ENAT

EU Strategy for Sustainable Tourism Text Adopted by European Parliament 25 March 2021

Ivor Ambrose — Mon, 29 Mar 2021 10:05:00 GMT

25 March 2021, Brussels. The Parliament voted on the INI report on Sustainable Tourism. The resolution on an EU strategy for sustainable tourism was adopted by 577 votes to 31, and 80 abstentions. It notes that the COVID-19 outbreak has paralysed the EU’s tourism sector, putting millions of jobs at risk.

25 March 2021, Brussels. The Parliament voted on the INI report on Sustainable Tourism. The resolution on an EU strategy for sustainable tourism was adopted by 577 votes to 31, and 80 abstentions.

It notes that the COVID-19 outbreak has paralysed the EU’s tourism sector, putting millions of jobs at risk.

The text begins:

Rebuild: COVID-19 impact response plans

1. Stresses that the COVID-19 outbreak has paralysed the EU tourism sector, putting its ecosystem under unprecedented pressure; highlights that continued short-term financial support is essential to the survival of the sector, especially in light of the second and third wave of the pandemic; believes, nonetheless, that the current crisis should lead the Commission and Member States to fully acknowledge the importance of the tourism industry, to fully integrate it into European and national development plans, to enhance the quality of its offer, to make it more sustainable and accessible for all, and to launch long-overdue public and private investment in the digitalisation and overall modernisation of the sector;

Read the full text in more languages at the Europa website.

NOTE:

MEP Istvan Ujhelyi drafted an additional motion to this report on the creation of the European Tourism Union. This AM was voted too, so the majority of the MEPs supported the idea of a stronger European Tourism Policy with the establishment of the European Tourism Union.

Istvan Ujhelyi stated: “The bankruptcy of the Thomas Cook and now the coronavirus epidemic have highlighted the need for EU-level solutions: immediate financial support, a crisis management mechanism, clear rules to facilitate travel, and a long-term European tourism strategy. Tourism is part of the European Green Deal, and the innovative digital solutions can help to relaunch the sector in a more sustainable way. After hearing Parliament's proposal, the Commission decided to set up a European Health Union, with a budget in the seven-year MFF. I am convinced that in the coming months, European leaders will recognize that a similar achievement is needed, in the field of tourism to create the European Tourism Union!”

The AM on the European Tourism Union:
"17. Calls for a discussion to be initiated at the Conference on the Future of Europe on helping tourism to become a shared competence of the EU, rather than a complementary competence as is currently the case; stresses that the Treaties currently provide significant flexibility for EU policies in the field of tourism, which is not being fully utilised by the Commission; calls on the Commission, therefore, to start making full use of the Treaties to develop a comprehensive European tourism policy towards the creation of the European Tourism Union".

Download the full text in PDF format from the right-hand panel.

Accessible and Inclusive Tourism Conference in the Asia-Pacific (AITCAP)

John Stamos — Thu, 25 Mar 2021 14:59:00 GMT

Online conference, 4 to 27 May 2021. AITCAP is a unique opportunity to raise awareness on the importance of accessible & inclusive travel and showcase organisations championing change. Get to know this huge, fast-growing and underserved market.

Online conference, 4 to 27 My 2021. AITCAP is a unique opportunity to raise awareness on the importance of accessible & inclusive travel and showcase organisations championing change.

Get to know this huge, fast-growing and underserved market. Join this 100% virtual event from anywhere

Keynotes, panel discussions, workshops. All sessions will be pre-recorded with captions and transcripts to increase accessibility and live Q&A features will allow for discussion with speakers, sponsors & hosts.

Conference days:

May 6th - Best Practice in Accessible and Inclusive Tourism
May 13th - Understanding and Attracting the Accessible Tourism market
May 20th - Accessible and Inclusive Destination Marketing
May 27th - The Future of Accessible and Inclusive Tourism

Organised by getaboutable.com (Australia).

Further information:

This is a commercial event. Ticket prices are shown on the website in Australian Dollars.
A discount is available for early bookings.

Visit the AITCAP Conference webpage

Azores for All, 2021

Ivor Ambrose — Sun, 21 Mar 2021 11:06:00 GMT

Photo: Walkers with “Joëlette” all-terrain one-wheeled chair user on seaside path, Azores.

The Azores for All team brings together professionals that are passionate about accessible tourism, fully available to listen to the customer’s needs and purpose, and in several languages, the best solutions for unforgettable holidays in the Azores.

We offer information, services and activities, adapted to residents and to tourists who visit the Azores, either conventional or tourists with disabilities.
We work with private groups, travel agencies and tour operators as well.
We are a touristic animation company focused on the promotion of social and inclusive tourism in the Azores.

On this page we show some of our activities in the photos, below.

For more information and contact details, visit our website: Azoresforall

Accessible minivan at cruise port

Wheelchair user taking panorama photo

Walkers with Joelette user on footpath

Kayaks on lake

All photos: Azores for All

Azores for All is an Associate Member of ENAT

Azores for All

Ivor Ambrose — Sun, 21 Mar 2021 10:14:12 GMT

In 2014 we registered the Azores for All brand, convinced that an unforgettable journey begins well before departure, and when choosing the destination for holidays, through accessible and reliable information, where small details make all the difference. The Azores for All team brings together professionals that are passionate about accessible tourism, fully available to listen to the customer’s needs and purpose, and in several languages, the best solutions for unforgettable holidays in the Azores. We offer information, services and activities, adapted to residents and to tourists who visit the Azores, either conventional or tourists with disabilities. We work with private groups, travel agencies and tour operators as well. We are a touristic animation company focused on the promotion of social and inclusive tourism in the Azores. In 2014 we registered the Azores for All brand, convinced that an unforgettable journey begins well before departure, and when choosing the destination for holidays, through accessible and reliable information, where small details make all the difference. The Azores for All team brings together professionals that are passionate about accessible tourism, fully available to listen to the customer’s needs and purpose, and in several languages, the best solutions for unforgettable holidays in the Azores. We offer information, services and activities, adapted to residents and to tourists who visit the Azores, either conventional or tourists with disabilities. We work with private groups, travel agencies and tour operators as well. We are a touristic animation company focused on the promotion of social and inclusive tourism in the Azores.

Accessible Air Travel - Recommendations of the German Aviation Association

Ivor Ambrose — Fri, 19 Mar 2021 13:22:54 GMT

In the framework of the "PRM-Dialogue" which is organized by the German Aviation Association, a set of recommendations for (not frequently flying) passengers was developed. The German version was published in 2019 and the English version in March 2021.

In the framework of the "PRM-Dialogue" which is organized by the German Aviation Association, a set of recommendations for (not frequently flying) passengers was developed.

The German version was published in 2019 and the English version in March 2021.

The recommendations cover:

Passenger rights to assistance.
Flight booking and assistance request.
Day of travel: at the airport.
Day of travel: On the aircraft.
Day of travel: De-boarding and transfer.
Claims.
Further information.

Download the Recommendations in PDF format from the right-hand panel.

Europe’s travel & tourism sector welcomes Digital Green Certificate proposal and urges parallel effort on wider restart plan to maximise benefit

John Stamos — Wed, 17 Mar 2021 18:54:00 GMT

Over 60 travel and tourism organisations express their support for the European Commission’s initiative and call to ensure swift implementation in time for summer 2021.

Brussels 17 March 2021.

The European Tourism Manifesto alliance, a group of more than 60 public and private travel and tourism organisations and the voice of the sector in Europe, strongly welcomes the European Commission’s proposal to introduce a common, interoperable and mutually-recognised Digital Green Certificate.

This digital proof that a person has been vaccinated against COVID-19, has recovered from the virus, or has a negative test result will greatly facilitate safe free movement of citizens and restart of travel and tourism in the EU.

Today, there are already a number of European countries that facilitate entry into their country if travellers can provide such proof. More countries are expected to follow as vaccinations are rolled out and the health situation improves. EU coordination is thus vital to avoid a fragmented situation with 27 different certificates covering testing, vaccination and immunity.

The alliance urges the European Parliament and the Council to swiftly approve the Commission’s proposal, and for all Member States to ensure a speedy implementation. It also calls on the EU to work collaboratively with the World Health Organisation, OECD and other international bodies to come to a global solution for the digitisation of vaccination, testing and immunity records to facilitate international travel when the epidemiological situation allows.

Europe’s travel and tourism sector is encouraged by the Commission’s proposal, but this initiative on its own will not be enough. The alliance reiterates the urgent need to develop a concrete EU roadmap, following a risk-based and data-driven approach, to identify the conditions and scenarios under which current travel restrictions could be loosened and lifted in a coordinated manner across the EU and beyond. The recent industry recommendations cover:

Creation of an EU Task Force in cooperation with the industry and social partners to restore travel and tourism
Coordination of travel restrictions and requirements
A harmonised EU framework for travel-related testing with sufficient affordable capacity
Coordinated reopening of tourism activities, for instance based on the EU Guidance for the progressive resumption of tourism services issued on 13th May 2020.

Proving the urgency of the need for a common EU framework, a recent survey revealed a strong pent-up demand among Europeans to resume travel with 54% aiming to take a trip before the end of July 2021. Notably, 41% of respondents wish to travel to another European country.

“The Digital Green Certificate proposal released today is a major step in the right direction. But time is of essence now. We need a clear plan outlining conditions and timing to prepare for the safe restart of travel and tourism in Europe to be ready for the critical summer season 2021! Europe should work on this together leaving no place for fragmentation and unilateral actions”, says Eduardo Santander, Chairman of the European Tourism Manifesto alliance and CEO of the European Travel Commission.

ENAT is a member of the European Tourism Manifesto alliance.

TravelAbility Summit - Four Half-Day Virtual Events for Professionals on Accessible Travel and Tourism

Ivor Ambrose — Wed, 10 Mar 2021 11:20:21 GMT

The TravelAbility Summit brings together innovators and travel industry professionals to learn from people with disabilities how to provide a better travel experience. Prepare your business for the 75 million baby boomers who make up a large part of the expanding accessible travel market.

The TravelAbility Summit is the only event where destinations and travel suppliers can prepare for the 75 million baby boomers who will be aging with a disability by learning from the most respected leaders in the disability travel community who have lived experiences in what they need.

TravelAbility Summit will be held quarterly in 2021 via Zoom, as four half-day virtual events and circumstances permitting, the final event on November 30th will be hybrid.

Agenda

April 1, 2021: LaunchPad. The World’s Only Assistive Technology Pitch Fest

June 24, 2021: The State of Accessible Travel

September 30, 2021: The Future of Accessible Travel

November 30, 2021: Accessibility In Action

Further details and Registration

For further information about the Agenda, Speakers and timings, visit the Travelability Website.

Register: http://travelability.net/register/

ENAT Members will receive a Promotional Code by email, to save a $100 discount off the $195 rate for the LaunchPad pitchfest or the full conference.

Travelability is an Associate Member of ENAT

Tightened Travel Restrictions Underline Current Challenges for Tourism - UNWTO

Ivor Ambrose — Mon, 08 Mar 2021 08:15:00 GMT

Madrid, Spain 7 March 2021. One in three destinations worldwide are now completely closed to international tourism due to COVID-19 travel restrictions, according to the latest data from the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO).

Madrid, Spain 7 March 2021 - One in three destinations worldwide are now completely closed to international tourism.

According to the latest data from the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO), the emergence of new variants of the COVID-19 virus has prompted many governments to reverse efforts to ease restrictions on travel, with total closures to tourists most prevalent in Asia and the Pacific and Europe.

The UNWTO Travel Restrictions Report (download) provides a comprehensive overview of the regulations in place in 217 destinations worldwide.

While previous editions had shown a movement towards easing or lifting restrictions on travel, the latest report shows that the persistent seriousness of the epidemiological situation has caused governments to adopt a more cautious approach.

