Accessibility in tourism in a social right that concerns all citizens in Europe. In Europe it is estimated that 10% of the population have some type of disability, this means around 50 million people. And this number will continue to grow due to the inevitable process of demographic change as half of them are over 65. It can be deduced that accessibility is essential for 10% of the population, necessary for 40% and convenient for 100% of the population. In recent years the rights of disabled people to travel and to participate in tourism, leisure, sport and other activities away from home have been strengthened in a number of areas by legislation and regulations at international, European and national levels. This report presents an overview of the key legislation and the way in which the rights of people with disabilities are being extended and safeguarded. The report shows many examples of how the front-runners in sections of the tourism industry are beginning to respond to the increasing demand for accessible tourism products and services.
As part of the two year ENAT work programme 2006 – 2007, a study of services and facilities for accessible tourism in Europe was conducted by Toegankelijkheidsbureau (Belgium). This report presents definitions of accessible tourism, the target public and their specific needs, leading to an overview of services and facilities that tourism providers can adopt to improve accessibility.
Recommendations from the Second International Conference on Accessible Tourism held November 22 - 24, 2007 at the United Nations in Bangkok, Thailand.
Sixteen recommendations directed towards governments, public agencies, tourism businesses and academia seek to promote the development of inclusive tourism in the region, targetting a wide range of measures for both specialised and mainstream services.
The Australian Disability Discrimination Act 1992 seeks to eliminate discrimination, ‘as far as possible’, against people with disabilities. Public transport is a service covered by the Disability Discrimination Act 1992. The purpose of these Standards is to enable public transport operators and providers to remove discrimination from public transport services.
These guidelines are designed to encourage understanding of the specific problems experienced by disabled and older passengers when using the transport system, and to provide guidance on how best to respond to their needs. They provide a practical approach to providing good customer care - a priority for all transport companies.
It is a well known fact that most people travelling for holidays or on business do not enjoy the travelling part of the trips they make. If people were able to snap their fingers in order to be automatically transferred to their destination then most would. Some recent research from the UK suggests that travelling by coach is the least stressful mode of transport, allowing passengers to arrive at their destinations having experienced the least amount of worry.
A major milestone has been reached with the publication this week of the recommendations from the Second International Conference on Accessible Tourism held November 22 - 24, 2007 at the United Nations in Bangkok, Thailand. Sixteen recommendations directed towards governments, public agencies, tourism businesses and academia seek to promote the development of inclusive tourism in the region, targetting a wide range of measures for both specialised and mainstream services.
The Australian Disability Standards for Accessible Public Transport provide practical measures to be taken by transport operators and providers to make public transport more accessible, both for persons with disabilities, as well as the elderly and those travelling with young children.
The Canadian Transportation Agency's mission is to administer transportation legislation and Government of Canada policies to help achieve an efficient and accessible transportation system by education, consultation and essential regulation.
