UK-based company, Accessible Travel and Leisure specialises in creating holiday packages for customers with disabilities. In 2007 it launched a new franchising scheme which provides the opportunity for disabled people to run their own business from home, selling accessible holidays.
The HAPPY TOURIST project aims to offer equal opportunities to people with disabilities in the tourist sector, either as tourists or as staff, based upon the combination of innovative, modular and cost-effective ICT tools, e-learning concepts and on-the-job-training schemes.
The project aims to identify and define requirements of the demand and supply sides in the tourism sector (both disabled people and tourist industry workers); to prepare an information model for disabled tourists, (by including disabled people in the whole process), and to deliver suitable training programmes for the tourism sector.
The project 'EU.FOR.ME Tourist training for a wider target' aims at filling a gap that Schools, Universities and Training Centres offering programmes on Tourism, have in many European countries. It addresses how disabilities can be taken into consideration in the organisation of tourism training modules.
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 week the Marina d'Or beachside holiday resort in the Region of Valencia, Spain welcomes some 200 delegates at the ENAT International Congress on Tourism for All, organised by Fundación ONCE and supported by the European Commission. Guest speakers from North and South America, as well as Australia will complement European presenters from all sectors of the tourism industry, public authorities, NGOs and centres of research and education.
STIL, the Stockholm Cooperative for Independent Living, announced the winner of its fourth annual Ace of Hearts award. For the first time ever, the accolade was given to a company and to that company’s Disability Coordinator who, with initiative and creativity, has improved accessibility for disabled people.
Workshop Report including summary presentations and speeches by plenary speakers, workshop conclusions and photos from the optional excursion to accessible attractions in Athens.
A slide presentation of ENAT, given by the Coordinator, Ivor Ambrose, at a National Conference on Tourism for All, organised by the Hellenic Ministry of Tourism, 12 July 2007.
