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

Tourism South East (TSE) in the UK – which covers eight counties – has over 2000 industry and 70 local authority members.  Tourism in the region is worth in excess of £13 billion and supports over 300,000 jobs.   TSE estimates that the disabled market is worth £40 billion per annum, and that over 2.5 million disabled people travel regularly.  As they often travel with families and carers the number of access tourists increases dramatically.   TSE has funding to deliver a series of subsidised Destination Access Audits, mini audits, bespoke access workshops, and Welcome All courses across the South East over the next four years.  It also used funding from the South East England Development Agency (SEEDA) to undertake some  Accessibility Case Studies to understand how businesses have benefited from making their properties more accessible in the run up to the 2012 Olympics and Paralympics in London.   These include:

• Heath Farm, Lewes.  A four star self- catering property that has achieved the National Accessible Scheme Mobility Grade 2 award, is a TSE member and whose owners have benefited from Welcome All training. 
• The Roald Dahl Museum, Buckinghamshire.  Won the Enjoy England Award for Small Visitor Attraction Of The Year 2008, is a TSE member, has taken significant steps towards welcoming all customers and has benefited from signing up to Hosting The World.
• Holiday Inn, Windsor/Maidenhead. The Holiday Inn Windsor/Maidenhead has achieved the National Accessible Scheme Mobility and Hearing Grade 1. The Holiday Inn Accessibility Manager recently presented at a Tourism South East and Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead accessibility seminar at Legoland.
• Winchester Cathedral, Hampshire. Winchester Cathedral is Winchester’s principal tourist attraction and has dominated the city for nearly a thousand years.  Visitors to the city are largely drawn by its well-preserved historical centre and making its key attractions accessible to everyone is important for the city’s ambition to be a world-class visitor destination. Winchester Cathedral is a Tourism South East member and staff have benefited from Tourism South East’s Welcome to Excellence and e-animation training courses.

Videos of some of these case studies can be found here.

TSE also conducted text case studies to provide an insight into the benefits of businesses becoming more accessible in the run up to 2012.  Continue reading:

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At a UN ESCAP meeting held in cooperation with the Asia-Pacific Development Centre on Disability (APCD), Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) and the Ministry of Social Development and Human Security Thailand (MSDHS), Air Asia achieved a first by being represented at a regional conference on facilitating accessibility for people with disabilities (PwDs).  Imtiaz Muqbil, executive editor of Travel Impact Newswire reports that with an estimated 400 million PwDs in Asia Pacific, half of whom women, and 58 million in the ASEAN countries, the market opportunity is clear. As most PwDs also travel along with a care-giver, the prospective revenue stream doubles.  The objective of the meeting was to assess progress made by countries in implementing the projects and programmes under the second UN Asian and Pacific Decade of Disabled Persons, 2003-2012 and to look into the prospects of initiating a Third Decade.  The result was an “inclusive” policy that seeks to boost the human capital development of staff as well as enhance the services and facilities offered to passengers. The airline also decided to “champion the cause of guests with reduced mobility with government authorities, airport management, ministries, etc.”  Kenneth Chan, chief for guest services at Air Asia said that the airline “engages in constant dialogues with organisations representing people with reduced mobility to gauge travel needs and requirements – these may change with the course of time, and we have to be very up to date to render the best services.”  Nanda Krairiksh, director for social development of ESCAP, hailed the contribution of key innovators from the private sector who had been invited to offer their expertise and share their experiences.  “Viewing persons with disabilities as contributors to our region’s economic dynamism as entrepreneurs, employees or an emerging market segment not only helps to change outmoded stereotypes that we are all fighting against but also enhances everyone’s prospects for prosperity,” she said.

A just-released report commissioned by the UK Department for Business, Innovation, and Skills, and the Office for Disability Issues presents arguments for why business should improve access for people with disabilities.   The “2012 Legacy for Disable People: Inclusive and Accessible Business” is the result of work by Atkins Management Consultants who reviewed existing messages and communications to SMEs about people with disabilities, developed more compelling messages, and looked at the case for focusing on the disabled as customers.  In summary, the report found that:

• Disabled consumers in the UK are a significant (10.6 billion people) but poorly addressed market worth £80 billion p.a.
• 83% of disabled people have to take business to more accessible providers
• Disabled customers may account for up to 20% of the customer base at an average business
• The risk of losing business to a more accessible competitor is high as consumer experiences of disabled people affect the choices of family and friends
• Business benefits associated with better accessibility include a rapidly expanding customer base, increases in revenues and profits, loyal customers, improved reputation, and a distinct competitive advantage

 The report notes the strong link between age and the prevalence of disability and that, as the population ages, there will be more disability in future.The main barriers to SMEs improving access include low levels of awareness about the business opportunities of improving access, misconceptions around the cost of improving access and what access means, misconceptions and discomfort about disability and awareness, fear of getting it wrong, dominance of legal compliance issue.

