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

Access Tourism New Zealand is celebrating celebrates 18 months  as a member of the eGranary Global Disability Rights Library.  The eGranary Digital Library — “The Internet in a Box” — is an off-line information store that provides instant access to over 30 million Internet resources to institutions lacking adequate Internet access. Through a process of copying web sites (with permission) and delivering them to partner institutions in developing countries, this digital library delivers instant access to a wide variety of educational resources including video, audio, books, journals, and web sites.

There are two major types of eGranaries: Web servers connected to wireless networks or local area networks (LANs) that can serve thousands of patrons; and stand-alone USB drives that connect to a single computer. Both have a built-in proxy and search engine that emulates the Internet experience. Both include built-in tools for subscribers to upload local materials as well as create and edit unlimited Web sites.

The eGranary Digital Library was founded in 2001 and is developed by the WiderNet Project, a service program based at the University of Iowa’s School of Library and Information Science. The eGranary is installed in more than 450 schools, clinics, and universities in Africa, India, Bangladesh, and Haiti. The project aims to expand its installations to thousands of schools, hospitals and universities in underserved areas around the globe.

Europe’s leading Accessible Travel organisation, Tourism For all UK is teaming up with the global travel community on Tripbod.com.  The aim is to find as many local people as possible with a knowledge of accessibility in their area to become ‘Tripbods’ and offer their local knowledge to visitors.  Tourism For All’s Carrie-Ann Fleming, says “it’s all about empowering truly independent travel. Connecting with a like-minded local Tripbod before you arrive means you get straight to the knowledge source you need. Disabled people already have all the knowledge they need gained from experiences, good or bad, to offer others with similar concerns invaluable local travel advice and information.”  Tripbod’s founder Sally Broom points out that every product listed on Tripbod has an accessibility rating.

The announcement comes within days of Easyjet hitting the news for two cases of discrimination against disabled travellers and Broom acknowledges the timeliness of the partnership. “These cases reflect poorly on the travel industry and we want to show another side of the story. 2012 is a massive year for travel in the UK and it would be both a shame and a failure if visitors are unable to enjoy fully their visit due to poor information.

Fleming adds, “The initial focus of the partnership will be on recruiting Tripbods in the UK with a knowledge of local accessibility, but the existing Tripbod network is global and we are welcoming everyone everywhere with a passion for independent accessible travel to join us. What’s more, we will be offering simple and effective training for Tripbods who want to help disabled travellers but need a bit more advice and support.”

Anyone interested to learn more can visit www.tripbod.com/accessibletravel
or email hello@tripbod.com.

In 2011, the New Zealand National Foundation for the Deaf (NFD) commissioned the New Zealand Tourism Research Institute (NZTRI) to conduct research into the tourism, travel, and hospitality experiences and needs of people with hearing impairments.   Hearing impairment ranges from slight hearing loss to total loss. The research was led by Dr. Sandra Rhodda, Research Programme Leader in Access Tourism. The research included two surveys, one for residents of New Zealand (“NZ”) and one for residents of countries other than NZ (called Internationals, or “Int”) who are deaf or have hearing loss.   The aim of the research was to find out what it is like to travel with hearing loss, how the travel experiences of hearing impaired people can be improved, to establish what people with hearing loss want in terms of tourism products and services, and to offer a better understanding of Access Tourism as a legitimate tourism market.  It also evaluated the case for the development of a ‘Hearing Tick’ for tourism businesses that cater for people with hearing loss.

