Forum | ENAT

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.

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.

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

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!

Creating Connections with Laurent Roffé, the Founder of Inclusive and Accessible Travel Company, Tapooz Travel

Ivor Ambrose — Wed, 25 Mar 2020 09:29:00 GMT

Listen to this Podcast by No Barriers (USA), in conversation with ENAT member, Laurent Roffé on how he and his wife, Aïcha Nyström, developed their interest in accessible travel that became a travel company, TAPOOZ Travel, offering accessible trips for hundreds of clients, from individuals and families to small group travel.

From the podcast, Laurent:
"Inclusiveness is the overall drive, the overall notion of what we do. It's not just people with disabilities, it's families. It's groups traveling together. It's friends. We're looking at inclusiveness. Hopefully, projecting into the future where issues of disabilities, accessibilities will be so much part of the mainstream that you don't need to harp about it over and over and over again. Why is this, this idea is inclusiveness? Where everybody is welcome."

Go to No Barriers website.

Download the transcript in PDF or WORD from the right-hand panel.

TAPOOZ Travel is an Associate Member of ENAT.

Chinese ENAT Member, Xun Ji Speaks About Accessible Tourism in Europe and China

Ivor Ambrose — Sun, 05 May 2019 18:45:59 GMT

Recorded in front of a live audience at a Yixi hosted event in Guangzhou, China, 15 December 2018.

Ms. Ji gives a personal account of her international travel experiences as a woman with a rare disease and explains why she started the RARE and ROLL project.

Watch the video on YouTube. (32 minutes, in Chinese language, with English sub-titles).

Further information

For more information about Xun Ji's project, visit the ENAT RARE and ROLL project page.

Marlee Matlin: ILO Advocate for people with disabilities (video message with sign language and sub-titles)

Ivor Ambrose — Wed, 02 Jan 2019 10:06:07 GMT

Award-winning actress, Marlee Matlin supports the International Labour Organisations's Centenary campaign with this message in sign language.

“The inclusion of workers with disabilities across all industries and at all levels of a company is not only a matter of human rights but also a matter of business success,” says Marlee Matlin, who’s part of the ILO’s work on the inclusion of people with disabilities in the world of work.

My Brother - short film.

Ivor Ambrose — Wed, 12 Dec 2018 09:09:41 GMT

My Brother from Indigoview on Vimeo. Christmas Eve. On a busy shopping street a young man with a crowbar causes total chaos…

My Brother from Indigoview on Vimeo.

Director: Theo Papadoulakis
Screenwriter: Panagiotis Papoutsakis
Producer: Dimitris Xenakis, Alexandra Manousakis
DOP: Vaggelis Katritzidakis
Set designer: Douglas Foote
Production: Indigo View Productions

Alexandra Manousakis created #RespectLife (www.respectlife.gr), an online campaign to raise awareness about the problems people with mobility issues face in the cities around Greece. We’ve all seen vehicles blocking wheelchair ramps, restaurants and cafes filling up sidewalk spaces with tables, chairs, promotional signs. It is the reality of poor city planning, but most of all, it is a matter of blatant disrespect to our fellowmen, a matter of human decency. And it concerns us all.

Alexandra Manousakis, the Manousakis Winery, the Pancretan Association of America (PAA) and Indigo View Productions then joined forces to create a short film to draw more attention to the problem and show that each and every one of us can make a difference by changing our habits and demanding better standards from our community. To think beyond our own comfort and start sharing our communities with one another on equal terms.

Blind through the Okawango Delta– Inclusion excluded

Ivor Ambrose — Mon, 13 Aug 2018 14:40:00 GMT

Photo. Embarking in Mokoro canoe, Okawango Delta. (c) Silka Leidner.

Hr. Ruediger Leidner, ENAT Board Member, representative of the German Association of the Blind and President of Natko, gives a personal account of a recent trip he and his wife made to one of South Africa's wildlife parks.

The experience showed that, while the local guides and tour operators were willing and able to cater appropriately for a blind person, the behaviour of German travel organisers left much to be desired.

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

Related article by Hr. Leidner in the ENAT Forum: Blind on the IncaTrail - Discrimination Inclusive (2010)

Looking for Examples of Good Practice in Employment of Persons with Disabilities in the Tourism Sector

Ivor Ambrose — Sun, 12 Aug 2018 18:34:00 GMT

A message from Ivor Ambrose.

As part of a new study for the ILO - International Labour Organisation, I am collecting examples of good practice and innovations related to employment of persons with disabilities in the TOURISM SECTOR.

