Council of Europe Action Plan to promote the rights and full participation of people with disabilities in society: improving the quality of life of people with disabilities in Europe, 2006-2015.
On 12 July 2005, a Sustainable Tourism Cooperative Research Centre Research workshop was held at the New South Wales Department of State and Regional Development, titled Setting a Research Agenda for Disability and Tourism. This report outlines the background to disability and tourism in both the
Australian and overseas settings, and details the process used for the workshop, which has led, in turn, to the prioritised research agenda that forms an integral part of this report.
The 2nd ENAT International Congress takes place in Vienna on 30th September to 1st October 2009. Book before 30th June, to secure your place, and save 20% on the normal fee. Reduced rates for ENAT Members.
This summer, ENAT Member 'Let's Go Costa Brava Apartments', together with the Sailing School Força 3 in Sant Feliu de Guíxols Spain, organizes a 6 days / 5 nights stay where customers will be able to be initiated into the world of sailing. This special offer will introduce disabled visitors to the basic notions of accessible sailing and at the same time give them an unforgettable holiday.
Earlier this year, ENAT Member 'Accessible Portugal' won the annual tourism award, from the Portuguese Tourism Board, for the best project in the “Services” category. This award recognises the work carried out by Accessible Portugal, as a relevant contributor for the qualification of Portugal as an accessible tourism destination.
Barcelona, Spain. The Spanish consultancy group, ProA Solutions has launched a user survey about access in rail travel. The survey, which is being conducted for RENFE, the Spanish National Railway, aims to shed light on the accessibility of different countries’ railway systems and the users’ perceptions.
Torino. After three years of work, thanks to the interest of a tour operator operating in the incoming Italy, the first accessible travel package has been created: a range of proposals to visit and use the better Piedmont tourist offer with all services and the guarantee of welcome quality requested to satisfy the particular necessities of each tourist.
Today sees the launch of accessible.travel - a new on-line booking site for people with disabilities and others who need to know about the accessibility of venues and hotels before they travel. The site is run by Craig Grimes, a wheelchair user and determined traveller, adventurer and consultant to the tourism industry.
The publication, "International Best Practices in Universal Design: A Global Review" has been named as one of the world's 100 "Best Practices" for 2008 by United Nations - Habitat - Dubai International Award for Best Practices. The Global Alliance on Accessible Technologies and Environments (GAATES) has distributed the publication to over 5000 people worldwide. It compares accessibility codes and standards from around the world and is available in English, French, Arabic, Spanish, Serbian and the alternate DAISY format.
South African tourism authorities are knuckling down to the issue of accessible tourism during a month-long visit of leading US disability expert Scott Rains. Dr Rains, a wheelchair-user for 37 years and an advocate for the rights of disabled travellers, will be meeting South Africa's largest disability organisations and tourism bodies during his month-long visit to the country. The aim of his trip is to evaluate the quality of the South African tourism product for disabled and older travellers – and ultimately to build awareness of the importance of good access to the country's tourism industry as a whole.
Profit through Access is a brand new online training course. Designed for tourism businesses, it will help you to attract a wider range of visitors and improve your profits.
The 18-month CETA Project has been established by ENAT and its partners in the framework of the European Union's programme "...to support initiatives of public and private bodies, or their existing networks, to contribute to enhancing the sustainability and competitiveness of European Tourism especially for Small and Medium-sized Enterprises, while allowing for wider economic, social and environmental benefits to be gained.” (European Commission, DG Enterprise and Industry, Tourism Unit, 2008).