In summary, the survey found that

• The top four reasons why NZ and Int respondents travel in general are: for enjoyment (84%/91%), to connect with friends, family or partner (84%/59%), to have new experiences (65%/72%), and for relaxation (53%/57%).  In other words, for the same reasons as people without hearing loss travel.
• NZ respondents on average took 7.18 overnight domestic trips during 2010; this is more than the number of domestic overnight trips (4.2) taken by NZers in general. NZ respondents took either one (30%), two (11%), or three or more (10%) international trips during 2010. Forty-nine percent did not travel internationally.
• The primary reasons NZ respondents took their most recent domestic trip were to be with friends and family (31%), to holiday (25%), for business (11%), or to attend conferences (10%).
• The majority (82%) of NZ respondents travelled with at least one other person on their most recent domestic trip – mainly a spouse or partner (73%). Eighteen percent travelled alone.
• On their most recent domestic trip, NZ respondents stayed an average of 4.6 nights away from home, and spent on average $107 per person per day on transport, accommodation, activities and attractions, and food and beverage.
• Thirty-three percent of Int respondents took between three and five domestic overnight trips in their own country. The mean number of domestic overnight trips taken by Int respondents was 6.8.
• Forty percent of Int respondents did not take any international trips during 2010. Of those who did travel internationally, the majority (83%) took between one and three trips.
• Forty-three percent of Int respondents have previously visited NZ, 47% have never visited NZ but plan to do so one day; 10% have never visited and have no plans to do so.
• For those Int respondents who have been to NZ, the main reasons for their last visit were ‘holiday’ (42%), to be with friends and/or family (15%), and to attend a conference or similar event (13%).   The majority (83%) of Int respondents who visited NZ travelled with at least one other person on their  last visit – mainly their spouse or partner. Seventeen percent of Int respondents travelled by themselves to NZ.  On their last visit to NZ, Int respondents stayed an average of 13.2 days.
• Just under half (46%) of NZ respondents are somewhat dissatisfied with the number of domestic overnight trips they currently take. Factors that prevent these respondents from travelling more domestically are cost (74%), a concern that their hearing needs will not be met (37%), and difficulty finding information about access for visitors with hearing loss (24%).  Fifty-nine percent of NZ respondents ‘agree’ or ‘somewhat agree’ that they would take more domestic overnight trips if the level of service for people with hearing loss across the tourism industry in NZ was improved.
• Just under half (43%) of Int respondents are somewhat dissatisfied with the number of international trips they currently take. Factors preventing Int visitors from taking more international trips are cost (73%), time constraints (54%), concerns that their hearing needs will not be met (33%), and difficulty finding information about access for visitors with hearing loss (25%).
• Both NZ and Int respondents agree (mean 4.4-4.6 out of 5) that the most important access needs when travelling away from home include customer service staff who have a ‘can-do’ attitude and the provision of reliable information. This includes information about safety in clear print, emergency alarms in public areas that are visual as well as audible, public audio announcements also provided in text on TV screens, and customer service staff who are knowledgeable about serving guests with hearing loss.
• When asked what other things would make their travel more enjoyable and accessible, both NZ and Int respondents highlighted the importance of understanding, patient staff trained to know how to accommodate people with hearing loss, how to meet their needs, and what to do in an emergency.
• Over two-thirds (70%) of NZ and half (52%) of Int respondents indicated that it is difficult to find information about NZ tourism products that are accessible to people with hearing loss.
• Forty-two percent of NZ and 29% of Int respondents agreed with the statement that ‘information about services for the hearing impaired is often wrong or misleading’.
• The reasons most often stated by both NZ and Int respondents for not seeking information about NZ tourism products were: a lack of knowledge on how to seek information and a perception that it is too hard to find. Some also think the information does not exist, and that businesses do not cater for people with hearing loss.
• The majority of NZ (90%) and over half (55%) of Int respondents feel that the level of service in the NZ tourism industry for people with hearing loss needs to be improved.
• Nearly two thirds (60%) of NZ and three quarters of Int respondents indicate they would ‘often’ return to a tourism business that has good services for people with hearing loss; 64% and 76% would tell friends and family about such a business.
• The majority of both NZ (88%) and Int (89%) respondents think it is a good idea to have a hearing-rating symbol that NZ businesses could use to show they are accessible to people with hearing loss.
• The main reasons given by both domestic and Int respondents for saying the use of a ‘hearing tick’ is a good idea are: to show that people with hearing loss are accepted and provided for, to reduce anxiety and frustration, to make the business easily recognisable, to promote awareness by businesses of people with hearing loss, and to improve first time and repeat patronage by people with hearing loss.
• The majority of NZ (83%) and Int (91%) respondents indicate that they would visit a website that had reliable information on tourism businesses in NZ that cater for people with hearing loss.

The full report can be found on the NZTRI site and on the NFD site.

