As part of the CALYPSO Preparatory Action, the European Commission has approved the project presented by Spain, Portugal and Poland to work jointly on preparing a seniors exchange system in the low season. Representatives of the three national administrations will work for eleven months to start up these transnational exchanges of senior tourists in 2012.
The New Zealand Tourism Research Institute, Auckland University of Technology is conducting a survey for the New Zealand National Foundation for the Deaf concerning the tourism, travel, and hospitality needs of people with hearing impairments. The survey aims to gather responses from people all over the world who are either deaf or have hearing loss.
London 20 January 2011. The most comprehensive business case for accessible tourism in England launches today. The booklet, entitled ‘At Your Service’, has been created through a joint partnership between the Government’s Accessible Tourism Stakeholder Forum and VisitEngland with the aim of inspiring tourism businesses to improve accessibility for customers in the lead up to the London 2012 Olympic Games & Paralympic Games.
Accessible Travel Netherlands has been developed to raise awareness about the increasing need of information about access for tourists and to provide reliable information for visitors. This need comes especially from the rising numbers of tourist that might face a disability.
11.01.2011. Athens. The president of SEGITTUR, Javier Bustamante, presented the new developments in the Europe Senior Tourism programme for the current 2010-2011 season at a press conference in Athens attended by over 20 general and specialist news media.
For people with physical disabilities one of the aspects that can turn a traveling experience into a more or less pleasant activity is the accessibility of the places, whether they are beaches or cultural destinations all over the world. ENAT member, Associação Salvadorhas created the online guide, www.portugalacessivel.com to facilitate the search for these accessible venues in Portugal.
Participants of the international conference “Tourism for All – good examples from home as well as abroad” appeal to politicians and institutions to start viewing accessible tourism as an integral part of tourism. The conference, held on 15 November 2010, by the project “ATHENA” in cooperation with ENAT (European Network for Accessible Tourism) and financed by EU proved the necessity of improvements of provided services so that Czech destinations were fully accessible and available for all.
The Vice Minister for Trade and Tourism, Pilar Zorrilla, presided over the first seal award event, held in Vitoria-Gasteiz. The Accessible Seal is the result of the Accessibility Programme developed by the Department of Industry, Innovation, Trade and Tourism of the Basque Government which prepares businesses to orient their services to all visitors.