As of the beginning of February, 32% of all destinations worldwide (69 in total) are completely closed for international tourism. Of these, around just over half (38 destinations) have been closed for at least 40 weeks. At the same time, 34% of worldwide destinations are now partially closed to international tourists.

UNWTO Secretary-General Zurab Polilikashvili says:

“Travel restrictions have been widely used to restrict the spread of the virus. Now, as we work to restart tourism, we must recognise that restrictions are just one part of the solution. Their use must be based on the latest data and analysis and consistently reviewed so as to allow for the safe and responsible restart of a sector upon which many millions of businesses and jobs depend.”

Regional variations clear

The ninth edition of the UNWTO Travel Restrictions Report shows that regional differences with regards to travel restrictions remain.

Of the 69 destinations where borders are completely closed to tourists, 30 are in Asia and the Pacific, 15 are in Europe, 11 are in Africa, 10 are in the Americas and three are in the Middle East.

At the same time, the UNWTO research also indicates a trend towards adopting a more nuanced, evidence and risk-based approach to implementing travel restrictions. Growing numbers of destinations worldwide now require international tourists to present a negative PCR or antigen test upon arrival and also provide contact details for tracing purposes. Indeed, 32% of all worldwide destinations now have the presentation of such tests as their main requirement for international arrivals often combined with quarantine, while the same amount have made tests a secondary or tertiary measure.

Top tourism markets remain cautious

As UNWTO leads the restart of tourism, the Travel Restrictions Report also notes how different governments are issuing advice to their own citizens. Analysis of the top ten tourism source markets currently advising against non-essential travel abroad found they generated 44% of all international arrivals in 2018. UNWTO notes that advice issued by governments will play a crucial role in the restart and recovery of tourism in the weeks and months ahead.

Download the new UNWTO Report: COVID-19 Related Travel Restrictions – A Global Review for Tourism, in PDF format from the right-hand panel.

Download the UNWTO Press Pelease in PDF format from the right-hand panel.

Accessible Tourism Survey by Masters Student - Please respond!

Ivor Ambrose — Fri, 05 Mar 2021 14:11:31 GMT

Hello! I am Nastassia Barbaro, a Masters student at CETT- Universidad de Barcelona.

Let me share their web page if you would like to know more about the course: Master in Tourism Management of Cultural and Natural Heritage, CETT-UB.

I am asking persons with disabilities or other specific access requirements to answer a survey about tourism experiences for my Masters' studies.

I am an ENAT Student Member and am visually impaired, so it concerns me too.

The survey is anonymous and it takes just a few minutes to complete.

It is available in English, Italian, French, Portuguese and Spanish versions.

Please choose the language version that is best for you.

English: https://forms.gle/gQF5MTMKjqR9VyFW6

Italian: https://forms.gle/bR7AiXmpxUwLHGLZ6

French: https://forms.gle/ch29wj718PSUr9f9A

Portuguese: https://forms.gle/DXdb7b1GfWansnh46

Spanish: https://forms.gle/ug7XzDBzBBHnh4vHA

Please answer by 16th May 2021.

Thank you very much in advance for your help!

Online Open Workshop: Towards Common European Criteria on Accessibility of the Built Environment: Outcomes of Mandate M/420

Ivor Ambrose — Wed, 03 Mar 2021 18:50:00 GMT

Presentation of the new European Standard on Accessibility of the Built Environment. Free of charge, open for all.

Presentation of the new European Standard and Technical reports on Accessibility of the Built Environment.

The Meeting is free of charge and open to all interested persons.

Date: Monday, 22nd March 2021

Time: 10:00 to 12:15 Central European Time (Berlin, Brussels, Madrid, Paris, Rome)

Accessibility provisions: International sign language interpretation and live captioning will be provided.

Platform: Online - ZOOM Meeting

Speakers representing UNE (Spanish Standards Organisation), the European Commission, Fundación ONCE, and the Mandate M/420 Project Team will introduce and present EN 17210:2021, the 1st European standard on accessibility of the built environment and two Technical Reports supporting the implementation of the Standard.

Representatives of some user organisations will present their perspectives on the results and there will be a 'Questions and Answers' session where the audience is invited to particpate.

Background

The European Standard and Technical Reports are the result of the Phase 2 studies and standards work in response to the European Commission Standardisation Mandate M/420 delivered to CEN, CENELEC and ETSI in support of 'European accessibility requirements for public procurement in the built environment', which was issued in 2007.

Phase 2 of Mandate M/420 is in its final stages. The European Standardisation Organisations CEN and CENELEC, within CEN-CENELEC JTC 11, with the impulse and support of the European Commission, have just produced the 1st European Standard on the accessibility of the built environment, EN 17210:2021. It will be soon complemented by two European Technical Reports on technical specifications to fulfil the functional requirements given in the standard and on its conformity assessment.

The workshop will address the relevance of the works of M/420 on the accessibility of the built environment from both the institutional and the technical point of view.

You will have the opportunity to know the key issues addressed in the new European standardisation documents, that will be explained by Project Team members who worked on them from scratch.

Besides, you will have a 360º view from the different stakeholders that will benefit from these documents.

If you are part of the procurement community or a legislator, are involved in the design of buildings and public spaces, or have experienced the need of more accessible spaces, that do not leave any citizen behind, then this workshop is specially aimed at you!

Please note!

Pre-registration is obligatory. Register

After registration you will receive joining details by email from the organisers.

Download the Programme in PDF format from the right-hand panel.

The Programme also contains the link to the Registration Form.

ENAT participated in the CEN-CENELEC Joint Technical Committee 11 as an official Liaison Organisation, contributing to the technical work on behalf of stakeholders in the tourism and travel sectors.

#Tourism4Recovery: Travel and Tourism Stakeholders Urge Investment in Sustainable Tourism as Part of EU Recovery

Ivor Ambrose — Mon, 01 Mar 2021 17:05:03 GMT

Brussels, 1 March 2021. Over 60 European organisations call for tourism to be firmly anchored in EU national Recovery and Resilience plans. European Tourism Manifesto alliance presents list of reforms and investment ideas to support tourism and make EU economies more resilient. New #Tourism4Recovery campaign launched to support the call and showcase impact of investments in sustainable tourism.

Brussels, 1 March 2021. Press Release, European Tourism Manifesto Alliance.

New #Tourism4Recovery campaign launched to support the call and showcase impact of investments in sustainable tourism.
Over 60 European organisations call for tourism to be firmly anchored in EU national Recovery and Resilience plans.
European Tourism Manifesto alliance presents list of reforms and investment ideas to support tourism and make EU economies more resilient.

The European Tourism Manifesto alliance, which represents over 60 European travel & tourism stakeholders covering the whole value chain of travel operations across Europe, has called on European governments to include tourism as a strategic part of their national Recovery and Resilience plans.

The ‘Call for Action: Accelerate Social and Economic Recovery by Investing in Sustainable Tourism Development’ paper recently published by the alliance emphasises that the new Recovery and Resilience Facility agreed by the EU institutions to help rebuild the bloc’s economy offers an unprecedented opportunity to reset travel in Europe and build a more sustainable, resilient and innovative tourism sector.

To assist EU governments in drafting their national recovery plans, the paper presents a non-exhaustive list of reforms and investment ideas to drive digital and green transitions of travel and tourism and wider EU economies.

Examples of some of the investment proposals included in the paper relate to:

the greening of tourism destination infrastructure;
the development of clean fuels for transportation and investment in multimodal transport solutions;
investments in tourism marketing and promotion to kick-start recovery; a fast rollout of rapid broadband services to rural, coastal and mountainous areas and the acceleration of fibre and 5G networks for travellers; and
support to digital skills training for tourism workers.

Paving the way towards tourism of tomorrow, Eduardo Santander, Chairman of the European Tourism Manifesto alliance and CEO of the European Travel Commission, said:

“With appropriate support, travel and tourism can be one of the most effective engines to deliver sustainable development in 2021 and beyond. The sector supports employment across all areas and demographics, contributes to social inclusion and wellbeing and generates revenue needed to preserve community identity, culture, and heritage. We urge EU governments to follow our call and firmly anchor tourism & travel in their crisis response and recovery plans”.

To support the alliance’s call to action, a new #Tourism4Recovery campaign was launched today with the goal of raising awareness of the devastating impact of the COVID-19 crisis on European tourism and showcasing how investment in sustainable tourism can be a key driver for the EU’s recovery.

The campaign features a dedicated website page with user-generated content as well as a series of social media videos presenting tourism as a force for sustainable development. The alliance urges its travel & tourism partners to join the conversation online and promote key investments required for sustainable tourism recovery in their countries and across Europe.

Download the Press Release from the right-hand panel in PDF format.

ENAT is a member of the European Tourism Manifesto alliance.

The European Tourism Manifesto alliance gathers more than 60 European public and private organisations, covering the whole tourism value chain and beyond. The alliance calls on the European Union for action on key policy priorities for the tourism sector. For more information, please visit tourismmanifesto.eu. The Secretariat and Chairmanship of the alliance are currently held by the European Travel Commission (ETC). For any enquiries, please contact us via https://tourismmanifesto.eu/contact/.

UNWTO Tourism Recovery Guide 2: Harnessing the Power of Culture and Creativity in Tourism Recovery

Ivor Ambrose — Fri, 26 Feb 2021 14:04:02 GMT

Madrid, Spain, 25 February 2021 - The shared values and close ties between tourism and culture stakeholders means both sectors can work together to ensure inclusive access to heritage, as countries around the world recover from the pandemic. In recognition of this mutually reinforcing relationship, the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) and UNESCO have collaborated to produce a set of new guidelines focusing on the responsible restart of cultural tourism. UNWTO invited the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) to contribute to the UNWTO Inclusive Recovery Guide, Issue 2: Cultural Tourism. This is the second set of guidelines relating to the socio-cultural impacts of COVID-19 issued by UNWTO and will continue to be revised, as the situation evolves. Make cultural tourism relevant in the recovery The publication draws on the insights and expertise of the two UN agencies to analyse the impact of the pandemic on their respective sectors. This includes how lost revenues are severely impacting communities, heritage sites, cultural events, spaces and institutions, while also weakening destinations’ competitiveness and market differentiation. The guidelines on cultural tourism also stress the need for support from policymakers to ensure the relevance of culture in the emergency and contingency planning within tourism destinations.

Madrid, Spain, 25 February 2021 The shared values and close ties between tourism and culture stakeholders means both sectors can work together to ensure inclusive access to heritage, as countries around the world recover from the pandemic. In recognition of this mutually reinforcing relationship, the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) and UNESCO have collaborated to produce a set of new guidelines focusing on the responsible restart of cultural tourism.

UNWTO invited the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) to contribute to the UNWTO Inclusive Recovery Guide, Issue 2: Cultural Tourism. This is the second set of guidelines relating to the socio-cultural impacts of COVID-19 issued by UNWTO and will continue to be revised, as the situation evolves.

Make cultural tourism relevant in the recovery

The publication draws on the insights and expertise of the two UN agencies to analyse the impact of the pandemic on their respective sectors. This includes how lost revenues are severely impacting communities, heritage sites, cultural events, spaces and institutions, while also weakening destinations’ competitiveness and market differentiation.

The guidelines on cultural tourism also stress the need for support from policymakers to ensure the relevance of culture in the emergency and contingency planning within tourism destinations.

Read more and Download the UNWTO Recovery Guide 2 from the UNWTO Website.

Download the UNWTO Press release from the right hand panel in PDF format.

Europe’s Travel and Tourism Sector Calls on EU Governments to Chart Restart Plan in Time for Summer

Ivor Ambrose — Thu, 25 Feb 2021 21:27:00 GMT

Brussels, 24.2.2021. Over 60 travel and tourism organisations unveil concrete recommendations for re-opening travel & tourism in Europe, including creation of Commission-led Task Force to restore freedom of movement.