 UK Ministers have urged business to see improving access as a way of becoming more profitable in preparation for the Olympic and Paralympic Games in London in 2010. One million disabled visitors are expected in London for the games bringing with them millions of pounds in business.

Tourism South East (England) has commissioned a series of case studies to understand how businesses have benefited from making their properties more accessible in the run up to the London Olympic and Paralympic Games being held in 2012.  The case studies include video and text case studies.  To find out more, continue reading……

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Guest article by Dominika Bojová, Intern, NZ Tourism Research Institute, Auckland University of Technology, and PhD. Student, International Business Management, University of Economics in Bratislava, Faculty of Commerce, Department of Services and Tourism, Slovak Republic.

Since 2009 the Czech Republic has become a country that seriously understands the potential of tourism for certain groups of inhabitants. According to the European Union’s efforts in promoting and supporting tourism for less privileged European citizens, the Czech Republic recently started projects and grant schemes aimed at social tourism.  The aim of these projects is to improve the life of underprivileged citizens while at the same time helping local economies to smooth seasonal disparities, promote regional development, and create new year-round tourism jobs. European developments in  social tourism are guided by  strategies such as the  Lisbon Strategy, Agenda for a Sustainable and Competitive European Tourism  and Corporate Social Responsibility: A Business Contribution to Sustainable Development. The Calypso study conference of June 2010 reviewed the current situation of social tourism in Europe and set three main tasks for action: experience and knowledge exchange between member countries, further development of health tourism, and a pan-European voucher system.  Continue Reading

Translink, the main provider of public transport in Northern Ireland, have produced a free online access guide to transport in the country and also with regards to travelling into Ireland. The guide gives great information about the different type of public information available including the Metro, Ulsterbus, Goldline and NIRailways.  It contains information and advice on how to use services, and contact details to help plan a journey. The guide has been produced in partnership with the Inclusive Mobility and Transport Advisory Committee (IMTAC), and identifies the degree of accessibility at rail and bus stations throughout the country, following major and ongoing investment in improving the facilities.
You can download a PDF version of the guide from Translink’s website and it is also available from rail and bus stations in Northern Ireland. Large print, Braille and audio tape versions can also be provided on request by Translink by contacting them on: 028 9066 6630 (or Typetalk 18001 028 9066 6630).  For other information about things to see and do in Northern Ireland, visit the OpenBritain Directory.

Reprinted with permission from Craig Grimes, Open Britain and Tourism for All

2010 Legacies Now Measuring Up

The Vancouver Winter Olympic and Paralympic Games held earlier this year have left lasting legacies for the disabled. Will New Zealand take the same opportunities presented by holding Rugby World Cup in 2011?  It is probable that we have left things a little late to make any large differences, although some progress is being made.  Access Tourism NZ has already described how planning to improve access around the London Olympic and Paralympic Games in 2012 began in 2004 and is ongoing.  In the case of British Columbia, the organizing committee for the Vancouver Games  (VANOC) knew from the beginning that its responsibility was not only to organize and stage successful Games that upheld the values of the Olympic and Paralympic movements, but also to improve the communities in which those Games would take place.  VANOC’s sustainability targets also included social sustainability.  In 2000, the Vancouver 2010 Bid Corporation partnered with the Province of British Columbia to establish the 2010 Legacies Now program. Since that time, 2010 Legacies Now has worked with more than 4,000 organizations province-wide, investing in programs that will be self-sustaining legacies in the areas of sport, healthy living, literacy, arts, volunteerism and accessibility.

