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

At last week’s U.N. “ESCAP Takayama Congress on the creation of an inclusive and accessible community in Asia and the Pacific”, a committee of eleven representatives created a declaration laying out 20 recommendations aimed at improving accessibility for people with disabilities (PwDs) in the region.  The committee, chaired by Aiko Akiyama, Social Development Division, U.N. Economic and Social Commission for Asia-Pacific, included members from Malaysia, the Philippines, Pakistan, Hong Kong, Japan, and New Zealand.  Congress participants from 15 Asian-Pacific countries subsequently adopted the declaration at the U.N. meeting.   The committee and other congress participants represented governments, the private sector, disabilities organisations, individuals with disability, accessible tourism organisations, academic and research institutions, and/or development organisations.

The “Takayama Declaration on Development of Community for All” lays out recommendations on regional networking, advocacy, policy development, research and data collection, capacity building and resource mobilization on improving accessibility.

The Congress was held from 24 to 26 November in Takayama, Gifu Prefecture in central Japan , using the host city as an example of a success story.

A mountain resort, Takayama has been promoting accessible tourism for the last 18 years, creating economic opportunities as well as a more barrier-free environment for persons with disabilities. The local authorities, working in partnership with the private sector and civil society organizations, made improvement to facilities in the city to make them more barrier-free, and purchased accessible devices and means of transportation. Mayor Mamoru Tsuchino, who pioneered these initiatives, spoke at the conference.

During the three-day meeting, about 200 participants – policy makers, tourism professionals, experts on accessibility and persons with various disabilities – made field visits to various accessible facilities to learn from Takayama’s experiences. They also had opportunities to meet local residents whose awareness of and respect for the needs of persons with disabilities have contributed to the success of making Takayama a barrier-free community for its own citizens and for visitors to the city.

Takayama street scene

Takayama

The UN has sponsored Access Tourism New Zealand director Sandra Rhodda to speak about accessibility and tourism in New Zealand at the upcoming Economic and Social Commission for Asia Pacific congress (ESCAP) in Takayama, Japan.  The three day congress (24-26 November, 2009) will explore ways to create and sustain development of inclusive and accessible communities in Asia and the Pacific by learning from the experiences of the City of Takayama and other communities in the region. 

ESCAP has promoted Access Tourism in the region at several regional meetings before (Bali, Indonesia, in 2000, Hainan Islands, China, in 2006 and Bangkok, Thailand, in 2007).  This year, the city of Takayama will act as a model for the congress because it has been successful in adapting for and promoting Access Tourism.  It is recognized nationally and internationally as a leading barrier-free city, attracting visitors from around the world and enjoying the economic impact of becoming an accessible tourism destination for an increasing number of visitors.

Sandra Rhodda, for the European Network for Accessible Tourism©.  August 2009

September 2009

Abstract

To date, there has been little development of an Access Tourism sector in New Zealand.  There are few tourism operators offering genuine accessible tourism products, no reliable sources of coordinated information about such products, and little interest on the part of government, industry, or training organizations in the topic.  However, a group has been set up to inform government and industry about the economic benefits of providing accessible tourism products, and the group has just completed a strategy and action plan which it hopes will be examined by appropriate bodies. Continue Reading