The New Zealand National Foundation for the Deaf (NFD) has set up a captioning working group with the aim of establishing equal access to TV and movies for deaf and hearing impaired people in this country.  A 2011 survey, “Captioning in New Zealand”, conducted by members of the group, showed the deaf and hearing impaired community felt a strong sense of injustice and frustration at the way poor TV, home video and cinema captioning denied them the simple pleasures of relaxation, entertainment and access to information and education.  Over the next 12 months the
NFD Captioning Working Group will push for legislation to make the captioning of TV programmes in New Zealand compulsory – a change favoured by 86% of the  Captioning New Zealand survey respondents.  New Zealand TV captioning is among the worst in the western world with even Uganda having a better service. While some captioning is funded by NZ On Air and a high quality captioning service is provided by TV1, TV2 and TV3 it amounts to less than 10% of total TV hours each week across all free to air and subscriber pay channels.  Captioning is about equal access for both hearing and non-hearing people. The United Nations Convention on the Rights of Disabled Persons, ratified by New Zealand, states that all persons with disabilities should enjoy equal access to television programmes, films, theatre and cultural activities in accessible formats.  Many countries,  Australia and the USA included, have mandatory captioning legislation. We are seriously lagging behind the rest of the world and it’s time we caught up.

Members of the NFD Captioning Working Group come from t he NFD and Deaf Aotearoa.

Source: NFD press release.

Congratulations to Salzburg, winners of the European Commission 2012 Access City Award for excellent infrastructure for disabled citizens. The Award recognizes European cities with over 50,000 inhabitants which take exemplary initiatives to improve accessibility in the urban environment.  In the context of a steadily ageing population living in European cities and its correlation with disabilities, accessibility has important social and economic benefits.  This initiative is organized in partnership with the European Disability Forum and Age Platform Europe assists in selecting the winner.

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.

Three finalist “runners-up” were Kraków (Poland), Marburg (Germany), and Santander (Spain). The European Jury also decided to attribute special mentions in each of the four key areas of accessibility. These went 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
• Grenoble (France) for public facilities and services

According to Enterprise and Industry of the European Commission, not only is making tourism more accessible a social responsibility, but there is also a compelling business case to boost the competitiveness of tourism in Europe.   Why? The population in Europe is aging: by 2050 the number of people aged over 65 will triple that of 2003 and the over-80 will be 5 times more numerous that they are at the moment.  This represents a huge market potential which today remains vastly under-served. Worldwide the number of people with impairments accounts for 600-900 million, representing a significant potential market for Europe.   Many examples show that by implementing basic adjustments to a facility, providing accurate information, and understanding the needs of disabled people, an increased number of visitors has resulted.  Also, improving the accessibility of tourism services increases the  quality and enjoyment for all tourists.  The European Commission is committed to mainstream accessibility in tourism by:

• raising awareness, sensitizing stakeholders and economic operators in the tourism sector
• gathering knowledge about demand from travellers with special access needs
• identifying options to improve the offer of accessible tourism services

The Commission has a publication on improving information on accessible tourism for people with disabilities.  It also has a programme called Calypso which aims to facilitate tourism access for groups for which going on holiday represents a difficult or even impossible undertaking.

Two new text books on accessible tourism are available through the European Network for Accessible Tourism (ENAT) from Channel View Publications. The first is “Concepts and Issues” (eds: Dimitrios Buhalis and Simon Darcy), which sets out to  explore and document the current theoretical approaches, foundations and issues  in the study of accessible tourism.  Professor Nigel Morgan, The Welsh Centre for Tourism Research states that this volume harnesses “the best conceptual  developments on the topic” and that it will “take accessible tourism and universal design debates into the mainstream of academic enquiryand industry practice“

The second volume is “Best Practice in Accessible Tourism” (eds: Buhalis, Darcy, and Ivor Ambrose).  It focuses on policy and best practice in accessible tourism, reflecting the ”state-of -the-art” as expressed in a selection of international chapters. It brings together global expertise in planning, design and management to inform and stimulate providers of travel, transport, accommodation, leisure and tourism services to serve guests with disabilities, seniors and the wider markets that require good accessibility. Chapter 8, written by Sandra Rhodda of Access Tourism New Zealand, describes the state of accessible tourism in this country.  Overall, the book gives ample evidence that accessible tourism organisations and destinations can expand their target markets as well as improve the quality of their service offering, leading to greater customer satisfaction, loyalty and expansion of business.  Accessible tourism is not only about providing access to people with disabilities but also it addresses the creation of universally designed environments that can support people that may have temporary disabilities, families with young children, the ever increasing ageing population as well as creating a safer environment for employees to work. Noel Scott, of the University of Queensland, Australia says that the volume “provides a ‘state-of-the-art” assessment of both theory and practice. This book establishes a new field of study and provides the benchmark against which other contributions will be judged. It integrates the work of all the key players and should be read by academics, managers and government policy makers.”