 The planned legacies of the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games are numerous and multi-faceted. Of interest to Access Tourism are the following:

• precedent-setting planning and accountability through ongoing stakeholder engagement with consortiums representing persons with a disability
• enhanced accessibility in Whistler and Vancouver for people with disabilities; Whistler is now one of the most accessible resort communities in the world
• barrier-free guidelines for accessible events and accommodation
• A program called Accessible Tourism, a collaboration between 2010 Legacies Now, the Province, Tourism BC and other partners to help 3,600 tourism businesses and 27 recreations measure their accessibility and learn how to improve it so they can draw and serve people with disabilities, young and old (Scrapbook, p.15)
• The Measuring Up program, supported by 2010 Legacies Now along with the Province of BC, which helped more than 100 communities assess and improve accessibility and inclusion for people with disabilities, including the elderly. Examples of the types of projects supported through Measuring Up include enhanced sidewalks and more accessible parks and transit options.
• Built environment:
  •  Richmond’s Speed Skating  Oval designed to meet and exceed national accessibility standards
  • Whistler Olympic plaza was slated to continue to serve as an outdoor gathering place for residents and visitors, equipped with an open grass lawn, amphitheatre seating, a 13,000 sq ft playground that is accessible to people with and without disabilities, outdoor performance spaces and public art commemorating the Games
  • The Olympic and Paralympic Village Whistler, located a short ride away from venues for Olympic and Paralympic athletes and officials, has a blend of accessible apartments, townhomes and hostel accommodation alongside a High Performance Centre
  • The new Vancouver Olympic Centre, which includes swimming pool change rooms  equipped with movable screen walls so all users, including those in wheelchairs, can use them more easily
  • City of Vancouver project “City Hall Community Garden”, with 40 new plots, eight of them accessible to seniors and people with disabilities
  • Three state-of-the-art playgrounds in Vancouver, Whistler and Richmond, which enable all children, able and disabled, to play together

Beach wheelchairs for the disabled are becoming more common.  To give just two examples from opposite sides of the world, the Tel-Aviv-Jaffa Municipality (Israel)  just purchased six of the chairs for four of its beaches.  The chairs are designed to enable people with mobility disability to move around on beach sand and enter the water.  There are plans to increase the number of such chairs available.  In  Brunswick Heads (Queensland, Australia), the Disabled Surfers Association with assistance from The Northern Rivers Community Foundation and Byron Shire Council have purchased four “four-wheel-drive” beach wheelchair.  Owen Danvers, who gave one of the chairs a test run at Torakina Beach, said it was a huge bonus for Brunswick Heads’ disabled residents and visitors.  “For a lot of people, just to be able to get their feet wet is an experience, especially for those who’ve never been on the beach before.”   Ted Kabbout, of the Disabled Surfers Association, said the chairs could also be used by the elderly.  “With the ageing population, there are a lot of people who haven’t been down to the beach for a long time who can now think about getting there again.”  Mr Kabbout said the purchase of the chair was the first step in a push to make Brunswick Heads beaches more accessible. In the long term, he would like to see accessibility ramps built at various locations on the river and beaches.  “Brunswick Heads is such a good location for these things to be in place. It’s the perfect fit. It doesn’t cost a huge amount, we just need the will,” Mr Kabbout said.

Recently, Visitor Information Centres in Renfrew County undertook a three day familiarization tour of tourism businesses in the Ottawa Valley prior to the opening of 10 such centres.  In preparation, staff undertook training that included an introduced to the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA 2005) and the accompanying Customer Service Standards.  The Ministry of Community and Social Services (MCSS) points out that about 1.85 million people in Ontario have a disability (that’s one in seven people).  Over the next 20 years as people grow older, the number will rise to one in five Ontarians.  The MCSS estimates that compliance with AODA standards could generate an additional increase in total retail sales of between $3.8 and $9.6 billion.  AccessON on the MCSS website gives information to businesses on understanding disabilities, recognizing and preventing barriers to accessibility, welcoming people with disabilities, and understanding laws on accessibility.