The example can be from the public or private sector. It may be a company policy or a special initiative by a trade union, an association or workers' cooperative - or a positive story you know about. (Please ask any relevant person(s) in case you need permission to share details about it).

The example should provide insights into how a problem was solved or how some new benefit has been gained by employing a person or persons with any kind of disability.
Your example may concern someone who became disabled but was able to retain their job or go back to work, perhaps in a new function.

Examples that clearly demonstrate positive impacts for the tourism enterprise, the employee(s) and/or the tourists will be very welcome.

If you know a good example you would like to share, please fill in this Contact Form and answer the short questions in Section 2:
https://goo.gl/forms/4fD9k21VDhiVfsGq2

This open call for examples is extended until 12th October 2018.

If your example is used in the report to the ILO, your contribution will be acknowledged.

Thank you in advance for your collaboration.

Ivor Ambrose

For more information about me, see my page on LinkedIn.

On the Passing of Professor Stephen Hawking

Ivor Ambrose — Fri, 16 Mar 2018 11:35:00 GMT

Prof. Stephen Hawking in Zero Gravity. (Photo credit: ZERO G.)

"Professor Hawking has given thousands of ENAT Members and friends the inspiration to travel the world, despite all odds. We are honoured to have had the opportunity to include him in our work; a remarkable man who demonstrated the power of diversity."

Ivor Ambrose, ENAT Managing Director, signs the Book of Condolence at Gonville and Caius College, Cambridge, where Professor Hawking was a Fellow for over half a century.

16th March 2018.

Accessible Tourism: A Novel Idea for Promoting Tourism in Nepal

Ivor Ambrose — Thu, 25 Jan 2018 10:00:00 GMT

A picture from Wounded Hero trek to Nepal. Photo by Pankaj Pradhananga.

Article by Mr. Pankaj Pradhananga & Mr. Suman Timsina, Nepal, re-published with the permission of the authors.

"Needless to say, Accessible Tourism is a very new term in Nepal. There is no official record about the first International tourist with disability who made it to Nepal. However, the effort of opening up for accessible tourism has already begun though it is still in its infancy . A major challenge for Destination Nepal is lack of accessible infrastructure and absence of enforcing laws in Tourism operating sectors for coming up with accessible Tourism products. Given the enormous economic and social benefits to be derived from this segment of Tourism, it is high time for the industry to understand and develop Inclusive tourism in the gateway to the Himalaya."

Background of the Article

This article has been produced by the authors as the extended and detail version of the working paper presented on the issues of Accessible Tourism in the National Human Rights Summit of Persons with Disabilities organized by National Federation of the Disabled Nepal in Kathmandu on December 12^th and 13^th 2016. The article has been written on the basis of the long and proven working experiences and knowledge of the authors in tourism sectors and their involvement for promoting accessible tourism in Nepal for few years back. The article has also incorporated the valuable feedback, sharing of experiences, conclusion and recommendation from the floor of the National Human Rights Summit.

Overview of International Tourism and Nepal

Over the decades, tourism has experienced continued growth and deepening diversification to become one of the fastest growing economic sectors in the world. Modern tourism is closely linked to development and encompasses growing number of new dimension. These dynamics have turned tourism into a key driver for socio-economic progress. Travel and Tourism has become a universal activity in contemporary society. International Tourists arrival crossed one billion mark in 2012. This global spread of tourism in industrialized and developed states has produced ‎economic and employment benefits in many related sectors - from construction to ‎agriculture or telecommunications.‎

Nepal is known as an exotic destination in the Himalayan region with fascinating natural and cultural attractions. The country was opened for International Tourists after the fall of autocratic Rana Regime in 1951. When Sir Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay Sherpa climbed Mount Everest in 1953, Nepal caught the attention of global travel market as a mystical and adventurous destination. Over 6 decades, Nepal has attracted tourists from across the globe; they come here to enjoy its natural beauty as well as centuries’ old tangible and intangible cultural heritages. Over the years, it has made its presence felt in International outbound market attracting number of segments i.e. Trekkers, adventure seekers, mountaineers, pilgrims (Hindus and Buddhists), wildlife enthusiasts, holidaymakers, MICE etc.

The success story from the 1950s that endures is the growth of the tourism sector in Nepal.

