Access Tourism NZ TOURISM FOR PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES, SENIORS, AND AGEING BOOMERS IN NEW ZEALAND AND WORLDWIDE

The United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP) will at its sixty-sixth session in Incheon, Republic of Korea (13-19 May 2010) review progress in the implementation of commission resolutions, including resolutions relating to social development.  This will include a review of Resolution 58/4, “Promoting an inclusive, barrier-free and rights-based society for people with disabilities in the Asian and Pacific region in the twenty-first century”.  This resolution arose out of a congress held in Takayama, Japan in November 2009, at which Access Tourism New Zealand gave a presentation.  The ESCAP Takayama Congress on the Creation of an Inclusive and Accessible Community in Asia and the Pacific and its outcome document serves as a guide for promoting accessible tourism as an effective means to build inclusive communities in which all people, including persons with different types of impairments, older persons, families with infants and persons with diverse linguistic backgrounds, can participate equally in all aspects of community life, including the enjoyment of recreational and cultural activities. The Declaration also underscored the importance of the involvement of the private sector for the development of inclusive communities.