The Algarve Tourist Board (ERTA) has appealed to regional Town Halls to collaborate in helping broaden the scope of what can be offered to disabled tourists in order to elevate the region as a point of reference within that particular market.  To achieve this goal the ERTA has appealed to regional Town Halls to “co-finance a study that will analyse the destination in terms of being an ‘Accessible Destination’, therefore allowing, “by the end of the year, for the ‘Accessible’ brand to be implemented” throughout the region, under the slogan “One Algarve For All”.   Almeida Pires, Vice President of ERTA told the European Network for Accessible Tourism (ENAT), “We want an inclusive Algarve where accessibility is a key concern. Therefore, we have launched a challenge to the public sector to become an example to the private sector, by taking stock of what is on offer in each area in terms of accessible tourism and creating across the board attractions within all tourist products.  The study will culminate in the preparation of interventions to be applied on the ground, for the benefit of people who have special needs”.

This will include the creation of special access paths that allow wheelchairs to be used on beaches; the availability of specially-adapted wheelchairs that move on sand and by the water’s edge, as well as re-organising car parks and adapting toilets.  “But these measures can only be implemented after existing problems have been detected and solutions found, to adapt tourist products and services so they have the appropriate conditions for universal access”, Pires stressed, highlighting that there is  “urgency in moving forward with this technical study, as part of the Strategic Plan for Promoting Accessibility in the Algarve”.

Simon Kane writes in The Independent that the most forward-thinking of the UK’s tourism businesses are wising up to the fact that attending to accessibility has benefits for both the visitor and the proprietor. One couple starting an accommodation business ensured that the whole of their establishment (The Hytte)  – including the gardens and hot tub – could be enjoyed by all.  The business even has a sensory garden, with scented and tactile plants to appeal to the vision impaired.  Owner Sonja Gregory says the business saw benefits to doing this.   Usually self-catering occupancy runs around 55% – The Hytte achieved 87% in the first year and 97% in the second, a success Gregory puts down to positive word of mouth.  The Hytte has received regional and national awards in recognition of their commitment to access for all, including a gold Enjoy England Award in 2009.  This award goes to tourist attractions and accommodation that go the extra mile to ensure their facilities are accessible to all.  This year (2010), the gold went to imago at Burleigh Court, which offers three meeting venues and fully integrated quality training, accommodation, and extensive sport and leisure facilities.

Passengers will enjoy easier access to information about their rights when travelling by rail or air thanks to a Europe-wide publicity campaign in 23 languages launched by the European Commission this month. Although the Commission has in recent years introduced legislation to ensure air and rail passengers benefit from the same standards of treatment throughout the European Union, not all passengers are yet aware of what they are entitled to. To remedy this, posters reminding people of their rights will be displayed in airports and train stations in all Member States and travellers will also be able to consult free leaflets and a specially designed website in all of the European Union’s official languages.  Passenger rights include a guarantee of equal treatment for people with a disability or reduced mobility.  In Europe, more than one in five people find travelling difficult due to old age, disability or other mobility issues, and the information includes information about the right of train transport for passengers with reduced mobility, information on accessibility for passengers with reduced mobility, assistance for persons with reduced mobility, and air travel for the disabled.

Walks with Wheelchairs UK provides free information on over 500 routes and walks that are suitable for wheelchair users throughout the UK.  The walks on the website have been tried and tested by wheelies or those knowledgeable about routes in the great outdoors.  Website users are able to recommend walks they think suitable, read reviews of walk routes, download walk directions free of charge, and add comments on walks listed.  The website uses gradient and terrain criteria in their walk descriptions, and also provide free ordinance survey maps of walks.  A sister site about walks and routes for parents with buggies or young children follows a similar format.

CRI English reports that older travellers are the largets group travelling in China in non-peak times.  For example, 70% of travellers in Guangzhou are in older age groups.  According to the China Daily, the market for senior tourists has increased by 30-50% from that of last year. Many are choosing to travel during non-peak times of the year because they are able to receive discounts on vacation packages and avoid large crowds.   Older travellers say they travel now they are retired and children are off their hands. And  seniors are financially well-off and have time to travel.  The favourite overseas destinations of older Chinese?   Japan, Australia and European countries.   To capture these tourists, neighboring countries are launching efforts to increase tourism to their areas from China. For example, The People’s Daily reports that a group made up of 35 government officials and tourists arrived in Pyongyang in April from China, becoming the first of its kind to visit the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK).  China granted destination status to its neighbour in February.

From Open Britain.