The Turkish Federation of Disabled People (TSK), the Prime Ministry for People with Disabilities and Turkish Ministry of European Union Affairs will jointly host a “Cities Without Borders – Tourism Without Borders” conference 25-28 November 2011.  The conference will be held in Alanya. Turkey.  Speakers will come from Turkey, European institutions and non-governmental organisations. The European Network for Accessible Tourism (ENAT) will provide a number of speakers who will present European experiences and perspectives from different EU Member States.  They include:

• Ivor Ambrose, Managing Director, ENAT
• David Burgeon and Eddie Baret, Jaccede.com, France
• Roberto Vitali, Village for All, Italy
• Nicole Bosch, Travelhands.com, Germany
• Chris Veitch, Independent Tourism Consultant, United Kingdom

The draft programme in PDF format is available on the ENAT website.  For further information, contact ENAT, who will forward your enquiry to the organisers.

The seminar ‘Accessible Tourism’ at the World Travel Market 2011, organized by the European Network for Accessible Tourism (ENAT) and coordinated by Veroniek Maat (Accessible Travel Netherlands) attracted a good number of interested parties. Travel agents, students and consultants were among those who attended.   During the presentation the need for communication about accessibility was emphasized using recent numbers from consultants in the field. The eAccess+ project funded by the European Commission is a good example of improving awareness and improving e-accessibility.

Also, the need for better adapted interiors for accommodations was discussed. Magnus Berglund, accessibility ambassador at Scandic Hotels, explained how his hotel chain engages in accessibility. His presentation showed how other hotel chains can adopt an accessibility policy in order to meet the needs of all guests, including seniors and people with disabilities.  The many questions asked afterwards and the lack of time in which to answer them showed the increasing awareness of this issue among travel agencies.   Seminar slides will soon be available and published on the Accessible Travel Netherlands website.

The 2011 M-Enabling Summit and Showcase for Mobile Applications and Services for Seniors and Persons with Disabilities will bring together leaders in the global emerging mobile accessibility eco-system to foster discussion and decision-making among mobile technology, aging and disability experts, and policy professionals in the United States and abroad. The Summit’s Inaugural Briefing Session, hosted by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) will cover the latest legislative and regulatory steps taken by the United States and other countries on mobile accessibility. The event is presented by the Global Initiative for Inclusive Information and Communication Technologies (G3ict) and E.J. Krause & Associates (in cooperation with the  International Telecommunication Union and the FCC.  Participants will include representatives from AT&T, Verizon, W3C, Daisy Consortium, the AAPD, AFB, and UNCRPD, amongst others.

Key tracks will highlight new innovations addressing the specific needs of users living with different types of disability, as well as major emerging market opportunities, such as accessible and assistive applications and solutions for travel and tourism.

“More than 5.4 billion mobile phones are in service today while, according to the latest WHO-World Bank Report on Disability, 1 billion persons live with disabilities – 54 million in the United States alone – including a large proportion of seniors,” said conference co-organizer Axel Leblois, Executive Director of G3ict. “The M-Enabling Summit will be the first opportunity for all stakeholders involved to participate in a groundbreaking sharing of experience among mobile industry, private sector leaders, senior and disability organizations, IT professionals, operators, apps developers, government, and accessibility experts.”

The Summit will be held in Washington D.C. from December 5-6, 2011 at the Gaylord
National Resort and Convention Center at National Harbor.

The World Travel Market is a major international travel industry event held over 4
days.  Last year, nearly 50,000 industry participants, and over 5000 exhibiting companies took part in the market.  This year, the market is being held on 7-10 November in London, and will have two seminars and an Advice Clinic on accessible tourism.  One seminar will cover the business case for developing Access tourism and will be chaired by John de Vial of the British Travel Association (ABTA).  The second seminar will be presented by members of the European Network for Accessible Tourism (ENAT) and will highlight market data and research findings.  The session will be introduced by Veroniek Maat, a one-time intern at the New Zealand Tourism Research Institute of Auckland University of Technology (NZTRI) and a contributor to Access Tourism New Zealand.  The advice clinic will be run by Brian Seaman of Tourism for All UK, and 15 minute one-on-one sessions are available by registering and selecting someone to speak to from a list of fourteen industry experts.

