22 Oct

NZ MP Talks of Access Tourism in Speech to Parliament

Posted by Sandra Rhodda in Ageing and People with Disabilities, AT in NZ, Baby Boomers, Current markets, New Zealand, NZ Law, policies, strategies, NZ major events, What NZ needs.

TNZ

The following is from a speech to the NZ parliament by Rahui Katene, MP for Te Tai Tonga about the Rugby World Cup 2011 Empowering Bill

“… the Bill doesn’t mention the whole concept of Access Tourism.  The message from Rugby World Cup advocates is that the provisions in the bill are simply about providing hospitality for the tens of thousands of visitors who arrive. ……….  But hospitality could also extend towards ensuring we are truly prepared for the influx of overseas visitors, through such specific and tangible provisions as:

- Ensuring the Rugby World Cup Website is accessible – by that I mean being able to quickly navigate the Tourism New Zealand site to find out information about accommodation/ airports/ transport and parking which will ensure disabled visitors, the elderly and others seeking to even gain access to the venues will be supported

- We could be creating a common brand – Be Accessible – Aotearoa would welcome all peoples to the world of the 2011 Rugby World Cup

- And we could do all this tomorrow – by auditing the main tourist accommodation venues to ensure we have a set of standards around what you have to have in order to cater for all.

This is a massive area of work that isn’t being adequately addressed and we would like to see that improved.”

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