The European Tourism Manifesto alliance, a group of more than 60 public and private travel and tourism organisations and the voice of the sector in Europe, today unveiled a series of joint recommendations for EU Member States on how to relaunch travel and tourism in Europe in time for summer 2021.

At the heart of the recommendations is the development of an EU roadmap for safely restoring travel once countries emerge from national lockdowns to be developed and implemented in close cooperation with industry and social partners.

A dedicated Commission Task Force for the restoration of free movement of people would lead the development and implementation of the roadmap – and provide ongoing assessments based on risk and the latest scientific data. The goal would be to identify the conditions and scenarios under which current restrictions to international travel could be loosened and ultimately lifted across Europe and beyond. As a result, the roadmap will need to be agile and updated on a regular basis.

The joint recommendations laid out by the European Tourism Manifesto alliance were shared with EU governments ahead of two crucial discussions – a videoconference of the European leaders on 25-26 February and an extraordinary meeting of Tourism Ministers on 1 March.

Download the European Tourism Manifsto Recommendations from the right-hand panel in PDF format.

Recommendations

The recommendations call on the Commission-led Task Force to track the progress and impact of ongoing vaccination campaigns as well as mitigation measures such as testing and quarantine, based on risk levels within the EU and internationally.

“Our goal is for Europe to return to its place as the leading tourist destination in the world – and a safe one. As EU vaccination programmes progress and protect the most vulnerable citizens, we must jointly prepare for the restart of travel. There is simply no time to lose – preparations on a common approach should begin now, in order to restore public confidence by the summer. Our recommendations detail a joint way forward towards restoring travel & tourism and freedom of movement on behalf of European citizens. We look forward to working with EU leaders to put this plan into action as soon as possible”, state the authors of the paper.

A summary of the recommendations to EU Member States includes:

Creation of an EU Task Force to restore freedom of movement of people: A Commission-led Task Force for the restoration of free movement of people, to develop and implement a travel restart plan and recovery roadmap.
Coordination of travel restrictions: An improved and effective European coordination of travel restrictions and requirements is urgently needed to facilitate the restart of travel and tourism (9.5% of EU GDP) and offer predictability to travellers as well as to travel and tourism businesses, and their workers.
Testing: A harmonised EU framework for travel-related testing should encompass the following: Members States to ensure affordable testing, sufficient capacity, mutual recognition of tests between Member States and continuous work at international level for the mutual recognition of tests. Validation of the use of antigen and other rapid tests for travel and tourism purposes[1] is urgently needed, alongside regular assessment of the accepted tests as test efficacy improves (LAMP[2] for instance).
E-Health certificates: EU coordination of national initiatives is urgently needed to avoid having 27 different certificates covering testing, vaccination and/or immunity: DG SANTE must take the lead and work with DG MOVE and DG GROW on an interoperable European system that would enable a fast and digital verification of travellers’ vaccination and/or test status.
Vaccination, or vaccination certificates, should not be mandatory in order to travel (once vaccination is more widely available), but vaccinated travellers or those with proven immunity should be exempted from entry bans, testing and quarantine restrictions in accordance with the latest scientific insights on the reduced ability of those vaccinated to still spread the virus.
Coordinated reopening of tourism activities: Once the health situation allows it, it is crucial to restart tourism and leisure activities alongside re-establishing freedom of movement for EU citizens.

[1] The specificity and sensitivity of rapid antigen tests is now over 90%. It is also important to underline that the goal is rather to screen positive cases rather than diagnose, therefore reducing the risk of the travelling population to spread the virus further. In addition, the Health Security Committee published on 17 February 2021 “A common list of COVID-19 rapid antigen tests, including those whose test results are mutually recognised, and a common standardised set of data to be included in COVID-19 test result certificates”.

[2] Loop-mediated isothermal amplification test, LAMP

This paper has been prepared by the European Tourism Manifesto alliance, which gathers more than 60 European public and private organisations, covering the whole tourism value chain and beyond. The alliance calls on the European Union for action on key policy priorities for the tourism sector. The Secretariat and Chairmanship of the alliance are currently held by the European Travel Commission (ETC). For any enquiries, please contact us via tourismmanifesto.eu/contact/

ENAT is a member of the European Tourism Manifesto alliance

Call for Action: Accelerate Social and Economic Recovery by Investing in Sustainable Tourism Development

Ivor Ambrose — Wed, 10 Feb 2021 11:51:00 GMT

The new Recovery and Resilience Facility, proposed by the European Commission to help the EU rebuild after the pandemic, offers an unprecedented opportunity to support tourism-related reforms to ensure that the sector helps to drive digital and green transitions, and thereby strengthens both economic and social resilience.

Brussels, 9 February 2021. The new Recovery and Resilience Facility, proposed by the European Commission to help the EU rebuild after the pandemic, offers an unprecedented opportunity to support tourism-related reforms to ensure that the sector helps to drive digital and green transitions, and thereby strengthens both economic and social resilience.

This paper is prepared by the European Tourism Manifesto alliance as a contribution to the drafting of national recovery and resilience plans. The new Recovery and Resilience Facility, proposed by the European Commission to help the EU rebuild after the pandemic, offers an unprecedented opportunity to support tourism-related reforms to ensure that the sector helps to drive digital and green transitions, and thereby strengthens both economic and social resilience.

Following its urgent call to Member States to make tourism a strategic element in their national recovery plans, the European Tourism Manifesto alliance has published a detailed paper presenting a non-exhaustive list of reforms and investment ideas related to travel and tourism that would contribute to making EU countries’ economies more resilient, so we will be better prepared to respond to future opportunities and challenges.

These tourism-related investments are grouped according to the EU flagship initiatives listed in the European Commission’s Guidance to Member States on Recovery and Resilience Plans and can be integrated in the national recovery plans.

The purpose of the paper is to help Member States in drafting their recovery and resilience plans to ensure that the proposed reforms and investments create a favourable environment in which tourism can develop in a sustainable and resilient way, and continue to create jobs, fostering cohesion and building the path towards a sustainable recovery from the social and economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The European Tourism Manifesto alliance recognises and appreciates that a number of Member States have made specific mention of tourism-related investments in their draft recovery plans for the Recovery and Resilience Facility and calls on all Member States to follow the same approach: travel and tourism services and related infrastructure are critical for each country’s long-term economic prospects.

Download the paper from the right-hand panel in PDF format.

ENAT is a Member of the European Tourism Manifesto alliance.

UN Resolution on Improving Global Road Safety

Ivor Ambrose — Fri, 22 Jan 2021 09:16:05 GMT

On 31 August 2020, the UN General Assembly adopted resolution A/RES/74/299 on Improving Global Road Safety.

On 31 August 2020, the UN General Assembly adopted resolution A/RES/74/299 on Improving Global Road Safety.

The resolution was based on the Stockholm Declaration agreed at the 3rd Global Ministerial Conference on Road Safety in February 2020. It sets out a new target for road safety target for the next 10 years and proclaims the Second Decade of Action for Road Safety.

Main points

Proclamation of a Second Decade of Action for Road Safety 2021 – 2030.
A new target to reduce road deaths and injuries by 50% by 2030.
A request to the UNRSC, WHO and the UN Regional Commissions to prepare a plan of action.
Encouragement to Member States to take a holistic view of road safety in the context of the full SDG agenda, connecting it to environmental, mobility, equality, gender, and urban planning issues.
Promotion of environmentally sound, safe, accessible, and affordable modes of quality transport, especially public and non-motorized transport and to actively protect and promote pedestrian safety and cycling mobility.
A focus on vulnerable road users, including children and youth, older persons, and persons with disabilities.
A safe system and vision zero approach promoting an evidence-based, data-led approach.
Provision for vehicle safety, driver standards, road infrastructure, and technology and to address key risk behaviors.
Post-crash care, rehabilitation and social reintegration for road traffic victims.
The role of NGOs, academia, private sector, stakeholders to assist governments, who have primary responsibility for road safety, in working together to achieve the targets.
A high-level meeting of the UN General Assembly by the end of 2022 on improving global road safety with a view to addressing gaps and challenges.

Read the full resolution.

Read NGO quotes and reaction from different sectors to the resolution.

Download the UN Resoution from the right-hand column in PDF format.

Visit: Global Alliance of NGOs for Road Safety

Global Voices of Accessible Travel by Tapooz Travel

Ivor Ambrose — Sun, 09 Aug 2020 10:36:10 GMT

Here we are pleased to re-publish interviews with accessible travel specialists from around the world, by ENAT Member, Tapooz Travel (Laurent Roffe).

Each video lasts about 30 minutes - packed with valuable nuggets of "insider" information!

Watch on YouTube.

Punsri Abeywickrema is a serial Silicon-Valley internet entrepreneur 12 August 2020. Punsri's latest company, Cloud of Goods, grew to become one of a lead providers of mobility equipment to travelers across the USA. He brings a unique perspective to the business development of a service company dedicated to serving the needs of wheelchair users. Punsri was visiting his family Sri Lanka when the pandemic started. He is still there and describes how well the island nation has coped with the crisis. Punsri and Laurent discuss what the actors in the tourism industry need to do to address the future challenges of accessible travel.

Natalia Vindas, the lead operator of the accessible travel company il Viaggio Travel in Costa Rica. 29th July 2020.
The country's commitments to biodiversity and ecotourism are well known. As Natalia explains, equating accessibility with sustainability adds another dimension to the attraction of Costa Rica as an accessible destination. As a wheelchair user herself and a champion on the national adaptive surfing team, Natalia brings a unique point of view and passion to her work. She talks about the current challenges and the prospects for the possible reopening of the country on August 1st.

Veroniek Maat Accessible Travel Netherlands 24th July 2020
ENAT member, Veroniek Maat talks about the challenges of reopening of the country to tourism in the Covid-19 era and the opportunities for the future of accessible tourism in the region.

Emiliano Parrilli / founder and manager of Turismo Acessivel in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. 19th July 2020
ENAT Member, Turismo Acessivel is a leading accessible travel company in the region with destinations in Brazil, Argentina, Chile, Peru and Uruguay. The company recently added Portugal and will start to offer trips to the USA in collaboration with Tapooz Travel as soon as it is safe to do so.

Marie-Odile Vincent in Paris (accessible travel consultant / disability advocate), 6th July 2020.
Global Voices in discussion with Marie-Odile Vincent. One of the best known voices of accessible travel in France and beyond, Marie-Odile talks about the challenges of living in Paris as a wheelchair-user during the pandemic as well as her personal and professional views for the future. Apart from her work as an accessible travel consultant, Marie-Odile is a champion of accessibility rights.

Stefano Sghinolfi / Rome and Italy Group (incoming to Italy), 26 June 2020.
We interviewed Stefano Sghinolfi, manager of the Rome and Italy Group about challenges and opportunities for accessible travel in Italy in the era of Covid-19.

Ingrid Roelofs / VZ travel in the Netherlands (outgoing to multiple Euro destinations) 29th June 2020
Coming from a medical background, Ingrid has developed a great travel model to address the demands of her elderly guests, many with more demanding physical limitations. Matching a traveler with health-care trained traveling companion is only one element of her success. As Europe reopens for tourism, Ingrid is already selling trips to selected destinations with a meticulous attention to safety and well-being.

Christel Stejlborg, Handitours, Copenhagen, Denmark. 31st May 2020
Laurent Roffe of Tapooz Travel in California in a discussion with ENT member Christel Stejlborg of HandiTours in Copenhagen, Denmark about the current state of affairs for accessible travel in Scandinavia in the year of the Covid19 pandemic and the forecast for the future.

Julie Jones, HaveWheelchairWillTravel, Australia. 29th May 2020.
Laurent Roffe of Tapooz Travel in California in a discussion with Julie Jones of HaveWheelchairWill Travel in Sydney Australia about the current state of affairs for accessible travel in the region during the pandemic and the forecast for the future. With Shannon Kelly, social media specialist at Tapooz Travel.