The Italian Ministry of Tourism has created a Manifesto promoting Accessible Tourism (English and Italian versions).   It is part of its commitment to put into effect Article 30 of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.  Article 30 – Participation in cultural life, recreation, leisure and sport – includes that States Parties recognize the right of persons with disabilities to take part on an equal basis with others in cultural life, including enjoying films, theatre and other cultural activities, in accessible formats;  access to places for cultural performances or services, such as theatres, museums, cinemas, libraries and tourism services, and, as far as possible, enjoy access to monuments and sites of national cultural importance; and access tourism venues.

Chairman of the Italian Agency for Tourism (ENIT), Matteo Marzotto said that accessibility means lack of architectural, cultural and sensory barriers.  “It relates to people with particular needs, not only regarding movement but also chronic health issues (people with food and environment allergies, the blind, the deaf or mentally disabled people, small children and the elderly, etc.). The involvement of all these visitors and their families in tourism has a great numerical as well as psychological, impact”.

Following the signing in Vicenza, in May 2011, the new Italian National Tourism Code (Decree 79 of 5/23/2011) was passed into law, to be in force from 21 June.  This marks a major step forward in the Italian legislation on Accessible Tourism.  The Minister of Tourism, Michela Vittoria Brambilla is Chair of the Executive Council Board of the UN World Tourism Organisation and in that role in Nairobi in July 2011 has proposed to 154 countries and 400 other WTO member organizations to sign up to the Manifesto. The first interested countries can sign the document already from the next UNWTO meeting which should take place in Cambodia in October.

The first international NGO to support the Manifesto is the European Network for Accessible Tourism (ENAT).  ENAT Board Member, Dr. Angelika Laburda signed the Manifesto on behalf of ENAT at the Gitando 2011 Feira da Vicenza trade fair on 25th March 2011, along with the Minister. Laburda said that the document raises awareness of the importance of providing accessibility for all tourists.

In June, the World Report on Disability was launched by the World Health Organization and the World Bank.  A key recommendation of the World report is the need to strengthen research. Without evidence on issues such as need and unmet need, costs, impact of services, quality of life of people with disabilities, it is difficult to make recommendations for how countries can respond more effectively. Two forthcoming research symposia will contribute to addressing gaps in research on health and rehabilitation. London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine and University of Sydney are each sponsoring a meeting where new and established researchers will present their research.

The best papers from these meetings will be published in the journal Disability and Rehabilitation, one year after publication of the World report, together with other contributions which focus on the contribution of rehabilitation to improving the lives of persons with disabilities. Papers are encouraged which relate to recommendations for research outlined in the report:

• The impact of environmental factors (policies, physical environment, attitudes) on disability and how to measure it; 
• Measures of the lived experience of people with disabilities, including measures on quality of life and well-being;
• What works in overcoming service barriers in different contexts;
• Effectiveness and outcomes of rehabilitation services and programmes; and 
• The cost–effectiveness of public spending on disability programmes.

Wherever possible, research should reflect the active participation of persons with disabilities themselves, and be grounded in the human rights approach. The deadline for submissions of papers is January 15 2012.  Given that journals such as Disability and Society, Alter and the Scandinavian Journal of Disability Research have also welcomed the publication of the World report, there is scope for publication of research relevant to other issues – support services, accessibility, education, employment – in other journals.

The World Tourism Organization (UNWTO), the ONCE Foundation for Cooperation
and Social Inclusion of People with Disabilities and the European Network for Accessible Tourism (ENAT) have signed a Cooperation Agreement aimed at developing ever more accessible tourism for persons with disabilities (Madrid, Spain, 16 September).

“The facilitation of tourist travel for persons with disabilities is a central part of responsible and sustainable tourism,” said UNWTO Secretary-General, Taleb Rifai. The Executive Vice President of the ONCE Foundation, Alberto Duran López, stressed the importance of counting on the support of UNWTO. “We are happy to work with UNWTO and ENAT and trust this partnership will significantly advance equal opportunities and rights for persons with disabilities,” he said.

The President of ENAT, Lilian Müller, expressed the hope to “bring a greater awareness of ‘Accessible Tourism for All’ among UNWTO members and to provide  them with new tools and resources so that they can make effective progress in  this growing field of tourism”.

Aimed at enabling universal access to tourism facilities and services, the Agreement entails a series of initiatives, including awareness-raising, technical support, indicators and training in the field of accessibility to national tourism administrations and tourism enterprises. The trilateral accord also involves the promotion of traineeships for young persons with disabilities, with a view towards their integration in the labour market. It further encompasses the funding of pilot projects in destinations, involving the application of new technologies, to facilitate the participation of persons with disabilities in tourism and leisure-related activities.

