Accesstour so a_en

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ACCESSTOUR
Work Package 3
Accessible Tourism State-of-the-Art and Design
1 Accessible Tourism: definition and needs
Tourism is an enormous and widespread industry. It is found all over the world, so its impacts, social,
economic, and environmental, are also worldwide. Accessible tourism is the ongoing endeavour to ensure
tourist destinations, enterprises, products and services are accessible to all people, regardless of their
physical limitations, disabilities or age. It encompasses publicly and privately owned tourist locations.
Accessible tourism enables all people, also people with access requirements, including mobility, vision,
hearing and cognitive dimensions of access, to function independently and with equity and dignity
through the delivery of universally designed tourism products, services and environments. This definition is
inclusive of all people including those travelling with children in prams, people with disabilities and seniors.
You are limited when you are in an environment which does not allow you to function optimally1
.
© vzw Grip
More than 20% of the population have a longstanding health problem or disability (18-85 years), severe
disabilities increases with age and more than 25% of the total population is older than 60. With these facts
it is reassuring that our modern society is increasingly aware of the concept of integration of people with
disabilities. Issues such as accessibility, design for all and universal design are featured in the international
symposia of bodies. Steps have been taken to promote guidelines and best practices, and major resources
are now dedicated to this field. A greater understanding of the needs for accessible tourism and the
accessible tourism market have been promoted through research where a stakeholder analysis has
provided an insight into the complexities of accessible tourism2
.
For accessible tourism, literature on tourism marketing differentiates between a macro- and micro-level
approach: at the micro-level the concrete services offered by a tourism enterprise can be seen as a tourism
product, at the macro-level tourism product is actually a tourism destination itself and the thematic services
offered to satisfy tourist needs3
.
1
Lousã, Accessible Tourism Destination, Portugal, Toegankelijkheidsbureau & Ivor Ambrose, 2011.
2
OSSATE 2005, op.cit. commissioned by the European Commission
3
Design and development of touristic products, Gábor Michalkó, Szilvia Boros, János Csapó, Éva Happ, Pál Horváth, Anikó Husz, Mónika Jónás-Beri, Katalin
Lőrinc, Andrea Máté, Erzsébet Printz-Markó, Krisztina Priszinger, Tamara Rátz, Bulcsú Remenyik, Géza Szabó (2011)
University of Pécs

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2 Accessible Tourism – Success factors
To speak of accessible tourism, some factors really should be achieved. A study of Ivor Ambrose (ENAT)
highlights five success factors in the provision of accessible tourism product or destination for all namely:
policies, strategies and evaluation (1), networks and partnerships (2), the accessible tourism value
chain (3), destination and product development (4), and accessible tourism experiences (5).4
A
successful accessible tourism business or destination is the product of not one but all of these actions.
Also various experiences across Europe have shown that in spite of different approaches, certain factors
emerged which positively influence the development of a Tourism for All approach 5
. These Success
Factors have to be taken into account in order to ensure successful and satisfactory implementation.6
Case studies from all over Europe have shown that there is a strong link between the success of projects or
initiatives and the simultaneous presence of all success factors. If one or more success factors is missing
or disappears, there is a high risk of the project not reaching its expected goals or results.
An additional reason for using success factors is because our experience and experience of cases already
collected from other sectors have demonstrated that to succeed in putting Design for All principles into
practice none of the Success Factors should be neglected.
In the text below those five success factors will be explained more deeply.
2.1 Policies, strategies and evaluation
The very first step in creating an accessible tourism enterprise and/or destination is the decision –maker
commitment. This decision to start and follow the process should be taken at the highest level. After that
decision is made, a policy and implementation strategy will guide the long-term development of any
project. Having a set of principles and a clear understanding of the targets and the reasons why things are
done in a certain way will enable those who take the initiative to stay on track, focus their energies and lead
others to a successful result. Policies work best when they are made explicit – allowing them to be used for
evaluation and adjustment.
4
Ambrose, I. (forthcoming, 2011). Introduction. In: Buhalis D., Darcy, S. and Ambrose, I. (eds). Accessible Tourism: Best Practices. Channel View Publications,
Bristol.
5 Economic impact and travel patterns of accessible tourism in Europe, case studies, Service contract SI2.ACPROCE052481700, European Commission, DG
Enterprise and Industry
6
http://www.scandichotels.com/Always-at-Scandic/Special-needs/