COVID-19

Ivor Ambrose — Mon, 18 May 2020 08:02:24 GMT

A collection of Tourism sector News articles, Resources and Comment related to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic gathered from the ENAT website and other sources.
ENAT is not responsible for the functioning or contents of external websites referenced on this page.

Newest items are listed first.

News items

29/03/2021 EU Strategy for Sustainable Tourism Text Adopted by European Parliament 25 March 2021 The Parliament voted on the INI report on Sustainable Tourism. The resolution on an EU strategy for sustainable tourism was adopted by 577 votes to 31, and 80 abstentions. It notes that the COVID-19 outbreak has paralysed the EU’s tourism sector, putting millions of jobs at risk.

17/03/2021 Europe’s travel & tourism sector welcomes Digital Green Certificate proposal and urges parallel effort on wider restart plan to maximise benefit Over 60 travel and tourism organisations express their support for the European Commission’s initiative and call to ensure swift implementation in time for summer 2021.

8/3/2021 Tightened Travel Restrictions Underline Current Challenges for Tourism - UNWTO One in three destinations worldwide are now completely closed to international tourism due to COVID-19 travel restrictions, according to the latest data from the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO).

1/3/2021 #Tourism4Recovery: Travel and Tourism Stakeholders Urge Investment in Sustainable Tourism as Part of EU Recovery Over 60 European organisations call for tourism to be firmly anchored in EU national Recovery and Resilience plans. European Tourism Manifesto alliance presents list of reforms and investment ideas to support tourism and make EU economies more resilient. New #Tourism4Recovery campaign launched to support the call and showcase impact of investments in sustainable tourism.

25/02/2021 Europe’s Travel and Tourism Sector Calls on EU Governments to Chart Restart Plan in Time for Summer Over 60 travel and tourism organisations unveil concrete recommendations for re-opening travel & tourism in Europe, including creation of Commission-led Task Force to restore freedom of movement.

10/02/2021 Call for Action: Accelerate Social and Economic Recovery by Investing in Sustainable Tourism Development The new Recovery and Resilience Facility, proposed by the European Commission to help the EU rebuild after the pandemic, offers an unprecedented opportunity to support tourism-related reforms to ensure that the sector helps to drive digital and green transitions, and thereby strengthens both economic and social resilience.

20/12/2020 World Tourism and Travel Council "Safe Travels" protocols for the private sector. The protocols align the private sector behind common standards to ensure the safety of its workforce and travellers as the sector shifts to a new normal.

27/10/2020 IATA Guidance on COVID-19 measures for the global airline industry.

16/10/2020 European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control COVID-19 Situation Dashboard. Global and regional mapping of reported COVID-19 cases and deaths.

1/10/2020 European Travel Commission (ETC) Handbook on COVID-19 NTO Recovery Strategies, by TOPOSOPHY. The study looks at the mitigation and recovery policies of European NTOs and the sustainable practices that they need to implement in establishing a new tourism ecosystem in Europe, as we emerge from the impact of Covid-19.

24/09/2020 UNWTO launches COVID-19 Recovery Tracker.The UNWTO tracker monitors a number of relevant global indicators to reveal the recovery of the tourism sector.

11/09/2020. European travel and tourism sector urges EU governments to agree on harmonised travel restrictions as it struggles to survive the current crisis The European Tourism Manifesto alliance, the voice of the European travel and tourism sector, calls on Member States to urgently agree on harmonised travel restrictions and ensure swift implementation to help the sector survive this unprecedented crisis.

04/09/2020. Coronavirus: Commission proposes more clarity and predictability of any measures restricting free movement in the European Union. New measures: 1. Common criteria and thresholds for Member States when deciding whether to introduce travel restrictions; 2. Mapping of common criteria using an agreed colour code; 3. A common framework for measures applied to travellers from high-risk areas; 4. Clear and timely information to the public about any restrictions.

26/8/2020. Travel Demand Recovery Dashboard. The World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) has launched a new in-depth data dashboard highlighting the recovery of travel demand across flights, hotels, world regions and tourism segments. The Covid-19 travel demand recovery dashboard also reveals the shifting intentions of travellers through online travel searches.

03/08/2020 UNWTO, ONCE Foundation and ENAT Call for The Reopening of Tourism Destinations to Cater for the Needs of People With Disabilities. Download the new Guidelines for tourism businesses.
UNWTO-Fundacion ONCE - ENAT Guideline - Reopening Tourism for Travellers with Disabilities: How to provide safety without imposing unnecessary obstacles. (PDF 2.30 MB)

30/07/2020 COVID-19 Operational Guidance for Accommodation. TravelLife Accommodation Sustainability. (PDF Download)

29/07/2020 Practical information for tourists in the COVID-19 crisis, from Spain's official tourism website.

6/06/2020 COVID-19 and sustainable tourism: Information resources and links. An evolving database of over 500 resources with insights and ideas, by Dr. Anna Spenceley on WordPress.

30/06/2020 European Council agrees to start lifting travel restrictions for residents of some third countries. The Council today adopted a recommendation on the gradual lifting of the temporary restrictions on non-essential travel into the EU. Travel restrictions should be lifted for countries listed in the recommendation, with this list being reviewed and, as the case may be, updated every two weeks. Based on the criteria and conditions set out in the recommendation, as from 1 July member states should start lifting the travel restrictions at the external borders for residents of the following third countries... (list follows - refer to link above).

19/06/2020 EU Parliament requests further action to save EU tourism. MEPs call for additional measures to save the EU’s tourism and travel sector and make it future-proof after COVID-19 crisis. The Parliament wants EU support to serve as a tool to guide infrastructure and transport development and tourism towards more sustainable, innovative, resilient and high-quality products and services. The Parliament supports the concept of ‘safe and smart destinations’ to ensure the development of sustainable, responsible and accessible tourism.

17/06/2020 Sri Lanka Tourism ready to welcome tourists from 1st Aug 2020 (Originally published, 05/06/2020).

15/06/2020 'Re-open EU’, an interactive tool providing the information to confidently plan European travel and holidays, while staying healthy and safe. Lists National information on COVID-19 measures, Travel restrictions, Services and Health and Safety for all EU Member States.

12/06/2020. Greece opens to travellers - Useful information (Greek Travel Pages)

12/06/2020 Coronavirus: Commission recommends partial and gradual lifting of travel restrictions to the EU after 30 June, based on common coordinated approach

09/06/2020 Fáilte Ireland publishes operational guidelines with industry groups for safe re-opening

03/06/2020 Health protocols for tourism businesses in Greece

03/06/2020 EU Commission dedicated website on Coronavirus On jobs and economy during the coronavirus pandemic.

22/05/20 International Labour Organisation issues guidance for safe, healthy, return to work during COVID-19

22/05/2020 Greek Travel Pages. Greek Hotels: Health Protocols for Greek Post-COVID-19 Restart Officially Announced.

20/05/2020 European Commission Guidelines Are Paving The Way To Recovery For The European Tourism Sector From The COVID-19 Crisis. The European Tourism Manifesto alliance, the voice of the European travel and tourism sector, has issued the following statement on the European Commission’s guidance on how to safely resume travel and reboot Europe's tourism in 2020 and beyond.

18/05/2020 Press release - COVID-19: MEPs to discuss way forward with Commissioners Breton and Gentiloni [European Parliament]. The Internal Market Committee will debate the EU’s exit strategy and the impact of COVID-19 on customs-related initiatives with Commissioners Breton and Gentiloni, respectively. Committee on the Internal Market and Consumer Protection

15/05/2020 Tourism and Transport: Commission's Guidance On How To Safely Resume Travel And Reboot Europe's Tourism In 2020 And Beyond European Commission Press Release, Brussels, 13 May 2020. Today, the Commission presents a package of guidelines and recommendations to help Member States gradually lift travel restrictions and allow tourism businesses to reopen, after months of lockdown, while respecting necessary health precautions. Includes European Commission documents for downloading.

15/05/2020 Covid-19 And Opoportunities for VR Based Economy Virtual reality-based technologies, using 360-degree videos of tourism destinations viewed on a VR headset can substitute for real trips and help tourists dream or plan for the next vacation. A new survey indicates an opportunity for creating a parallel economy for tourist guides as 360-video content providers.

21/04/2020 An Inclusive Tourism Response to COVID-19 for Vulnerable Groups - UNWTO Just as the tourism sector is affected more than others by the current COVID-19 pandemic, vulnerable groups within the sector are among the hardest hit. As laid down in the UNWTO Framework Convention on Tourism Ethics, the sector has a duty to promote the rights of the most vulnerable groups such as women, indigenous people and people with disabilities.

21/04/2020 "Clean and Safe" stamp by Portugal Tourist Board.Press Release. At a time when the recovery of the sector is being prepared, tourism enterprises, tourist entertainment companies and travel agencies have the option to request certification as a “Clean & Safe” establishment. Turismo de Portugal has created a stamp of approval to distinguish tourist activities which are compliant with hygiene and cleaning requirements for the prevention and control of COVID-19 and other possible infections, thus reinforcing the tourist’s confidence in the safety of the destination.

17/03/2020 Tourism Sector Demands Urgent Supportive Measures to Reduce Devastating Impact of COVID-19 The European Tourism Manifesto alliance, the voice of the European travel and tourism sector, has issued the following statement on the implementation of urgent measures to limit the COVID-19 outbreak’s impact on the sector.

14/03/2020 European Commission Coordinated Economic Response To The COVID-19 Outbreak COVID-19, commonly known as the Coronavirus, is a severe public health emergency for citizens, societies and economies. Having spread from China, the pandemic has now provoked infections in all Member States. The European Commission presents the Communication on COVID-19 Virus Response, with a list of measures to contain virus and mitigate effects on businesses, employment and tourism.

Last updated: 29 March 2021

Accessible Cities

Ivor Ambrose — Thu, 24 Jun 2010 15:07:51 GMT

Go directly to the ENAT European Accessible Cities list

Create your own Accessible City profile page (For ENAT members only - please make sure you are logged in).

Introduction

European Cities have a major role to play in delivering good access both to their own citizens with disabilities and to tourists of all ages and abilities.

Many European Cities are working to build their reputations as accessible, liveable cities that offer a warm welcome to all visitors.

Here, at the Accessible Cities Home Page, ENAT publishes the profiles of those cities that wish to showcase their achievements and good practices.

These are Europe's Accessible Cities, setting new benchmarks in their continual efforts to improve accessibility.

European Access City Award

The European Award for Accessible Cities was launched in May 2010 by the European Commission and has run on an annual basis since then.

The award is given to the city that:

has demonstrably improved accessibility in fundamental aspects of city living:
the built environment and public spaces;
transport and related infrastructure;
information and communication, including Information and Communication Technologies (ICT);
public facilities and services.
is committed to continued improvements in accessibility in a sustainable way;
can act as a role model and encourage the adoption of best practices in all other European cities.

As such, the competition covers accessibility in the everyday lives of city residents and, to some extent, the accessibility of tourist offers. However, accessible tourism products, services and marketing are not specifically included in the award criteria.

Visit: EU Access City Award Website

Below, ENAT has gathered the results of previous editions of the Access City Award in order to provide a complete record of the awarded and commended cities since 2010.

Access City Award Winner 2021, Jönköping, Sweden

The 2021 Access City Award goes to the city of Jönköping for making the city more accessible to persons with disabilities. Jönköping, in the south of Sweden, made continuous improvements in both the new and old areas of the city, in collaboration with disability organisations. The city also created a local ‘Access City Award’, for businesses or organisations that worked with their customers to improve accessibility. Out of 50 applications, Jönköping was designated the winner of the 11th edition of the Access City Award at the online ceremony on 1 December.

The city of Bremerhaven in Germany and the city of Gdynia in Poland are the second and third place winners of the 2021 Access City Award.