The Cooperation Agreement builds on the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (30 March 2007), and the UNWTO Resolution on Accessible Tourism for All, adopted by the UNWTO General Assembly in 2005 and prepared in collaboration with the ONCE Foundation.

The Rolling Rains Report writes that the first international certification programme for accessible tourism destinations has been developed and carried out in Lousã, Portugal by the Belgian Accessibility Office, Toegangelijkheidsbureau (TGB).

The Accessible Tourism Destination Certification Programme or ATDCP is based on an extensive audit of the Destination Management Organisation’s accessible  tourism policies, infrastructure, transport, services and visitor information, and includes accessibility assessments of the outdoor environment, overnight accommodation, attractions, and activities and offers for visitors including persons with disabilities, older persons and families with small children.

Designed and developed by accessibility and tourism experts, TGB Belgium, the ATDCP is a completely new destination management tool which provides an accurate measure of the excellence of an accessible tourism destination, based on strictly defined criteria.

The Accessible Destination Certification Programme involves assessment meetings with destination managers coupled with on-site audits and document analysis, thus building a picture of the capacity and level of achievement of the accessible destination.  Each element of the assessment is scored against a set of indicators, thus enabling managers to track the destination’s performance over time and allowing for benchmarking across any number of destinations.

The Programme also provides a tailor-made Action Plan for destination managers, with priorities for improvements to be made in the different facets of the accessible destination.  The Action Plan aims to ensure that the destination will continue to develop and improve its offers to all visitors, giving them fulfilling, accessible experiences, whatever their interests and regardless of their age or abilities.  The TGB Accessible Tourism Destination Certificate is valid for two years, after which time it must be renewed through a re-assessment process.

For background on this advance, see the European Network for Accessible Tourism website.

This year’s November Pro-ICAT conference  Tourism For All in Malaysia will discuss just that, amongst other things.  With an emphasis on what developing accessible tourism can do to promote national and regional economic development, the conference aims to:

• highlight the existence of Accessible Tourism through hosting events that will draw attention to this niche in the tourism sector
• provide information on Accessible Tourism to the public locally and internationally
• make known to the public the obstacles and challenges in Accessible Tourism and ways to overcome them
•  encourage a tourism system in Malaysia that welcomes people with disabilities having good liaison between disabled organizations and tourism organizations so that attractions can be facilitated more systematically.
• encourage the Ministry of Tourism in Malaysia to do more research in promoting Accessible Tourism.
• advocate for the removal of architectural and transportation barriers that prevent people with disabilities from sharing fully in all aspects of our society including going for tours.

The final conference-workshop of the central European project CrossCulTour addresses “CrossCulTour achievements, European cultural tourism and best practice in heritage management and cultural tourism management”.  Based on the Romanesque heritage – TRANSROMANICA The European Routes of Romanesque Heritage – CrossCulTour embraces further stylistic periods and cultural elements of the regions, establishes collaboration with marketing partners linked to cultural heritage and promotes cross-sector cooperation. The workshop – co-financed by the European Commission EU Regional Development Fund – will present achievements of the project “CrossCulTour – Cross Marketing Strategies for Culture and Tourism”, as well as European cultural tourism networks and best practice examples within heritage management and cultural tourism marketing.  It includes a session on “Access for All to Cultural Tourism” by Mieke Broeders, Executive Secretary, European Network for Accessible Tourism (ENAT).  Mieke is the Director of Toegankelijkheidsbureau, which is the major accessibility advisory and consultancy organization in Flanders, Belgium. She is also director of the Flemish Expert Centre on Accessibility. The workshop takes place in Brussels, Belgium on 7 September 2011.

The European Network for Accessible Tourism (ENAT) will give a presentation at the 2011 World Travel Market Conference in London 7-10 November.  The presentation will include a round-up of the key issues in making tourism offers accessible and  inclusive for all visitors. Highlighting will be the latest market data and research findings which show how businesses and destinations are winning market share by offering accessible infrastructure and services.  Also discussed will be how England is making ready for all visitors to enjoy the London Olympic and paralympic Games 2012.  Tourist Boards, DMOs, attractions, hotels, airlines and booking agents can all play a part in catering for the growing market of seniors, families with young children and people with disabilities, and information will be provided on how it’s done and where to begin.   ENAT is a non-profit association of organisations and individuals from the private, public and NGO sectors. Their mission is to make European tourism destinations, products and services accessible to all visitors and to help promote Accessible Tourism around the world.

