Destinations and companies place accessibility at the forefront of tourism planning and product development
At the Fitur Seminar: Mr. Dilyor Khakimov, Director for Institutional Relations, Partnerships and Advocacy, UN Tourism, Dr. Jesús Hernández Galán, Coordinator AccessibleEU and Director of Universal Accessibility, Fundación ONCE, and Mr. Igor Stefanovic, UN Tourism Coordinator for Accessibility, Cultural Tourism and Indigenous Peoples
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UN Tourism and the European Accessibility Resource Centre (AccessibleEU)joined accessible tourism champions at the FITUR Spanish Tourism Fair to advance policies, standards, incentives, skills and business strategies, making inclusion a reality for millions of people.
FITUR, Madrid, 23 January 2025.
The seminar "Accessible Tourism: Harnessing the Benefits of Inclusive Destinations for Companies and People" featured debates engaging high-level policymakers from UN Tourism Member States, including Ecuador, Italy, and Portugal, alongside accessibility leaders from Málaga and Berlin, part of the UN Tourism International Network of Sustainable Tourism Observatories (INSTO).
With the support of Fitur
In collaboration with
Governments and promotion boards emphasised the importance of:
- Improving information and communication about accessible offerings to enhance visitors' comfort, safety, and length of stay;
- Strengthening transnational cooperation to size up the global accessible tourism market and monitor its constant growth;
- Promoting employment opportunities for persons with disabilities in the sector; and
- Utilising innovation and data to raise public awareness and attract investments.
Private sector working side by side with destinations
UN Tourism's Affiliate Members and strategic partners in the sustainability agenda – the International Air Transport Association (IATA) and the World Sustainable Hospitality Alliance (WHSA) – along with leading tour operators and transportation companies like IMPULSA IGUALDAD (Spain), Sage Travelling (USA), and Holmeswood Coaches (UK), called for:
- Harmonizing accessibility standards and simplifying their implementation across the industry;
- Leveraging technology and universal marketing platforms to promote accessible experiences;
- Measuring the impacts of accessibility advancements on employees, customers, and key stakeholders; and
- Embedding accessibility into core business strategies.
Latest Report from UN Tourism on Accessible Tourism
The latest UN Tourism report on the topic was officially launched at the 2025 FITUR international tourism trade fair.
"Advancing Accessible Tourism for Destinations, Companies, and People" was produced with the Government of San Marino and AccessibleEU. It showcases 25 good practices in accessibility championed by Belgium, Czechia, France, Greece, Israel, Italy, Portugal, Turkey, San Marino, South Africa, Spain, United Kingdom and Uzbekistan. It also provides insights into accessibility improvements in culture- and nature-based tourism, festivals and pilgrimage routes, urban and rural experiences, sports and mega events, shopping tourism and transportation.
The good practices were presented at the International Conference on Accessible Tourism held in San Marino in November 2023.
Download the Report from the UN Tourism Website.