Poznań in Poland received a special mention for accessibility of public services in times of the pandemic.

Two further special mentions were awarded to Komotini in Greece for “accessibility as an opportunity for the whole city” and Florence in Italy for the “built environment”.

Visit the ENAT News page: Jönköping EU Access City award winner 2021

Access City Award Winner 2020, Warsaw, Poland

The 2020 Access City Award goes to the city of Warsaw, in Poland.

The city of Castellóde la Plana in Spain and the city of Skellefteå in Sweden are the second and third place winners.

Chania in Greece, Tartu in Estonia and Evreux in France all received a special mention.

2019 Access City Award Winner: Breda, The Netherlands

The award was given "for continuously making improvements to make life easier for people with disabilities".

For the 2019 Access City Award, the European Commission received 52 applications.

The city of Évreux in France and the city of Gdynia in Poland are the second and third place winners. The jury praised Évreux for its particular focus on invisible disabilities and Gdynia for its initiatives to include people with intellectual disabilities.

Finally, Kaposvár in Hungary and Vigo in Spain both received a special mention. Kaposvár was recognised for its continued improvements and Vigo for its innovative architecture in a challenging topography.

2018 Access City Award Winner: Lyon, France

The city of Lyon was awarded first prize for 2018. At the award ceremony in December 2017, Lyon was praised for its public buses that are 100% accessible, and access to culture for all is also ensured, thanks to the inclusion of accessible equipment in libraries, such as reading machines, audiobook readers and magnifying screens. The city has also developed digital tools for people with disabilities, and in terms of work integration, 7.8% of civil servants are people with a disability. This is significantly higher than the legal minimum quota of 6% required by the French legislation.

The European Commission also rewarded the city of Ljubljana, Slovenia, and the city of Luxembourg with a second and third place respectively. Ljubljana integrated accessibility in its overall policy, appointing a special advisory committee with elderly and people with disabilities so that they are directly involved in the city’s policymaking. The city of Luxembourg has put a lot of effort into raising awareness among citizens to avoid stigma in relation to disability and building a highly inclusive city in which everyone feels comfortable.

Finally, the city of Viborg in Denmark received a special mention for reconciling its historical heritage and hilly landscape with an accessible infrastructure. In 2017, 26 cities across the EU took part in the competition.

2017 Access City Award Winner: Chester, United Kingdom

The city of Chester (UK) was awarded first prize for 2017 for its dedication in ensuring that the city and its beautiful medieval walls can be enjoyed by as many people as possible. Other recognised good practices were commended from the cities of Rotterdam (Netherlands), Jūrmala (Latvia), Lugo (Spain), Skellefteå (Sweden), Alessandria (Italy) and Funchal (Portugal).

Download the 2017 Access City Award Brochure in PDF format.

2016 Access City Award Winner: Milan, Italy

Wiesbaden, Germany – Second Prize
Toulouse, France – Third Prize and Special Mention as a “Smart City”
Vaasa, Finland – Special Mention for commitment to improving the working environment for its older and disabled population
Kaposvár, Hungary – Special Mention for its commitment to improving access for older and disabled people

2015 Access City Award Winner: Borås, Sweden

The Award, presented in Brussels on 3rd December 2014, recognises Borås's comprehensive and strategic approach to creating an accessible city for all; a good example of local action to help removing the many barriers that people with disabilities still face in their daily life.

Helsinki (Finland) took the second prize.
Ljubljana (Slovenia) took third prize.
Logroño, Spain, was awarded a special mention in the field of the built environment and public spaces,
Budapest, Hungary, received a special mention for its work in the field of transportation.
Arona, Spain, and Luxembourg got a special mention for public facilities and services.

No special mention was awarded in the category Information and Communication Technologies.

2014 Access City Award Winner: Gothenburg, Sweden

In the fourth edition, 2013-14, the winner was Gothenburg (Sweden) with second place Grenoble (France) and third place Poznan (Poland).

Special mentions went to Belfast (United Kingdom), Dresden (Germany), Burgos (Spain) and Malaga (Spain).

2013 Access City Award Winner: Berlin, Germany

In 2012-13, 99 cities from 20 EU member states took part in the competition. The Award was given to the German City of Berlin.

The two other finalists were: Nantes (France) and Stockholm (Sweden). The jury also assigned special mentions to: Pamplona (Spain) for the built environment and public spaces, Gdynia (Poland) for transport and related infrastructures, Bilbao (Spain) for information and communication, including new technologies and Tallaght (Ireland) for public facilities and services.

2012 Access City Award Winner: Salzburg, Austria

In 2011-12, 114 applications were received from cities in 23 EU Member States. The Austrian city of Salzburg was proclaimed as the overall winner.

The three finalist “runners-up” were (in alphabetical order): Kraków (Poland), Marburg (Germany) and Santander (Spain). Special mentions for notable achievements were given to: Terrassa (Spain) for the built environment and public spaces, Ljubljana (Slovenia) for transport and related infrastructures, Olomouc (Czech Republic) for information and communication, including new technologies and Grenoble (France) for public facilities and services.

2011 Access City Award Winner: Ávila, Spain

In the 2010-11 inaugural edition, 66 European cities from 19 EU Member States participated in the competition. The winning city was Ávila in Spain.

The three other finalists were Barcelona (Spain), Cologne (Germany) and Turku (Finland).

ENAT applauds the Commission's European Access City Award and encourages ENAT Members (and cities everywhere) to take an active part in the competition, especially highlighting the importance of good access as a component of their city's performance as an inclusive tourism destination - for visitors and citizens alike.

Disclaimer

These ENAT pages are not officially connected with the European Commission's Access Cities Award. City profiles shown here should not be construed as representing the views, opinions or recommendations of the European Commission.

ENAT is not connected with or responsible for the European Access City Award.

While ENAT endeavours to verify the correctness of all information submitted to these pages by its members, ENAT does not guarantee and cannot be held responsible for any loss or damage caused by the use of such information.

Related content:

Join ENAT and sign up to the ENAT Code of Good Conduct
- the only International commitment label for providers of accessible tourism services.

ENAT members can add their city profiles here.

Create your own Accessible City profile page

Tourism Information Offices and Municipal authorities are invited to create their own profile page describing their good practices in accessibility. The target audience of the profile page can include residents, visitors, disability organisations, businesses, educators, researchers and other public authorities.

Profile pages can include text, links to municipal and tourist websites and a rich variety of content such as photos, Google maps, videos, file downloads, etc.

A city authority can create its own Accessible City profile page using a simple template and the easy-to use Content Management System. For more complex pages, authors can send material by email to the web editor.

For further details or if you have any questions, please contact the ENAT Secretariat.

Before you start you may like to view the Demo Page at the bottom of the following list of cities.

European Accessible Cities listed in chronological order of publication

Projects

Ivor Ambrose — Thu, 24 Sep 2009 20:54:50 GMT

ENAT Projects Portal

This page gives access to information and websites about ongoing or completed projects managed by ENAT or where ENAT is a partner.

Go to list of current ENAT projects.

Go to list of past ENAT projects.

Go to list of more Projects and Good Practices (not only ENAT projects)

New Proposals

If your organisation is preparing a European or transnational project proposal in the field of accessible tourism, you might like to consider including ENAT as a partner.

ENAT can bring European added-value to your proposal with:

The ENAT multi-stakeholder, international members' network
Experts and knowledge of good practices on a wide range of subjects
Dissemination throughout the project life-cycle via the ENAT website or a dedicated project website
Event organisation
Evaluation, research, studies, surveys
Proposal design: preparation, writing and editing.

Download the ENAT Company Profile. (January 2021) PDF document, 185 Kb.

For enquiries about partnering with ENAT, please use our Contact Page

Current ENAT Projects

Under the INVITE project funding scheme for SMEs, the Eyemmersive (EYEM) pilot project proposes to create a Digital Market Place for Immersive Tourism based on VR technologies. The service concept will provide a new source of income for professional tourist guides in destinations around the globe, delivering Eyemmersive™ local tourism content to extend the reach of tourism operators and provide a promotional opportunity towards independent travellers.

Start: April 2020
Finish: May/June 2020
Project Coordinator: Kerckhoffs Ltd, UK
Project page on ENAT website
Eyemmersive webpage

INTOUR. INclusive TOURism Professions. European Curricula For Accessible Tourism Manager And Frontline Staff. The IN-TOUR project is financed unde the EU ERASMUS+ framework for cooperation in education and training ET 2020 and will focus on “graduates VET” for the Inclusive Tourism Manager profile (ITM) and “undergraduates VET” for the Inclusive Tourism Frontline Staff (ITFS), involving 3 Universities providing VET.

Start: January 2020
Finish: December 2022
Project Coordinator: Associazione Italiana Sclerosi Multipla Onlus, Italy
Project Page on ENAT website
INTOUR Project Website

ACCESS-IT. Innovation for Accessible Tourism in Natural and Rural Areas. The Access-IT project seeks to address the competence gap on accessible tourism amomg SMEs in the toursm sector by offering a comprehensive training in the fields of accessible tourism, innovation and sustainable development of Natural and Rural Areas. Funded by the EU ERASMUSplus Programme, Key Action 2 - Cooperation for innovation and the exchange of good practices. KA202 - Strategic Partnerships for vocational education and training.
Start: December 2019
Finish: November 2021
Project Coordinator: SPOŁECZNA AKADEMIA NAUK (SAN), Poland.
Project page on ENAT website
ACCESS-IT Project website http://accessitpro.eu/

IMPACTOUR. The main ambition of the IMPACTOUR project is to create an innovative and easy-to-use methodology and tool to measure and assess the impact of Cultural Tourism (CT) on European economic and social development and to improve Europe’s policies and practices on CT, strengthening its role as a sustainable driving force in the growth and economic development of European regions.
Start: January 2020
Finish: December 2022
Project Coordinator: UNINOVA, Portugal.
Project page on ENAT website
Project Website IMPACTOUR

Games Without Barriers. A project focused on vocational and educational training on accessible tourism related to the catering and hospitality sector, in particular.
Start: December 2019
Finish: May 2022
Project Coordinator: INCIPIT, Italy.
Project page on ENAT website
Project Website Games Without Barriers

Past ENAT Projects

The Ability Advisor - TAD. TAD is a project funded by the European Union Erasmus+ programme under Key Action 2: Cooperation for innovation and the exchange of good practices, (KA202 Strategic Partnerships for Vocational Education and Training), addressing accessible tourism. The project aims to contribute to making Europe a truly accessible destination for all visitors by training professionals in the tourism and hospitality sector through a work-based learning approach, looking at the issue from a new point of view.
Start: September 2017
Finish: December 2019
Project Coordinator: Public institution Panevezys Labour Market Training Centre - Lithuania.
Project page on ENAT website
Project Website TAD The Ability Advisor
TAD e-Learning course Website

Rare & Roll: Access China and Culture. The project, wholly financed by a grant from the Booking Cares Fund awarded to Ms. Xun Ji, a young disabled Chinese woman, will provide accessible tourism information services and cultural experience opportunities for both Chinese and foreign travellers with particular access needs, while at the same time engaging professionals in the travel industry, preparing them for the new caring economy.
Start: May 2018
Finish: August 2019
Project Coordinators: Rare & Roll and ENAT
Project page on ENAT Website

Project Page Rare and Roll (in Chinese)

Newscat: New Skills for Customized Accessible Tourism. The project will provide tools and methodologies to improve the skills and competences of tourist guides and other professionnals in the tourist sector to deal with new demands and requirements of clients, clients with specific access requirements, such as people with disabilities and seniors.
Start: September 2016
Finish: July 2019
Project page on ENAT website
Project Website at EASPD

Tourism for All in Lebanon: a new approach towards an inclusive socio-economic development for persons with disabilities. Europe Aid funded project under the Lebanese Government AFKAR III Programme, 'Reinforcing human rights and democracy in Lebanon - Active citizenship'.
Start: July 2016
Finish: June 2018 (extended to October 2018)
Project Coordinator: Lebanese Physically Handicapped Union (LPHU)
Website: Lebanon Tourism 4 All

Access Angels: "Guardian Angels of Accessible Travellers in Rural Areas". Access Angels aims to train youth volunteers to act as assistants to visitors with access requirements in rural areas in Europe.
Start: October 2016
Finish: September 2018
Project page on ENAT website
Project Website not active

ELEVATOR - Efficient movement to the higher quality staff and services in tourism for all. The project focuses on adult education and business development (business competencies) in the field of accessible tourism for all. The name of the project "Elevator“ represents the effort to raise the quality of human resources and services in tourism to a higher, more competitive level.

