1. COS-TUR
FRIENDLY BEACH Social tourism for SMEs and municipalities of the Mediterranean coast

2. The project was born starting from the winning 3 years’ experience in Italy with people affected by autism “Autismo Friendly Beach – Take a trip to the sea”.
Started in 2013, the italian project, promoted by the partner Rimini Autismo Onlus, now involves a network of local tourism operators (beaches, hotels, amusement parks, sports and shopping centres, tourist offices and public transport) able to offer families of autistic persons a peacefull and accessible holiday in the Rimini Riviera.
The national project is based on the fact that autism is a non-visible disability (unlike other forms of disability) and families with autistic persons have difficulty to face new situations and get out of the routine. For this reason, they decide not to travel, not to go on vacation.
Access to leisure, travel and holidays is a right for all human beings and social tourism should be encuraged and facilitated

3. The Italian project is based on
3 specific objectives
To feel like at home for disabled who often prefer not to have a vacation for fear of being uncomfortable in a strange or hostile environment and without the support of their local reference associations.
ACCEPTANCE
Of people with autism
To spread on the territory a new awareness and a new idea of welcome and acceptance that will greatly enhance the quality of life of families of persons with autism.
PROMOTE
An autism culture
The project also provides training for people with autism enabling them to perform some basic work to manage a beach under the
supervision of lifeguards on the Riviera.
CREATE JOBS
for people with autism

4. 42 Hotels 2 restaurants 33 beach resorts 5 amusement parks
Since 2013
The following local tourism operators in Romagna Coast
were trained and involved in the project
42 Hotels
2 restaurants
33 beach resorts
5 amusement parks
Local
public transport (200 buses)
8 local Tourist
Information Offices

5. have found job at local beach resorts
6 Guys
have found job at local beach resorts

6. Specific signs distributed in the network’s facilities invite to rely on trained staff and promote a culture based on autism that will greatly enhance the quality of life of the involved families.

11. Average 2 rooms per hotel
STATISTICS (Summer 2017)
REQUESTS RECEIVED: 120 (in total by the 29 hotels involved)
Average 2 rooms per hotel

12. STATISTICS (Summer 2017)
AMONG CONFIRMED RESERVATIONS:

13. Holiday Package “Friendly Holiday”
STATISTICS (Summer 2017)
Holiday Package “Friendly Holiday”
Proposed by the Tourist Information Office:
30 Requests coming from families with autistic childrens (5-18 years)
NO RESERVATIONS!

14. FRIENDLY BEACH is co-funded by the COSME Programme of the European Union

15. Starting from this 3 years’ experience in Italy, the COSME FRIENDLY BEACH Project intends to
codify and assess a methodology and a model to be extended and implemented firstly around the selected Mediterranean Countries (Italy, Croatia and
Spain) and later in
other EU Countries with similar morphology,
facilities and services.

16. MAIN TARGET
The main target final user is the FAMILY where one component is affected by mild mental disorders.
The project intends to consider the family as a whole, family needs and necessities, not only the needs of individuals with mild mental disorders.

17. THANK YOU FOR YOUR ATTENTION! www.friendlybeach.eu
Anna Lisa Fuligni – Project Coordinator –