The over fifties are more mobile and more active than ever before. Between 2005 and 2010 vacation travel by Europeans aged 55 and over expanded by 17 per cent. This age group as a whole accounted for 27% of all trips abroad, or 78 million holiday trips. As far as holiday preferences are concerned, the over fifties are increasingly distancing themselves from the clichés associated with traditional travel by senior citizens.  While beach holidays outstrip any other type of vacation in Europe, and are even gaining in popularity, individual countries have their own preferences. At the same time, city tours, cruises and excursions have experienced a significant boost among the over fifty-fives.

According to an analysis commissioned by Messe Berlin and carried out by the World Travel Monitor^®, the most important source markets for the over fifties are the United Kingdom with 16.1 million and Germany with 15.3 million vacation trips. While foreign travel by members of the so-called silver age group from Britain has risen by 28% since 2005, the German market has stagnated. In third and fourth place respectively are France with 7.2 million and the Netherlands with 6.9 million trips. These four countries alone account for almost 60% of all travellers in the over-55 age group.

Dr. Martin Buck, director of the Competence Centre Travel and Logistics at Messe Berlin: “Socio-demographic change in Europe presents a major challenge as well as offering enormous opportunities. As the number of older vacationers rises, so this target group acquires growing importance for the travel industry as a whole. That is why it is so important for the world’s travel industry to be informed about the requirements, demands and wishes of the over fifties with regard to their travel plans.”

With a 28% share of the market, holidays at beach resorts are by far the most popular choice among Europe’s over fifties, and are the most vigorously expanding sector too, the number of such trips having increased by four million since 2005 (a 22% rise). The city tour sector has also expanded significantly (a 16% share of the market). In this area the volume of over fifty-fives grew by 3 million (a 32% rise), followed by cruises, with an increase of 2.4 million trips by people in this age group, and excursions, with a rise of 2.1 million. There was also slight growth across Europe in sports and health-oriented holidays.

Other countries reveal different holiday preferences. According to the World Travel Monitor^® there has been a strong decline in the interest shown by Germany’s so-called silver age group in holidays on the beach (3.8 million trips less, minus 18%). All the same, they remain the most popular type of vacation. The winners are smaller market segments such as health-based vacations (0.7 million trips, plus 61%), cruises (0.9 million trips, plus 64%), sports holidays (1 million trips, plus 53%) and city tours (2 million trips, plus 30%).  In the United Kingdom the beach is still the most popular form of vacation, by a short head. Among the French, however, excursions are roughly of the same importance as vacations at beach resorts. Although in the Netherlands the over fifties who travel abroad still tend to prefer holidays in the countryside, the biggest expansion has been recorded in city tours and holidays on the beach.

To find out more about the World Travel Monitor^® and the largest international travel industry event, continue reading……. Continue Reading

London 2012 reports that all London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic venues will be accessible to people with disabilities and that they are committed to ensuring that there are good accessible transport options for all spectators travelling to the Games.  The London 2012 Games are delivered by two key organisations – the London 2012 Organising Committee and the Olympic Delivery Authority.

Many access improvements and service enhancements have been made for the Games to make public transport much easier for disabled people, older people and passengers travelling with children. National Rail, London Underground, London Overground and the Docklands Light Railway have all enhanced – and continue to enhance – the accessibility of their services.  Across the network, tactile warning surfaces have been, or are being, installed on platforms and staircases, and seats are available on most platforms.   Audio and visual information is available on
many trains and at many stations. A number of stations have wide-aisle, automatic ticket gates, so they can be used independently by travellers using wheelchairs or those travelling with assistance dogs or pushchairs.

London 2012 has created maps showing the accessible travel routes and stations within London and across the UK. The UK map and south-east map shows where stations are step-free with assistance available at the station and where there is assistance available at the station, but not necessarily step-free facilities. The London map shows levels of step-free facilities and staff assistance at stations across London.  At some venues, accessible shuttles capable of providing transport to multiple wheelchair users will be provided solely for spectators with accessibility
needs. All venues will have free, managed, secure cycle parking suitable for
all types of cycles, including hand bicycles, recumbent and children’s bicycles.

Information for people with accessibility needs is available on the London 2012 website, and – if you are travelling around London but not to the Games – on the Inclusive London website.