Tourists' arrival to Nepal have continuously grown (since 1962 as recorded data) except few notable setbacks like the civil unrest for pro-democracy movement in 1990 and the civil unrest led by armed conflict (1996-2006). These events coincided with political instability, frequent demonstrations, banda (general strikes), political processions and growing labor unionism and disputes. Two major events of 2015 was a major setback on Nepal’s economic development and they were earthquake in April and blockade in the south of the border with India.

To read the full article, download the Accessible PDF document from the right-hand column.

About the Author(s)

Pankaj Pradhananga

Pankaj is a Director of Four Season Travel & Tours. He comes with an experience of more than 2 decades in Tourism industry with the focus on Responsible / Inclusive Tour operations in Himalayan region. He has been leading the initiatives to develop accessible Tourism in Nepal.

His areas of interest are public speaking, photography and learning new things. He is an active member of Everest Toastmasters Club and also an adjunct faculty of Ace Institute of Management in Kathmandu. He is associated with Hawaii based ICTP (International Coalition of Tourism Partners). He lives in Kathmandu and is originally from Bhadrapur (Jhapa).

Mr. Suman R. Timsina

Mr. Timsina is an Executive Director, Business Development at Washington, DC based International Development Institute. He led a team of 23 wounded heroes trek to Nepal to observe World Tourism Day in 2016 in collaboration with Four Seasons Travel and Tours, Soarway Foundation and Operation Namaste. His areas of interest have been innovation, entrepreneurship, mentoring, diaspora study, community development, education and health care. He has numerous policy papers on these issues. He lives in Virginia (USA) and is originally from Biratnagar (Nepal). He is also a Past President of NRN USA.

İzmir Metropolitan Municipality. Services of the Directorate of Disability Services

Ivor Ambrose — Wed, 24 Jan 2018 19:08:00 GMT

İzmir Metropolitan Municipality provides its services within the perspective of inclusive democracy policies, family policies, health policies, education policies, transportation policies, employment policies based on human rights; as well as international agreements.

The ongoing works oriented to our citizens with disabilities are being undertaken under the service titles of: Education, Transportation, Accessible Environment, Inclusion to Politics and Public Life, Inclusion to Culture, Art and Sports Activities, Health and Rehabilitation, Labour and Employment, Information and Communication, Raising Awareness and Social Aids.

İzmir Metropolitan Municipality was awarded with the title of ‘Disabled Friendly Municipality” by the Turkish Prime Ministry, Department of the Administration of the Disabled, in 2005. Likewise, the years of 2010, 2011 and 2012 were declared “Year of People with Disabilities” with the decree of the İzmir Metropolitan Municipal Council.

Services to people with disabilities are continued to be given under the roof of Directorate of Disability Services that was established in 2014. As of today, there are 4 Service Centers; namely Buca, Konak and İnciraltı Disability Service Centers as well as the Awareness Center that operates under the Directorate of Disability Services.

Psycho-social service of the Directorate of Disability Services also gives guidance and counseling along social consulting. Counseling service by the expert personnel on education, health, social aid, transportation, employment and legal issues is offered to the people with disabilities and their relatives. In addition, people with disabilities are also directed to relevant institutions according to their needs and counseling is given both about the services of İzmir Metropolitan Municipality and they are enlightened about the disability rights.

Accessible İzmir Red Flag Implementation
One of the most important outputs of the “Accessible Izmir 2013 Congress”, which was organized by Izmir Metropolitan Municipality between the dates of October 30 and November 3, 2013, was the conferring of the “Red Flag” award to “the public indoor and outdoor spaces of private and public institutions that are made accessible for the citizens with disabilities and disabled friendly vehicles.”

With this implementation, which was done for the first time in Turkey, it is aimed to increase the number of accessible spaces for people with disabilties. The “Accessible Izmir Red Flag Commission”, consisting of representatives from Izmir City Council, Izmir Municipal Council, Chamber of Architects, Chamber of Civil Engineers, Chamber of Mechanical Engineers, Aegean Region Chamber of Industry, Izmir Chamber of Commerce, Union of Chamber of Merchants and Craftsmen, Associations related with disabled people, in order to specify the criteria related with the issuance of the Red Flag award and carrying out the controls and assessments based on the implementation, was established and the “Accessible Izmir Red Flag Legislation” was accepted by Izmir Municipal Council and put into force.

In order to receive the Red Flag, you need to apply with a written application to the Department of Social Projects of Izmir Metropolitan Municipality. A Board of Supervision that was formed by the members of the Commission inspects the field and presents its report to the Commission. The Commission decides according to the quality of accessibility features of the space. The positive decision is finalized after the approval of the Municipal Council and the “Red Flag” award is given to the institution.

