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Accessible tourism is the ongoing endeavour to ensure tourist destinations, products and services are accessible to all people, regardless of their physical limitations, disabilities or age.
It encompasses publicly and privately owned tourist locations. The improvements not only benefit those with permanent physical disabilities, but also parents pushing buggies, elderly travelers, people with temporary injuries, such as a broken leg, as well as their relatives, friends and other companions.
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Overview
Modern society is increasingly aware of concepts such as ageing and integration of people with disabilities. Issues such accessibility and Design for All are featured in international symposia and bodies such as the European Commission[1] have taken steps to promote guidelines and good practices and now dedicate major resources in these fields.
As of 2008, there were more than 50 million persons with disabilities in Europe, and more than 600 million around the world. When expanded to include all beneficiaries of accessible tourism, as defined above, the number grows to some 130 million people in Europe alone.[2] In addition to the social benefits, the market represents an opportunity with new investment opportunities and new service requirements, rarely provided by the regular travel agencies, transport providers and other key players in the tourism sector.
According to ENAT, the European Network for Accessible Tourism, accessible tourism includes:[2]
- Barrier-free destinations: infrastructure and facilities
- Transport: by air, land and sea, suitable for all users
- High quality services: delivered by trained staff
- Activities, exhibits, attractions: allowing participation in tourism for everyone
- Marketing, booking systems, Web sites & services: accessible for all (i.e. accessible information)
Specific needs and requirements
Specific problems found by travellers or tourists with disabilities include:
- Inaccessible, or only partly accessible, web sites
- Lack of accessible airport transfer
- Lack of wheelchair accessible vehicles
- Lack of well-adapted hotel rooms
- Lack of professional staff capable of informing and advising about accessibility issues
- Lack of reliable information about a specific attraction's level of accessibility (church, castle, exhibition, etc.)
- Lack of accessible restaurants, bars, etc
- Lack of adapted toilets in restaurants and public places
- Inaccessible streets (cars parking in the stepwalk, etc.)
- Lack of technical aids and disability equipment (wheelchairs, bath chairs, toilet raisers, electric scooters)
Brief history
Europe and United States of America share the majority of the existing companies in this niche. However, around the world many companies are starting to appear as the result of a growing need, largely driven by "senior tourism" due to increasing life expectancy in developed countries.
Portugal, Spain, the United Kingdom, Germany, France and other northern European countries are increasingly prepared to receive tourists in wheelchairs, and to provide disability equipment and wheelchair accessible transport.
References
External links
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