Project Coordinator: Kazuist, spol. s r.o. Czech Republic
Start: September 2015
Finish: August 2018
Project Website

Pantou.org The European Accessible Tourism Directory

The Pantou Accessible Tourism Directory was established initially as a data collection tool for a European Commission study of the supply of accessible tourism in Europe in 2014. It lists tourism suppliers who are able to offer accessible tourism services to customers with specific access requirements, including older persons, people with disabilities, families with young children and those who have a long-term health condition. Since the end of March, 2017 the Pantou Directory has been opened up to include accessible tourism suppliers based in any country - not only those located in Europe. Suppliers may register free of charge at https://pantou.org/register

Project Management: EWORX S.A., ENAT, VVA
Project Start: November 2013 to 2014. Second phase: December 2015 to March 2017. Third phase: (ENAT and EWORX), April 2017 - continuing.
Project Summary on ENAT Website
Pantou website: https://pantou.org

Transport and Tourism for Persons with Disabilities and Persons with Reduced Mobility. The scope of the study includes the state of play of accessibility in EU Member States of both transport services (local and long-distance) and tourist destinations for persons with disabilities and persons with reduced mobility (PRMs). Commissioned by the European Parliament, Policy Department for Structural and Cohesion Policies DG Internal Policies, Directorate B, carried out by CERTH (Greece) with sub-contractors: European Disability Forum (EDF) and European Network for Accessible Tourism (ENAT).
Start: September 2017
Finish: February 2018
Project Coordinator/Contractor: Centre for Research and Technology Hellas / Hellenic Institute of Transport - CERTH, (Greece)
Project page on ENAT website

Across the Lombards' Lands. (Project A.L.L.) The project is about creating and promoting a transnational accessible tourist product based on a common European heritage represented by the Lombards (or Longobards) who, in their migration from northern to southern Europe, played a major role in the spiritual and cultural development of Europe in its transition between Classicism and the Middle Ages.
Project Coordinator: Incipit Consulting Società Cooperativa (Italy)
Start: July 2016
Finish: January 2018
Project page on ENAT website
Project website

Accessible Transnational Thematic Itineraries and InterModality (Project ATTIMO). Project ATTIMO combines the idea of outdoor activities for all and cultural heritage tourism. Its main aim is developing cultural and leisure itineraries, focusing on accessibility and intermodality, building on an existing tourism offer in the area of Berici Hills, Italy and South and West Styria, Austria, combining outdoor trails and cycle routes.
Project Coordinator: TANDEM, Società cooperativa sociale integrate (ITALY)
Start: June 2016
Finish: December 2017
Project Page on ENAT website
Project website

APP TOUR YOU APP TOUR YOU (www.apptouryou.eu) is a European project funded by the Erasmus plus programme, strategic partnerships for Vocational and Educational Training (VET). It experiments with new models of training on accessible tourism and information targeted to SMEs and entrepreneurs in the field of tourism.
Project Coordinator: Tandem, Italy
Start: November 2015
Finish: September 2017
Project page on ENAT website

Project website

BRENDAIT. "Building a Regional Network for the Development of Accessible and Inclusive Tourism". The BRENDAIT Project is the conception and application of a pilot methodology to dynamize the transformation of a territory into an accessible and inclusive tourist destination.
Project Coordinator: PERFIL, Portugal
Start: September 2015
Finish: March 2017
Project page on ENAT Website

Europe Without Barriers: Accessible Tourism Itineraries & Training (EWB). The general objective of the EWB project is to create a network of entities able to promote and sell tour packages accessible to everyone. All services will be provided in a context where needs of people with special requirements should be attended to and resolved.

Project Coordinator: Sclerosi Multipla Italia Societià Consortile ARL, Italy.
Start: October 2014
Finish: March 2016
Project Summary on ENAT Website
Project Website

T-GuIDE. Tourist Guides for People with Intellectual and Learning Difficulties in Europe.

T-GuIDE is an initiative of nine organisations supported by the European Union’s Lifelong Learning Programme, ”Leonardo Da Vinci”. The initiative addresses two of today’s major societal challenges in Europe: to increase opportunities in the job market and to increase social inclusion. The aim is to produce an EU training model and Manual for training Tourist Guides in guiding people who have learning difficulties or other intellectual impairments.

Project Manager: Akademy Nauk, Poland.
Project Duration: November 2012 to April 2015.
Project Summary on ENAT Website
T-GuIDE Project Website

EU Study: Mapping and Performance Check of the Supply of Accessible Tourism Services in Europe.

This study, which started in February 2013, involved interviews with key stakeholders, desk research and surveys to identify "best practices" across the supply chains. In addition, a new European “Tourism for All online Register” service, Pantou.org was set up, enabling tourism suppliers to present their accessible accommodation, venues, attractions and services.

Project Duration: February 2013 to March 2015.
Link to: Project Summary and Reports on ENAT Website
Link to: Study Report and Annexes
Link to: 15 Case Studies of Accessible Tourism Destinations

EU Study: Mapping the Skills and Training Needs to Improve Accessible Tourism Services in Europe.

The 12-month study, which started in February 2013, mapped the staff skills needs to improve accessibility and safety in the tourism services and analysed the availability of corresponding training in EU Member States as well as transferable training curricula and courses from other regions of the world.

Project Duration: February 2013 to January 2014.
Project Summary on ENAT Website
Report, June 2014.
20 Case Studies of Accessible Tourism Training

Inclusion Through Accessibility Project, Georgia.

Financed by the European Commission and project partners, the ITA project will contribute to developing a new direction in the tourism sphere in Georgia. It aims to benefit, in particular, persons with disabilities and elderly citizens and contribute to the economic development of Georgia by involving directly civil society organisations, small and medium-sized enterprises and public sector bodies in training, development and dissemination activities.

Project Manager: NGO PARSA. Tbilisi, Georgia. Partner: ENAT
Project Duration: November 2012 to October 2013. (Extension to January 2014).
Project Summary on ENAT Website

eAccess+ Thematic Network

eAccess+ is a thematic network funded under the EU Seventh Framework Programme, ICT PSP third call for proposals 2009:CIP-ICT-PSP-2009-3 Project Number: 250568.
The eAccess+ network aims to bridge the widening gap between the potential of ICT/AT and eAccessibility for people with disabilities and the ageing population on the one hand and the actual implementation of eAccessibility on the other hand.
eAccess+ is driven by 25 core members, coming from all over Europe. It is their task to involve all stakeholder groups at national level and to expand the network by recruiting a group of so called “Associated Partners”.

Lead Partner: University of Linz, Austria
Project duration: 2010 to 2013.
Project summary on ENAT Website
Project Home page: (Closed)

STEEP - Social Tourism European Exchanges Platform

The STEEP project aims at creating and developing a web‐based platform as a mechanism intended to facilitate transnational tourism particularly during the low season, and within the different Calypso target groups. It also aims to increase the competitiveness of tourism SME’s by facilitating business opportunities between intermediaries acting on behalf of clients.

Lead Partner: International Social Tourism Organisation (ISTO-OITS)
Project Duration: 1 April 2012 to 31 July 2013.
Project Summary on ENAT website
Project website: www.eCalypso.eu

ETCAATS - "European Training Certificate - Access for All in the Tourism Sector"

Lead Partner: Vellinge Kommune, Sweden
Project duration: 2009 to 2011
Project page on ENAT website
Project Home page: http://www.etcaats.eu
ETCAATS E-Learning course: http://www.accesstraining.eu

ATHENA - "Accessible Tourism – Humans, Education, New Approaches”
Lead Partner: KAZUIST, spol.s.r.o., Czech Republic
Project duration: 2009 to 2011

Project link on ENAT website
Project Home page: (Closed)

ITTI - "Improving Accessibility Through Training In Tourism"
Lead partner: ŠENT Slovenian Association for Mental Health, Slovenia
Project duration: 2009 to 2011
Project page on ENAT website
Project Home page: (Closed)

CETA - "Competitiveness for European Tourism for All"
Lead Partner: ENAT, Belgium
Project duration: 2009 to 2010

Project page on ENAT website
Project Home page: (Closed)

More Projects

To view more projects, visit the section, Projects and Good Practices

Annual Reports

Ivor Ambrose — Wed, 13 May 2009 22:39:00 GMT

The Annual Reports of the ENAT non-profit association are published on this page, for downloading.

ENAT President's Message: 19.03.2021

Ivor Ambrose — Thu, 13 Mar 2008 12:51:44 GMT

Looking forward to the Recovery of Tourism in 2021
Rome, 19th March 2021

Dear Friends,

Let me begin with a warm welcome to all the ENAT Members who have continued their membership or who have joined as new Associate Members under the fee-waiver scheme which we offered last year as away of off-setting the economic hardship brought by COVID-19. We are glad to see we now have almost 250 members, with many organisations registering several of their staff to take advantage of the online information and networking possibilities. Your support is really important to us and we look forward to building a stronger community with you in the coming months and years.

Today is the celebration of Father’s day in many countries. In two days, Spring will start. We all hoped that we could enjoy these two events finally free from the COVID nightmare. Yet it is not so or at least it is too early to consider ourselves outside the risks and the consequences of the Pandemic.

We continue to hold our conferences and meetings online but we start to hear words and plans of a near future when Tourism will re-open, resuming its important place in the economy, fostering social integration in the world, and the new ‘post-pandemic’ era will begin.

Within this perspective we see many international organisations issuing policy directives, highlighting strategies to better grasp the opportunity of a return to normality. In these contexts, visitors with disabilities and those with other access requirements must not be left behind in the reconstruction of the tourism services, so that they will be able to participate on an equal basis with everybody.

Proposals on how to face the demand of this huge but still underserved market have been published by the UN World Tourism Organisation last December: practical suggestions and behavioural hints to make the journeys of people with specific access requirements both comfortable and safe.

ENAT, UNWTO and the Spanish Fundación ONCE have just signed the renewal of our Memorandum of Understanding and we will soon start to cooperate on a work plan to identify all the necessary actions to support and improve the post-COVID development of Tourism for All.

The European Tourism Manifesto alliance, in which ENAT participates, has released a paper in February 2021 “Exit strategy – Preparing to restart Travel and Tourism” where the alliance calls for the development of a concrete EU roadmap to restart travel and tourism. Such a roadmap should be developed by the EU in close cooperation with industry and social partners.

ENAT is now participating in the new #Tourism4Recovery campaign launched on 1st March, with the goal of raising awareness of the devastating impact of the COVID-19 crisis on European tourism and showcasing how investment in sustainable tourism can be a key driver for the EU’s recovery.

These are important steps towards concrete actions in the field of Tourism and a productive use of the all the resources which will be applied to the many tasks of the Next Generation EU funding programme in the coming years.

Let us not forget the global figures on travel and tourism: in 2019 the sector’s total contribution to GDP was 9.25 trillion US Dollars, providing employment for hundreds of millions of people. Many small businesses and livelihoods have been devastated during the past year and it is vital that governments must when allocating funds to the necessary actions for recovery from the critical impact that COVID has had on our societies.