What do stars on the Red Flag represent?
One star on the Red Flag represents that the space or the transportation vehicle meets the 60 % of the criteria on the technical specification, two stars represent that the space or the transportation vehicle meets the 75 % of the criteria on the technical specification and three stars represent that the space or the transportation vehicle meets the 90 % of the criterias on the technical specification.
There are 50 institutions that received the Red Flag award in Turkey.

To read more about İzmir Metropolitan Municipality's Disability Services, download the 15-page document in PDF format from the right-hand panel.

Download the list of Red Flag winners in Turkey, January 2018, in PDF Format from the right-hand panel.

İzmir Metropolitan Municipality is an Associate Member of ENAT

Universal Design hotel innovation

Stefanos Patelis — Sat, 21 Jan 2017 18:22:00 GMT

Plan view of 16 square metre UD hotel room by JeanYves Prodel

I am looking for a hotel group that would innovate by introducing my concept of small hotel rooms accessible to all even for wheelchair users.

Hotel groups and cruise liners are resolutely focused on the customer experience. These groups offer a unique experience. But what makes an unforgettable holiday? The reception, architecture, decoration of the premises, comfort, accessibility, all the sensations generated by a set of details, even small, are participating in the subtle alchemy. Any sense of difficulty or stress felt by a customer may question it.

This is why I see a design accessible to all, not in response to excessive and rigid standardization but in response to the desire to create places to provide the same quality of comfort and well-being for everyone. For this, I am inspired by intimate experiences during my travels abroad or my daily life as a disabled person in a wheelchair.

I create thinking about what defines for me a beautiful design, easy to understand and welcoming. Therefore who better than I can imagine hotel rooms of 16m2 and 25m2 thoughts entirely to the welfare of customers while ensuring satisfaction and maximized return on investment?

Know that my room is so great for all, even with a wheelchair, I have received awards in the US and Europe for this.

Plan view of 25 square metre UD hotel room by JeanYves Prodel

JeanYves Prodel is an ENAT Associate Member

Contact details: ENAT Members Listing

Barrier-free Travel In German Theme Parks

Ivor Ambrose — Sat, 03 Sep 2016 15:54:00 GMT

University student, Laura Zimmermann reviewed Theme Parks' websites and actual visits to examine their access provisions. This is a summary of her report, showing some awareness of accessibility issues but still room for improvement. 

The need for more and improved accessible tourism is growing. The world’s economies are evolving and so are the expectations and desires of people. When basic needs are fulfilled, new ones arise. In strong economies, like Germany’s, people are now aware of social problems and expect governments and companies to take responsibility and action. Also the demographic aging plays a role. But after all it is important to understand that accessible tourism is meant to make life easier for everybody, no matter if disability, broken leg or pushing a stroller.

The German government has been taking action. In the Basic Constitutional Law of the Federal Republic of Germany (GG) it is stated in Article 3 that no one must be disadvantaged because of their disability. The BGG (Law on the Equalization of Persons with Disabilities) was passed in May 2002. The law aims to remove disadvantages and provide an equal participation and self-determined lifestyle. Germany also signed the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with disabilities in 2007.

When looking at the „Teilhabebericht der Bundesregierung über die Lebenslagen von Menschen mit Behinderungen“ (Participation report about the circumstance of people with disabilities) of the Federal Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs from 2013, one can see that accessible tourism should not be seen as a niche market. 25% of the people in Germany have impairments; almost 27 million people which is about a third of Germany’s population. The report also shows clear problems in the lives of people with disabilities. One of the biggest ones is clearly the lack of self-determination; something that could be greatly improved by better accessibility.

This project looked at the websites of multiple theme parks to find out how big of a topic accessibility is there already.

All four theme parks (Hansapark, Filmpark Babelsberg, Moviepark, Tropical Islands) had a part of their website dedicated to accessibility, reaching from the status of it to advice. It is obvious that theme parks are aware of the topic, also because their goal is to attract as many different market segments as possible. After just visiting the Tropical Islands theme park it can be said that there is a clear effort for accessibility, seeing that there is even a wheelchair lift to get to a bar on the second floor of a restaurant. Although, universal design did not seem to have been applied from the beginning as there are parts in all parks that are not impossible but harder to access.

