Good Practices, is UNWTO's second handbook on accessibility and has been co-produced with the Spanish ONCE Foundation and ENAT. It features recommendations and guidelines drawn from experience, recent academic studies and international standards, as well as from technological and scientific advances that have been made in this field. This publication is currently available in Spanish only, in a digital accessible version.
The Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC)and VisitEngland have produced this guide to help tourism businesses welcome people with access requirements. The EHRC has a statutory remit to promote and monitor human rights; and to protect, enforce and promote equality. We are committed to the vision of a modern Britain where everyone is treated with dignity and respect and we all have an equal chance to succeed. VisitEngland, England’s national tourist board, works in partnership with others to lead the development of a thriving tourist industry.
Official version of the Declaration adopted by participants at the Destinations for All 2014 World Summit, held in Montreal Canada, 19 to 23 October 2014.
This guide has been prepared for various reasons, starting with the strategic importance of tourism for the EU. As the third largest EU economic sector, tourism has indeed a wide-ranging impact on economic growth, employment and social development. Updated version 2015.
The objective of MyAccessible.EU is to develop and pilot-test methods and tools for collectively gathering and sharing information about accessibility of public spaces.