In an interview with the London Evening Standard recently Tanni Grey-Thompson, the UK’s most famous Paralympian, gave OpenLondon the thumbs up. She said “The guide includes advice on travelling around London’s public transport network, where to eat and sleep and accessible tourist attractions. The British Museum, National Galleries, Madame Tussaud’s, Houses of Parliament, Shakespeare’s Globe and Tower of London are all highly rated.”  Dame Tanni Grey-Thompson showed her support for OpenBritain 2010 during its launch at the National Theatre on the South Bank in London in July 2009 and it’s great that we have her continued support for our new OpenLondon Guide.  Welcoming the OpenLondon guide, she said: “It’s nice to know that if you’re going to trek half-way across the city it’s going to be okay, and if not, at least you know what you’re letting yourself in for.”  During the Evening Standard interview Tanni was also voicing her concerns about access for disabled people in the West End of London, more specifically Covent Garden, as it’s “particularly difficult to get around, with lots of small shops and cobbled streets. She suggested that while major chains like Marks & Spencer and John Lewis were well equipped, some retailers had the wrong attitude to change.” 

The OpenLondon 2010 Guide which can be ordered through OpenBritain.net.

A Cyprus Committee of Accessible Tourism meeting last month heard from Minister of Commerce, Industry, and Tourism Mr. Antonis Paschalidis, who supports policy developments that aim to promote the essential material and technical infrastructure for accessibility in all Cypriot hotels and tourism facilities.  The European Network for Accessible Tourism (ENAT) also reports that Municipal Advisers told the meeting that the municipality of Yermasoyia intended to become the first Accessible Municipality of Limassol.  The municipality will strictly enforce accessibility requirement laws when awarding new or renewing existing operating permits.

A two-day international seminar on marketing Access Tourism, and Access Tourism development will be held in Hyvärilä, Nurmes, Finland on the 15th and 16^th September.  The seminar will concentrate on providing information about accessible tourism businesses to  consumers, and the use of classifications and standards as a solution to information transfer challenges will be discussed.  The programme includes a tour of North Karelian resorts which have invested in accessible tourism services, including the Lieksan Matkakaverit resort in Ruunaa, Lieksa and the gorgeous Neitikoski rapids and to the Erä-Eero wild animal observation hut in the Lieksa wilderness. Park Superintendent Kyösti Tuhkalainen will accompany the group in Ruunaa and demonstrate accessible solutions of Metsähallitus.

 Disabled people across Scotland will be popping into their local for a celebratory tipple following the passing of a new law which promotes better access to pubs and clubs. The Barred! amendment, passed by the Scottish Parliament as part of the Criminal Justice and Licensing Act,  requires landlords to show how their premises can be accessed by disabled customers, when they apply for a license. The amendment is an important milestone in Capability Scotland’s Barred! campaign which aims to promote better access to pubs and clubs for disabled people.  Capability Scotland works with disabled people of all ages and their families and carers throughout Scotland.   The campaign was originally started by disability activist, Mark Cooper, after he was forced to leave an Edinburgh pub mid drink because there was no accessible toilet.  He launched the Barred! facebook site which attracted support from disabled people across the country who had encountered similar experiences.  Read on………

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This year’s OpenBritain Award for Accessibility has been presented to Thistle Hotels UK. The award is presented in association with Tourism For All in recognition of outstanding achievements in improving accessibility.  The award was presented to Heiko Figge, the Managing Director of Thistle Hotels, by Sir William Lawrence, the chairman of Tourism for All UK, at the prestigious British Hospitality Association’s (BHA) annual lunch at London’s Grosvenor House.  Thistle Hotels collected the honour for its ongoing and proactive programme of improving accessibility in all their hotels and their commitment to ensuring all staff take part in Access for All training programmes.  The BHA is the national trade association for hotels, restaurants and caterers and their annual lunch is attended by nearly 900 members.

Matt Zalen writes in the Jerusalem Post that the Israel Tourism Ministry is allocating NIS 15 million yearly (about US$4 million at time of writing) to improving wheelchair accessibility in tourist sites. The results of this investment are impossible to ignore. Hotels, beaches, national parks, theatres, museums – essentially all the makings of a perfect tour – are progressively becoming more accessible. The Israeli Planning and Construction Law of 1995 mandates that all new public buildings are required to be fully accessible to the disabled, and an upcoming law will mandate that hotels built before 1995 must also cater to the needs of people with disabilities within five years through renovations.  For information about Access Tourism destinations in Israel, visit Access Israel.