ENAT is working very hard, as usual, to involve the Tourism sector worldwide towards an even better understanding of the importance of Tourism for All and the benefits that an improved offer could bring to the restart of tourism activities. There has been a strong uptake of ENAT's free online training courses in the past year and we continue to develop new, free self-study and vocational training resources with our members and international partners thanks to the EU ERASMUS+ programme.

The COVID lockdowns have been - and could still be - in this period of travel bans, the occasion and the opportunity to reconsider the tourism offer by investing in comfort, health and safety, with an emphasis on inclusion for everybody. This will surely give payback to the industry and have a positive influence on maintaining jobs and possibly increasing employability in the sector.

Anna Grazia Laura, ENAT President

Download the President's March 2021 message in PDF format

Contact

John Stamos — Tue, 26 Feb 2008 11:50:00 GMT

ENAT - European Network for Accessible Tourism asbl.
Rue du Commerce 72
1040 Bruxelles
Belgium.

Email: enat@accessibletourism.org

You may also use the form below to contact us.

Newsletter and e-Bulletin

John Stamos — Mon, 27 Aug 2007 11:54:00 GMT

The ENAT Newsletter was first produced as a series of PDF documents, for downloading, during 2007.

We now send out an E-Bulletin to members and subscribers. It is free of charge and goes out to all those who are interested in the latest developments in Accessible Tourism.

ENAT Members receive additional exclusive bulletins and news items.

Archived e-Bulletins and Newsletters

ENAT e-Bulletin 94. 18 February 2022.
ENAT Accessible Tourism events at Zero Project Conference 2022
ENAT e-Bulletin 93, 24 December 2021
Season's Greetings, accessible tourism News and Events.
8 November 2021
Email announcement: Register now for the 4th Tourism and Technology for Diversity Congress, 15-19 November 2021.
ENAT Bulletin 92, 1 November 2021
ENAT News and Events
ENAT Bulletin 91, 1 September 2021
ENAT News, Project News and Events.
ENAT e-Bulletin. 11 June 2021. Announcement of ENAT Annual General Assembly and Expert Panel Discussion, 23 June 2021. (Sent to ENAT Members).
ENAT e-Bulletin 90, 30 April 2021
News and Online Events
ENAT e-Bulletin 89, 30 March 2021
Teachers' Trainng Kit and online survey
ENAT e-Bulletin 88, 19 March 2021
ENAT President's Message, News and Events.
ENAT Members' News - 11 March 2021.
Announcement of TravlilAbility Summit registration discount for ENAT members.
ENAT e-Bulletin 87, 20 December 2020
Season's Greetings and News. (Sent to 1112 subscribers)
ENAT e-Bulletin 86, 26 August 2020
COVID-19, News and Events. (Sent to 1430 subscribers)
ENAT e-Bulletin 85, 1 July 2020
Membership Fees Waived. (Sent to 1422 e-Bulletin subscribers)
ENAT e-Bulletin 84, 17 June 2020
Annual General Assembly Call and News. (Sent to 1430 e-Bulletin subscribers)
ENAT e-Bulletin 83, 16 May 2020
News, COVID-19 Measures in Europe, Project News, Webinars. (Sent to 1419 e-Bulletin Subscribers)
ENAT e-Bulletin 82, 6 April 2020
News, New Projects and Events (under Covid-19 lockdown). (Sent to 1449 e-Bulletin Subscribers)
ENAT e-Bulletin 81, 21 January 2020
ENAT President's Message, News and Events. (Sent to 1445 ENAT e-Bulletin Subscribers)
ENAT Announcement, 25 November 2019
Invitation to International Congress on Accessible Cruise Destinations, Valencia, Spain. (Sent to all ENAT e-Bulletin subscribers)
Announcement, 13 November 2019
TAD Project Accessible Tourism Training Conference, Brussels. (Sent to all ENAT e-Bulletin subscribers)
ENAT - e-Bulletin 80, 21 October 2019
News and Events. Welcome to Málaga!
ENAT - e-Bulletin 79, 29 July 2019
News and Events, NEWSCAT training project results, EU Access City Awards and more.
ENAT - e-Bulletin 78, 21 June 2019
News, Events, Accessible Destinations UNWTO, Zero Project, NEWSCAT Final Conference, ENAT AGA.
ENAT - e-Bulletin 77, 6 May 2019
News, Events, new Video and Member Services.
ENAT - EXTRA e-Bulletin, 18 December 2018
New Membership Fees in 2019.
ENAT e-Bulletin 76, 17 December 2018
News and Events.
ENAT e-Bulletin 75, 30 September 2018
News, Resources and Events.
Invitation to Launch Event, 15 June 2018
World Tourism for All Quality Programme.
ENAT e-Bulletin 74, 26 May 2018
News and Announcement of Annual General Assembly and Launch of the new 'ENAT World Tourism for All Quality Programme, Brussels 26 June 2018.
ENAT Subscriber Consent Alert, 1 May 2018
GDPR Notice to recipients of ENAT e-Bulletin emails.
ENAT e-Bulletin 73, 29 January 2018
News, Events and Articles.
ENAT e-Bulletin 72, 30 September 2017
ATTIMO Accessible Culinary and Cultural Itineraries Conference, Vicenza, 6 October 2017.
ENAT e-Bulletin 71, 30 August 2017
News and Events.
ENAT e-Bulletin 70, 21 June 2017
ENAT Annual General Assembly documents available. (for Full Members only)
ENAT e-Bulletin 69, 14 June 2017
(Reminder) Announcement of ENAT AGA.
ENAT e-Bulletin 68, 2 June 2017
Announcement of ENAT Annual General Assembly to Full and Honorary Members.
ENAT e-Bulletin 67, 2 June 2017
Accessible Tourism News and Events.
ENAT e-Bulletin 66, January 2017
Announcement: APP TOUR YOU Accessible Tourism Training MOOC (Correction).
ENAT e-Bulletin 65, 19 July 2016
Accessible Tourism Events, Announcements, Projects and Pantou.
ENAT e-Bulletin 64, 8 June 2016
ENAT Documents for Annual General Assembly, 15th June 2016.
ENAT e-Bulletin 63, 24 May 2016
Announcement Full & Honorary Members AGA 15th June 2016
ENAT e-Bulletin 62, 26 February 2016
Announcements, Events, New NTO Learning Group.
ENAT e-Bulletin 61, 27 January 2016
Lonely Planet (Free) Accessibility Guide, News and Events.
ENAT e-Bulletin 60, 11 January 2016
Accessible Tourism Membership Payments and Sponsors News.
ENAT e-Bulletin 59, 23 December 2015
Accessible Tourism Season's Greetings and Event Announcement.
ENAT e-Bulletin 58, 3 December 2015
Accessible Tourism News, Projects and Events.
ENAT e-Bulletin 57, 9 November 2015
Accessible Tourism News, Projects and Events.
ENAT e-Bulletin 56, 14 September 2015
Madrid International Congress and other Accessible Tourism News.
ENAT e-Bulletin 55, 27/7/2015
ENAT's new agreement with Lonely Planet... & other news.
ENAT e-Bulletin 54, 20/5/2015
Members' download: ENAT Annual Report 2014 (draft). (Downloading is restricted to ENAT Members only via login page
ENAT e-Bulletin 53, 13/5/2015
Reports, News and Events. Includes Scott Rains fund-raiser information and EU Accessible Tourism Supply Study Reports announcement.
ENAT e-Bulletin 52, 2/2/2015
News, New Projects and Announcement of V. International Congress on Tourism for All, Madrid, 2015.
ENAT e-Bulletin 51, 23/1/2015
News and Events.
ENAT e-Bulletin 50, 24/12/2014
Season's Greetings & Review 2014-15 from Anna Grazia Laura, President
ENAT e-Bulletin 49, 10/11/2014
Accessible Tourism News & Events.
ENAT e-Bulletin 48, 22/9/2014
European Accessible Tourism - News, Events, Research...
ENAT e-Bulletin 47, 28/8/2014
European Accessible Tourism - news, events, publications...
ENAT e-Bulletin 46, 12/6/2014
European Accessible Tourism - news, research publications and awards.
ENAT e-Bulletin 45, 6/6/2014
Accessible Tourism Conference, Brussels, 6 June 2014 Live-Streaming.
ENAT e-Bulletin 44, 6/5/2014
EU Conference "Mind the Accessibility Gap" - Register Now!
ENAT e-Bulletin 43, 25/3/2014
EU Tourism Funding Information Day.
ENAT e-Bulletin 42, 10/1/2014
Accessible Tourism News and Events (plus Pantou Press Release and Suppliers' Survey).
ENAT e-Bulletin 41, 24/12/2013
Christmas Greetings from President Anna Grazia Laura.
ENAT e-Bulletin 40, 20/9/2013
Accessible Tourism News and Events.
ENAT e-Bulletin 39, 26/8/2013
Please answer the Customer or Supplier Survey on Accessible Tourism in Europe (for EU Supply Study).
ENAT e-Bulletin 38, 6/5/2013
Accessible Tourism news and events.
ENAT Bulletin 37, 11/3/2013
International Tourism for All Congress Announcement.
ENAT e-Bulletin no. 36, 19/2/2013
STEEP Online Survey - travel information needs of disabled visitors.
ENAT e-Bulletin no. 35 Accessible Tourism, 21/12/2012
Recent News articles and more (New format)!
ENAT e-Bulletin no. 34 Accessible Tourism, 23/10/2012
Presents ENAT's array of digital communication tools plus recent News, Events and Articles.
ENAT e- Bulletin no. 33 - was a brief reminder about the High-Level Seminar announced in e-Bulletin no. 32.
ENAT e-Bulletin no. 32 Accessible Tourism, 29/05/2012
High-level Seminar, Milano, Italy announcement.
ENAT e-Bulletin no. 31 Accessible Tourism, 21/05/2012
ENAT e-Bulletin no. 30 Accessible Tourism, 7/05/2012
ENAT e-Bulletin no. 29 Accessible Tourism, 15/03/2012
ENAT e-Bulletin no. 28 Accessible Tourism, 17/02/2012
ENAT e-Bulletin no. 27 Accessible Tourism, 27/09/2011
ENAT e-Bulletin no. 26, 11/07/2011
Latest News and Events.
ENAT e-Bulletin no. 25, 14/4/2011
A round-up of latest News, Events and Forum items.
ENAT e-Bulletin no. 24, 20/1/2011
A round-up of latest News, Events and Forum items.
ENAT e-Bulletin no. 23, 18/11/2010
Latest Events, News and Forum items.
ENAT e-Bulletin no. 22, 27/8/2010
Members' notices, News, Forums and Events items.
ENAT e-Bulletin no. 21, 29/7/2010
On the European Access City Award, ENATCode of Good Conduct, Events in Finland and Italy...
ENAT e-Bulletin no. 20, 25/6/2010
Theme: "Accessible Cities".
ENAT e-Bulletin no. 19, 20/5/2010
Events information and news from Sweden, Spain, Italy, UK and Portugal.
ENAT e-Bulletin no. 18, 18/3/2010
News and events from Canada, UK, Germany, Portugal, Belgium...
ENAT e-Bulletin no. 17, 20/1/2010
News from Canada, UK, USA, Germany, Spain, Belgium, "Ruhr 2010: Cultural Capital of Europe"...
ENAT e-Bulletin no. 16, 14/12/2009
With news from VisitEngland, UN, Catalunya Tourist Board...
ENAT e-Bulletin no. 15, (Not available here - for Members Only)
ENAT e-Bulletin no. 14, 3/11/2009
ENAT e-Bulletin no. 13, 28/9/2009
ENAT e-Bulletin no. 12, 12/9/2009
e-Bulletins nos. 3 to 11 were distributed as 'hand-crafted' emails. They cannot be accessed from this webpage.

You may download copies of the Newsletters 1 and 2 via the links, below.

FAQ

John Stamos — Thu, 14 Jun 2007 09:55:00 GMT

FAQ stands for "Frequently Asked Questions"!

