This event provided a space to recognize the importance of incorporating accessibility into the tourism practices in natural environments, share knowledge and experiences by UNWTO Affiliate Members and other tourism stakeholders, and provide recommendations on how to strengthen accessibility and create an accessible tourism for all.
At the event, the publication Accessibility and Inclusive Tourism Development – Compendium of Best Practices, available in the UNWTO E-Library, was launched and presented to the audience. This publication is the result of the work carried out in the last months by the Working Group on Accessible Tourism, coordinated by the Affiliate Members Department and chaired by the Spanish Network for Accessible Tourism (Red Estable).
We trust this publication will provide all relevant stakeholders with tools and resources to make their tourism destinations, facilities, and services accessible for all
Its aim is to create an accessible pathway in nature, from which to decry a new approach for inclusive tourism development in natural areas, which is very much in line with the UNWTO priority to foster an Accessible Tourism for All and so contributing to achieving the UN Sustainable Development Goals. The compilation of best practices included in the publication and the final recommendations provides innovative, inclusive, and sustainable solutions that enable access to nature for all people.
In the words of UNWTO Secretary General Zurab Pololikashvili: There is still a lot of work to be done, as we are still far from guaranteeing a universally accessible tourism sector. However, we trust this publication will provide all relevant stakeholders with tools and resources to make their tourism destinations, facilities, and services accessible for all. We also hope it will serve as a source of inspiration for them to continue working, so that tourism becomes truly accessible.
Within the framework of the event, representatives of the entities which contributed to the publication shared with the audience their projects, all very different in terms of contents but sharing the common goal of promoting an Accessible Tourism for All and supporting the right of people with disabilities to travel. Accessible accommodations in nature, accessibility to natural parks and beaches, and the use of plastic to manufacture accessible products were only some of the topics that were presented.