When looking at four Western theme parks (Pullman City Harz, Pullman City Bayern, Fred Rai Western City, El Dorado) it is found that their effort is not yet big enough. A big challenge is of course to combine the accessibility of the park with its authenticity. Both the El Dorado and Pullman City Harz lack information on their website. Pullman city Bayern on the other hand has detailed information about the accessibility of the park and even cooperated with another website that concentrates on testing tourism attractions’ accessibility and informing people about it (http://www.holicap.de/Ausflugsziele/Bayerischer-Wald-Niederbayern/ Eging-am-See-Pullman-City-Westernstadt.html).

The El Dorado Western city Templin was looked at more specifically. Although there are no information on the website, the theme park makes a point in offering and improving the accessibility. After visiting the park and interviews with employees it can be said that although the accessibility is far from perfect, the park makes up for it with its attitude. They are eager and happy to help people visiting the park, are aware of the market segment and are in contact with people to find problem areas and solutions. The El Dorado emphasizes their ambition to find individual solutions, because individuality is a main part of the park.

The main problems of accessibility and accessible tourism in Germany and German theme parks lay in the lack of funding, awareness, research and information.

The topic is still often seen as only serving a small, unprofitable group of people and both the general public and tourism students are not brought into contact with the topic enough, causing it to seem smaller than it really is.

Seeing the trends of society and tourism, clear action needs to be taken to guarantee a qualitative tourism product for everybody in the future.

Download this text, with illustrations, in PDF format, from the right-hand panel

Accessible Tourism: Impact to the Local Economy of Promoting Northern Ireland as an Accessible Destination

Ivor Ambrose — Wed, 24 Feb 2016 13:14:42 GMT

A study report by Gavin Toal and Michael Holden, Developing Business Managers Programme, Ulster University, 2016.

Accessible Tourism is a relatively new phenomenon within the tourism market as a whole.

This study looks at evidence to see if Northern Ireland can benefit economically by promoting itself as an accessible destination.

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

The Study Objectives

1. To review literature to gain an understanding of the meaning ‘accessible tourism’ and its relevance to Northern Ireland.
2. Check current tourism strategies to see if Northern Ireland is currently developing a policy for this market.
3. Identify the potential market through the use of published statistics.
4. To look at the approach of neighbouring jurisdictions,to examine how they have provided for this market and examine any results that they have been able to produce.
5. Consider Northern Ireland as a region, to ascertain if it has the infra-structure and capacity to welcome visitors in the accessible tourism market.
6. Understand some of the needs of the market by asking relevant questions of a selection of travellers who identify with accessible tourism.
7. To use the information so as to give a conclusion to the question of whether the local economy could benefit from the promotion of accessible tourism.

ENAT thanks the authors for giving their permission to publish this study, as a contribution to improving knowledge on accessible tourism around the world.

NTO Learning Group - A New ENAT Forum for National and Regional Tourist Boards

Ivor Ambrose — Thu, 18 Feb 2016 12:46:00 GMT

Announcement

Brussels, 17 february 2016. ENAT is launching a "Learning Group" for National and Regional Tourist Organisations (NTOs and RTOs).

The aim of the Learning Group is to bring together and share our experiences and methods for developing and implementing accessible tourism policies and strategies, at country, regional and destination levels.

Download the invitation letter to current ENAT Members from the NTO and RTO sectors from the right-hand panel in PDF fomat.

Or read it below.

The NTO Learning Group is a "closed" group, exclusively for ENAT members.

Paid-up ENAT Members (NTOs, RTOs and Dertination Management Organisations), will be contacted by the ENAT Secretariat and informed about how to join and participate.

We look forward to welcoming you to the Group.

Ivor Ambrose, Managing Director

ENAT Letter

from ENAT Secretariat, 17 February 2016

To ENAT Members: NTOs and RTOs

Dear Colleagues,

I am writing to all NTOs and Regional Tourist Boards (RTOs) that are ENAT Members & Partners, to inform you about a new initiative we are preparing:

The ENAT NTOs’ Learning Group.

The idea for this group came from one of our ENAT members, VisitScotland, represented by Chris McCoy who is their Equality Diversity Manager and Head of the Accessible Tourism Programme and Mediation Partnership Team.

We had an initial meeting in Brussels on 29th January to discuss the Learning Group idea with Chris and two colleagues from VisitFlanders, Katrien Mampaey and Pieter Ghijsels.

The ENAT President, Anna Grazia Laura and ENAT members, Chris Veitch and Katerina Papamichail also took part in the meeting, along with me (Ivor Ambrose, Managing Director, ENAT).

