Accessible Tourism Destinations Management Handbook Ivor Ambrose Katerina Papamichail Ana Garcia Chris Veitch ENAT – European Network for Accessible Tourism Coimbra, 2nd March 2017

“Tourism for All” Making environments, venues and services suitable for the widest range of customers, including people with disabilities, seniors, families with small children… and many more. Any and every kind of tourism experience

A Handbook for Destination Managers… To develop and market Portugal’s regions, cities and other tourist locations. Raising the awareness, knowledge and skills of destination managers in the area of Accessible Tourism Benefitting visitors, destinations, communities and the Portuguese economy

Tourism for All “The goal of this Handbook is, ultimately, that any and every visitor should be able to enjoy the unique experiences your destination has to offer. For this to happen, DMOs must extend a warm welcome to all customers, paying attention to visitors’ various access needs and providing experiences that can be enjoyed by everyone.”

Meeting Rising Demand 634 thousand Portuguese citizens with access requirements 138 Million people with access needs in the European Union 1 Billion people with disabilities in the world … and the growing numbers of older people, wanting to travel

Seniors …are 65% of the accessible tourism market 1 in 5 persons in Europe are over 60 They want to travel and enjoy life Seniors from Europe take 6 to 7 trips a year Have most discretionary income More active “youthful” activities Take the most overseas trips Accessible Travel NL

Handbook Contents

1. How to use this Handbook

Handbook Contents How to use this Handbook Accessible Tourism Market Ivor Ambrose, ENAT Handbook Contents How to use this Handbook Accessible Tourism Market Destination Planning Supporting Businesses Built Environment and Facilities Transport Customer Service Accessible Tourism Experiences Stakeholder Engagement Benchmarking and Performance Targets Employment Information Marketing Monitoring and Evaluation   YPERIA 2015, Amorgos

2. Accessible Tourism Market Ivor Ambrose, ENAT 2. Accessible Tourism Market Market data: Trips & Spend, Travel behaviour, Impairments… “All for All” Accessible Tourism Support Funding “All for All” Accessible Tourism Support Funding YPERIA 2015, Amorgos

Ivor Ambrose, ENAT 3. Destination Planning   The foundation of any accessible tourism policy is to take the political decision to create an accessible, inclusive tourist destination for all visitors. This decision must be followed up by concrete objectives, plans and actions to establish an appropriate strategy and guide future development. YPERIA 2015, Amorgos

4. Supporting Businesses Ivor Ambrose, ENAT 4. Supporting Businesses “All for All” Accessible Tourism Development Supporting new initiatives DMOs as partners Investing in access for all   YPERIA 2015, Amorgos

5. Built Environment & Facilities Ivor Ambrose, ENAT 5. Built Environment & Facilities Universal Design Portuguese Standards Examples of good practice YPERIA 2015, Amorgos

5. Built Environment & Facilities Ivor Ambrose, ENAT 5. Built Environment & Facilities Universal Design Portuguese Standards Examples of good practice   YPERIA 2015, Amorgos

6. Transport Accessibility throughout the journey Ivor Ambrose, ENAT 6. Transport Accessibility throughout the journey …and at the destination   YPERIA 2015, Amorgos

7. Customer Service How can I help you? Ivor Ambrose, ENAT 7. Customer Service How can I help you?   Training in Disability Awareness, Accessibility and Customer Service: in ….. Human Resources | Sales & Marketing | Transport | Procurement | Housekeeping | Health & Safety | Conferences, Events & Meetings | Facilities & buildings | Front of house | Restaurant, Food and Beverage | Pool & Beach | Adventure Sports ….. YPERIA 2015, Amorgos

8. Creating Accessible Tourism Experiences Ivor Ambrose, ENAT 8. Creating Accessible Tourism Experiences Innovate, adapt, invent Create new accessible tourism products Develop and test with disabled people Work with Tour Operators YPERIA 2015, Amorgos

9. Stakeholder Engagement Ivor Ambrose, ENAT 9. Stakeholder Engagement Involving disability organisations Engaging with planners and architects Tour operators and tourist guides   YPERIA 2015, Amorgos

10. Benchmarking and Performance targets Ivor Ambrose, ENAT 10. Benchmarking and Performance targets How to develop an overall strategy Introducing change in an organisation Identifying good practices Assessing competitors and Establishing a first set of Key Performance Indicators European Destination Case Studies Destination Access Audits YPERIA 2015, Amorgos

11. Employment, Volunteering & Training Ivor Ambrose, ENAT 11. Employment, Volunteering & Training Legal obligations Benefits of employing people with disabilities On-the-job training for the cultural sector   Acesso Cultura YPERIA 2015, Amorgos

12. Information Organising the team and the knowledge base Ivor Ambrose, ENAT 12. Information Organising the team and the knowledge base Accessible Websites Access Statements Access Guides Customer Engagement Tools Alternative formats   YPERIA 2015, Amorgos

13. Marketing and Promotion Ivor Ambrose, ENAT 13. Marketing and Promotion Don’t assume all disabilities are the same Don’t hide the accessibility information Provide enough detail Get feedback from visitors Include photographs Include people with a disability in your general marketing and imagery YPERIA 2015, Amorgos

14. Monitoring and Evaluation Ivor Ambrose, ENAT 14. Monitoring and Evaluation Understanding success Key indicators for Accessible Tourism Destinations Reference documents   YPERIA 2015, Amorgos

15. Annexes 16. Bibliography 17. Glossary On-line Resources Ivor Ambrose, ENAT 15. Annexes On-line Resources Further reading…. Explaining the terminology 16. Bibliography 17. Glossary   YPERIA 2015, Amorgos

Ivor Ambrose, ENAT Enjoy your reading! Improve access in your destination! Enjoy your work! …and don’t forget to tell what you have done!   YPERIA 2015, Amorgos