It’s not only wheelchairs

San Marino declaration on Accessible tourism embraces total social tourism inclusion

At the conclusion of the first UNWTO Conference on Accessible Tourism in Europe, the Declaration of San Marino on Accessible Tourism, was read by Marina Diotallevi, Program Manager, Ethics and Social Responsibility

Declaration of San Marino on Accessible Tourism included:

• The Global Code of Ethics for Tourism Article 7 emphasizing that "the possibility of direct and personal access to the discovery and enjoyment the wealth of the planet is a right to which all the inhabitants of the world "and explicitly recommended that" tourism of the disabled will be encouraged and facilitated. "
• A belief that the tourism for ALL represents a benefit not only for people with disabilities and special needs but for ALL people as it offers significant economic opportunities in a myriad of areas that go beyond the tourist
• Awareness of the gradual progress in accessibility universal in Europe but also of the pressing issues that affect people with disabilities in developing countries and emerging economies;
• Awareness of the challenges and opportunities of making cities heritage accessible to ALL without compromising the integrity of the monuments and the historical importance;
• Awareness of the importance of smart technologies and their future evolution in facilitating access and enjoyment of tourist destinations by ALL;

It urges global tourism to:

• Commit to carry out training and recruitment of awareness in order to eliminate the mental barriers between tour operators and cultural heritage at all levels and to persuade the private sector about the advantages in terms of competitiveness for investment in tourism.
• Ensure that the right to entertainment and tourist experience is not hindered by economic uncertainties globally and that the spirit of solidarity and international cooperation to improve accessibility in the developing countries should be supported and promoted;
• Observe the principles of Universal Design at the time to build new infrastructure, tourism products and services, as well as to improve existing ones, particularly in the case of a World Heritage City of tourist interest;
• Facilitate the development and application of smart technologies designed to provide objective information on all the services (regardless of their level of accessibility) in order to allow travelers to rate their accessibility needs and, if necessary, through organizations civil society, to propose concrete solutions to increase the level of accessibility and quality of hospitality;
• Promote the concept of universal accessibility through ALL of the components of the value chain of the tourism industry, including the physical environment, the transport system, the channels of information and communication and a full range of public facilities and services;
• Promote and disseminate good practices and case studies in the field of universal accessibility in the tourism and travel industry
• Strengthen the cooperation with all institutions operating in the field of accessibility universal international and regional level, particularly in the European Union, and to establish public-private nature of relationships with the industry of tourism and travel, agencies and non-governmental organizations of persons with disabilities in the development of new global policies in universal accessibility.

Valere Tjolle

See how to become an accessible, healthy, wealthy destination HERE