The basic idea of the ENAT NTOs’ Learning Group is to share the good practices and methods that tourist boards have developed for fostering and promoting accessible, inclusive tourism. Tourist boards that are willing to join the Learning Group can show each other which approaches are really working, when it comes to engaging with stakeholders, especially the many small businesses in the accessible tourism value chain.

We can see that there is a need for all Destination Management Organisations to improve their offers and their marketing, so we would like to widen the sharing and learning to all the NTOs and RTOs who are ENAT members.

There will be an opportunity to share joint development opportunities and projects, bringing our knowledge together and sharing costs to develop initiatives that might otherwise be unachievable to just one NTO. This could be further developed into bringing NTOs together to make funding bids to the European Commission, where appropriate, for joint projects. This will allow for different areas of expertise to be drawn into a funding bid, and make what can be a very complex process that much more achievable.

I hope that, as an ENAT Member, you will join the NTO Learning Group and contribute to making this initiative a success!

Our approach will be to set up an online NTO Forum and a Resources Database on the ENAT website, exclusively for the NTO Learning Group members. We will gather and organise information, send out News and Events information, help you find partners for your own projects and provide other support, as well as we are able to.

Most important, we will arrange a Learning Event where the NTO and RTO members can come together for 2 days, interact and learn from each other. There will be short speeches from business leaders and NTOs and in-depth workshop sessions on specific topics, e.g. policy and strategy development, business cases, marketing, customer engagement, accessibility information, social media tools, etc.

You can already SAVE THE DATE of the 1st ENAT NTOs’ Learning Event: “Aiming For Growth”, Tuesday 20th - Wednesday 21st September 2016, in Edinburgh, Scotland.

The NTOs’ Learning Event will be organised by a small committee composed of ENAT, VisitScotland and VisitFlanders and will be hosted by VisitScotland.

- There will be an Administration Fee of 100 Euros per person. Each NTO can send one or two persons. Places will be limited to NTO Learning Group members and invited speakers.

- Hotels and flights must be covered by the participants themselves. We aim to get special discounts for participants in the Learning Event.

At the Learning Event:

- The focus will be on “Aiming for Growth”

- We will show how accessible tourism can contribute to your destination’s growth, in terms of turnover, income, reputation and sustainable community development

- We will explore with you the barriers to working in this area and how to overcome them, using case studies and examples

- We will show which kinds of incentives work, when you want to get business on board

- We will not re-invent the wheel: NTOs can take the advice of those who are already in the process

- We will set some achievable goals and benchmarks, which we will report on to measure our progress. These will be designed by the NTO’s for the NTO’s - they won’t be imposed by others…!

- We will give you useful documentation to take away with you.

The ENAT-NTOs’ Learning Group will be open to all national and regional NTOs in Europe. NTOs and RTOs must become ENAT Members, if they are not already, so they can take part in the NTO Learning Group Forum and use the ENAT NTO Resource Database. There is no additional ENAT Membership Fee for NTOs for this service.

We aim to provide the necessary support from the 150 Euro Annual Membership Fee.

(Please make sure your ENAT membership subscription is up-to-date. Contact us if you need a specified invoice or download your invoice from your members' profile page after logging in at www.accessibletourism.org ).

As an ENAT member we recognise that you are already working actively on issues concerning Accessible Tourism. We need your help to bring more tourist organisations and destinations on board. We want to encourage them, and help you reach your goals too. As one of our members said, NTOs cannot expect results overnight! "It will take you five years to bring your destination up to the level of an accessible destination”.

Please share this message with colleagues in your organisation and with other NTOs and RTOs!

NTOs and RTOs can join ENAT by registering at this page:
http://www.accessibletourism.org/?i=enat.en.member

Choose “Organisational” membership and, after filling in the form, send the membership fee for 2016 by bank transfer to the ENAT Bank account or by PayPal.

We will soon open the NTO Learning Group page on the ENAT Website, where further information will be posted.

Should you have any questions or comments, please do not hesitate to contact me.

You may already confirm your interest in joining the NTOs’ Learning Group and/or let me know if you wish to register for the Learning Event in Edinburgh.

With kind regards,

Ivor Ambrose, Managing Director, ENAT.

UPDATE, 18 May 2016. The Learning Group Web Forum is now open at:

https://groups.google.com/forum/#!forum/enat-learning-group1

If you wish to join you must be a Paid-up ENAT Member.
Please contact ENAT for further information at: enat@accessibletourism.org