Here is a list of common questions that we receive at the ENAT Secretariat.

If you have a query which is not answered below, or you would like more specific information, please contact us directly by email, phone or fax.

Our contact details can be found at the Contact us page.

Questions

Categories & Fees

Ivor Ambrose — Tue, 12 Jun 2007 15:34:08 GMT

General Information

ENAT is a non-profit association, registered in Belgium. According to the terms of the Belgian legislation there are two membership categories: “Associate Members” (membres adhérents) and “Full Members” (membres effectifs).

The members must be physical persons or legal entities. By registering with ENAT, members show they agree with the aims, objectives and purposes of the association, as described in the ENAT Statutes.

New members are accepted as an Associate Member.

Associate Members who wish to become Full Members must apply by letter to the ENAT Board, as described in the section, below: Full Members

General Conditions of Membership:

The following general conditions apply to all new applicants and renewing members:

Registration is made via the on-line form at https://enat.eu/user/register
After registration and activation of your account, please download your PDF Invoice from the Members' Area (Subscriptions) and pay the fee.
New Associate Members should provide appropriate documentation by Email to members@enat.eu in order for ENAT to verify their status and ensure the correct fee to be paid.
ENAT membership is open to businesses and organisations of all sizes.
Individuals may also join ENAT.
Associate Members do not need to demonstrate experience in accessible tourism but for tourism providers commitment to the ENAT Code of Good Conduct is desirable.

Applicants for Full Membership must apply in writing to the ENAT Board with a description of proven experience in accessible tourism within their field(s) of activity.
The annual fee must be paid (in EURO) either via the online payment system (PayPal / Credit Card), or by bank transfer within 30 days of registration (Associate Members) or within 30 days after approval of full membership request (Full Members).
From 1.1.2019, organisations and individuals based outside Europe may also apply for Full Membership of ENAT.

After registering via the on-line registration page, the applicant should pay the appropriate Associate Member's fee.

You can pay by PayPal or Inter-bank transfer.

ENAT Membership Annual Fees in EURO. Updated 21 January 2021

MEMBER TYPE:	FULL MEMBERS	ASSOCIATE MEMBERS
1. Organisation or Enterprise	Fee (EURO)	Fee (EURO)
International Organisations, public bodies	500	350
Profit organisations, enterprises (more than 250 staff, full-time equivalent)	400	300
Profit organisations, enterprises (Up to 249 staff, full-time equivalent)	350	250
NGO/Non-Profit Organisations	350	250
2. Individual member	Fee	Fee
Self-employed	350	250
Private person	200	150
Retired /Student/ Unemployed	100	100
Honorary	0	0

Payment by bank transfer

Please make your bank transfer to the following account:

Account name :	ENAT asbl :
Bank:	ING Bank
Address:	ING Stockel, Place Dumon 1, 1150 Woluwé-Saint-Pierre, Bruxelles
Account no.:	363-0304549-09
IBAN:	BE52363030454909
SWIFT Code:	BBRUBEBBXXX
Message to recipient:	2021 ENAT Member/Invoice no. [please insert]
Charges:	Paid by the sender

European Network for Accessible Tourism – ENAT asbl.

Registered office:

Rue du Commerce 72,
B-1040 Brussels, Belgium.

ENAT asbl. is exempt from VAT. No VAT is charged on membership fees.
Company number: 0897.614.640

After we have registered your payment you will be able to download your ENAT Membership Certificate and Code of Good Conduct Certificate from the "My profile" page.

Resource Centre

Ivor Ambrose — Tue, 12 Jun 2007 15:34:08 GMT

ENAT's on-line Resource Centre provides links to documents and links collected mainly by researchers and specialists in Accessible Tourism from European countries. Resources also include material submitted by ENAT Members and correspondents from around the world.

ENAT Members may view and download all the resources shown in these pages.

Visitors to the website who are not members of ENAT may view and download only a selection of the items.

Please link back to our site for attribution.

ENAT information at your fingertips

Get all the latest news and updates from ENAT as they happen, by subscribing to our RSS feeds:

RSS of new items on the ENAT website

RSS of EUaccesstourism's tweets

Not familiar with RSS? Read this explanation at the BBC website

ENAT E-Bulletin (Newsletter)

Sign up at this webpage to receive the ENAT E-Bulletin.

ENAT Resource Centre - visit these sections

Advantages of Membership

Ivor Ambrose — Tue, 12 Jun 2007 15:34:00 GMT

ENAT NTOs' Learning Group at Musée du Louvre, Paris, 2017

Your pathway to success: 10 great reasons for joining ENAT

Enhance your reputation by joining the world’s leading organisation in the fastest-growing sector of the tourism market.
Boost the visibility of your organisation and its activities at national, European and global levels.
Build relationships and forge partnerships with like-minded organisations working in your field at national, European and global levels.
Get access to specialised consultancy from ENAT experts on training, the built environment and EU-funded projects.
Participate in and learn from ENAT specialised working groups, workshops and conferences.
Keep up-to-date with the latest news and events in our field, and share your achievements with colleagues.
Make your opinion heard, be recognised for your sector expertise and help to influence EU and international policies and strategies.
Join the ENAT World Tourism for All Quality Programme to enhance your knowledge and skills, and position your business as a leader in accessible tourism for all.
Follow and join our social media platforms to become an influencer in accessible, inclusive tourism.
Use your knowledge, skills and contacts to further our common goals and actions in the field of accessible, inclusive tourism.

Who Can Join ENAT? Who Should Join ENAT?

ENAT is an association that caters for a wide range of members, drawn from the travel and tourism industry, the public sector, professionals and Non-Governmental Organisations. Individual members are also welcome. All of these can benefit from ENAT’s information and networking services.

ENAT consists of Associate members and Full members. Services to both types of members are identical but only Full members have voting rights and can stand for office in the association's Management Board.

Associate members are not obliged to have a recognised “track record” in accessible tourism, nor do they have to demonstrate a certain “accessibility standard”, in order to join.

Associate members can become Full members after submitting a written application, detailing their competences and activities in accessible tourism to the satisfaction of the ENAT Board.

It is expected that all ENAT members will genuinely work to support accessible tourism in their area of activity.

We invite members from all countries and world regions

From 1st January 2019, our membership fees are the same for members located in Europe or outside Europe.

We also invite Associate members from outside Europe to apply for Full membership. Applications must be made in writing to the ENAT Board, with a motivated letter outlining the applicant's experience and commitment to furthering accessible tourism and the work of the ENAT non-profit association.

ENAT Code of Good Conduct

Every ENAT member offering tourism services is invited to sign-up to the ENAT Code of Good Conduct, as an expression of commitment to improve one's own performance, in accessible tourism.

ENAT registration and fees

Read about membership categories and fees

ENAT Partners and Sponsors

Ivor Ambrose — Tue, 12 Jun 2007 15:34:00 GMT

ENAT Partners

ENAT works in partnership with major organisations in tourism and related sectors to help deliver its messages more widely, develop new services and carry out joint projects and initiatives.

We are honoured to list the following partners and sponsors and we encourage our Members and site visitors to visit the respective websites and learn about our partners' activities in the area of accessible tourism for all.

United Nations World Tourism Organisation

UNWTO Ethics / Accessible Tourism

UNWTO World Tourism Day 2016 - Resources on the theme: Tourism for All

ENAT is a Member of the EU Tourism Manifesto group.

Over 50 European public and private tourism stakeholders have united to present a European Tourism Manifesto for Growth & Jobs, a document which highlights the EU policy priorities for the sector in the coming years.
Through the Tourism Manifesto, ENAT and partners seek to promote European tourism policies in favour of social and cultural sustainability and tourism as a right for everybody.

The Blue Flag programme is a voluntary eco-label awarded to more than 4500 beaches, marinas and sustainable boating tourism operators in 45 countries, worldwide. In order to qualify for this award, a series of stringent environmental, educational, and especially, safety- and access-related criteria must be met and maintained. The Blue Flag programme is owned and run by the non-governmental, non-profit organisation the Foundation for Environmental Education (FEE).
FEE and ENAT have signed a Memorandum of understanding and ENAT is participating in the Blue Flag International Jury, providing its international accessibility expertise.

ReadSpeaker

ReadSpeaker is a software development company that provides the leading-edge "read aloud" feature on all the ENAT webpages. Through the generous support of ReadSpeaker since 2015, the ENAT Webpages (English edition) are made accessible to people who may not be able to read the text or who are less familiar with English as a foreign language. Try it! Just click on the "Listen" button at the top of the page! No software installation is necessary - it just works. You can adjust the reading speed and text highlighting according to your preference.

European Federation of Tourist Guide Associations

Read about FEG-ENAT e-Learning and Continuing Professional Development course "T-Guide".

International Social Tourism Organisation

Design for All Foundation

Rolling Rains Report by Dr. Scott Rains Since Dr. Rains passed away in 2015, this website is no longer updated but remains as a testimony to his work and example, much of it as useful to scholars and practitioners as it ever was.

European Association of Service Providers for People with Disabilities

Turismo de Portugal

Organisation with Observer Status
European Commission

ENAT Member-Sponsors

EWORX S.A., Athens, Greece

Fundación ONCE, Madrid, Spain

ENAT warmly thanks all the sponsors for their commitment and support.

Information for New Sponsors

ENAT is looking for new sponsors to support its work for members and the wider community, as well as to help in the realisation of the activities of the ENAT Workplan.

Sponsors are invited to support ENAT in different ways. Sponsors may provide:

cash-funding
in-kind contributions
event-hosting
sponsorship of events
sponsorship of ENAT publications or activities.

ENAT Sponsors have a special relationship with the work of ENAT. As a Sponsor, your organisation will enjoy recognition for its contribution in all ENAT publications and at our international events. You will also benefit from having direct access to ENAT Board Members and consultants who can work with you to develop your organisation's policies and competences in accessibility, and communicate your achievements effectively to clients and stakeholders.

If you would like to learn more about the benefits and conditions for being an ENAT Sponsor, please get in touch directly with Mr. Ivor Ambrose, Managing Director.
You may use our Contact form.

The original ENAT Sponsors, 2006 - 2007, are shown at the link below:

Events

John Stamos — Tue, 12 Jun 2007 14:52:22 GMT

This page displays general event information including past ENAT events and Events from our Members in Europe and around the world. If you wish to make an Event announcement to the ENAT Community please login and enter the event details, or contact the ENAT editor.

The ENAT - Google Accessible Tourism Events Calendar is for information purposes only. The inclusion of an event in the Calendar does not imply that ENAT is responsible for the event or that ENAT has approved the event in any way. Some events are exclusively for ENAT members or project partners.

Please read and check the event details by clicking on the title shown in the Calendar.
Some events are also described in the articles below.

Welcome

John Stamos — Tue, 12 Jun 2007 14:43:00 GMT

Anna Grazia Laura

President of ENAT

Looking Forward to the Recovery of Tourism

Rome, 19th March 2021

Dear Friends,
Let me begin with a warm welcome to all the ENAT Members who have continued their membership or who have joined as new Associate Members under the fee-waiver scheme which we offered last year as away of off-setting the economic hardship brought by COVID-19...

Who we are?

ENAT is a non-profit association for organisations that aim to be 'frontrunners' in the study, promotion and practice of accessible tourism. You may be an expert or new to the area - in either case you are welcome!

By leveraging the knowledge and experience of the network, our members are improving the accessibility of tourist information, transport, infrastructure, design and service for visitors with all kinds of access needs, providing models of excellence in accessible tourism for the whole of the tourism industry.

Our Mission

European tourism destinations, products and services accessible to all travellers and to promote accessible tourism around the world.

Why Enat?

We want to help make Europe as a whole an accessible destination, where all travellers can move freely.

Membership

Find out why you should become an ENAT member. What membership offers and what it takes to join.