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Develop an accessibility policy
Accessibility Policy of the entrepreneur secures of work about accessibility. First you have to form your own
views on accessibility policy. This will happen in relation to inclusive policies. The following questions arise:
- Do you design a society for all customers and visitors?
- What specific actions are there for accessibility so that vulnerable people are also able to use it
(infrastructure and service)? What do you want to achieve? How accessible do you want to be?
- Is accessibility a part of the policy (inclusive policy)?
To fill in the policy, it is good to look at the current situation and get answers to the following questions:
- Who is coordinating the issue of accessibility and who are involved (departments, employees,
government, politics, external parties)?
- What are the main problems with accessibility?
- Which complaints do you receive about accessibility?
- What knowledge and expertise do you have or do you have to hire?
Strategic planning
There are several ways to shape the accessibility policy in the entrepreneur. For each product or
destination, there is another ideal way to do that. Actions should be carefully planned in advance and all
critical aspects should be defined. It is important to seek an appropriate form. Be inspired by the
opportunities and resources you can use. Accessibility policy can be developed by establishing a policy and
then work under that policy. Another option is to start with a concrete project and draw a general policy
based on experiences.
Model and legislation (very important in the macro-level)
- UN Convention: As a framework for access policy sets the standard rules of the UN Convention to
use and to accept Agenda 22 (Agenda 22, the Dutch development of the UN Standard Rule). The
Agenda describes a method in the municipal policy making on an equal footing by working with
organizations and using the knowledge and experience of experts.
- Legislation (federal, local,...)
- Anti discrimination legislation
Approach
To achieve accessibility, adaptations are often necessary, for example on a macro scale by widening
sidewalks, pruning shrubs and signage to adjust. You can adjust when you get a complaint, but you can
also promote structural accessibility. For example if a road is repaved, take the sidewalks also into account
and renew the signage. Think out of the box and keep in mind the total approach. You can also set up
projects. For example, this year you change all signage.
Coordinating and continuity: employee charged with accessibility
Enforce accessibility policy and ensure that sufficient attention to accessibility takes attention, time and
effort. If it is a logical part of the work, everyone will be careful. A responsible person should be in charge of
the process and guarantee the continuity if key players change. An employee charged with accessibility
helps to have attention to accessibility.

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This person may accompany a number of specific projects, but can also ensure that accessibility is
increasingly being seen as a normal part of operations of the business or destination.
Appoint an employee who deals with accessibility in all ways ( infrastructure and services). This person will
take care of accessibility in all projects and during management. Therefore he/she has contacts with
accessibility experts and with the various departments within and outside the business (planning,
management, communication, etc.).
Hotline accessibility problems
To be aware of problems with accessibility quickly, you can set up a hotline. Examples of complaints
received by such a hotline are: loose tiles, no ramp, brochures without accessibility information, et cetera.
Complaints are quickly checked and then such a road worker or manager turned to the green problem.
The hotline does not have access to stand alone, it is perhaps even better when there is a direct access
which is integrally included. Most importantly, the focus on accessibility is guaranteed.
Recourses: Devoting the appropriate human, technical and economic resources to the actions planned.
Activities to maintain good accessibility, can cost additional money. Often the costs are part of the budget
for management. That is the best way of thinking: accessibility as part of normal work that goes with it, the
integrated approach. You can also set up specific projects designed to promote accessibility. For large
projects, the bulk of the cost is in making the project (building,...). The costs are relatively low in the design
phase. If you take right attention to accessibility in the beginning, the costs are also relatively low. These
are working-hours of someone with expertise of accessibility. Also, the cost of accessibility modifications at
the beginning of the project are very low. This way you prevent subsequent costs for necessary
adaptations. As you know, retrofitting always costs extra money.
Encourage accessibility
If you like a good community access policy, you are well on your way to an accessible society. But you are
not responsible for all businesses, venues, activities, buildings and spaces and you can not force other
businesses to make their property accessible. You can do this by encouraging dialogue with the other
entrepreneurs to bring about awareness. On a macro scale, you can also go one step further and provide a
subsidy. For example a grant to a social function with buildings more accessible to people with disabilities.
Communication and marketing: Both in the sense of external communication in the usual dissemination
tools but also acknowledge the contribution of all stakeholders.
Focus on accessibility in the whole community will create an accessibility awareness. Organize a day of
accessibility. Invite people to go for a walk through the city and into a building with/in a wheelchair, a
scooter or a walker. Let them experience what the obstacles on streets, sidewalks and buildings are.
Assurance: activities to ensure accessibility
To know how it is with accessibility in a business or in a destination, it is important to test regularly what is
good and what isn’t. It is very valuable input from tourists, customers, citizens, .... They are confronted daily
with the inconveniences that entails inaccessibility.
Evaluation
The analysis of complaints, as mentioned above, determine how the accessibility policy is doing. This
allows you to evaluate the accessibility policy on a regular base. Are there less complaints? Are problems
resolved so that the business or destination has become more accessible?
There are a number of activities which will remain on the list of actions because they are continuously or
regularly. Think of the good pruning of green close to sidewalks. The accessibility problem will never
completely disappear, it deserves constant attention. However, you can assess whether you are pro-

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actively, whether you already have rectified such a shortcoming before you receive complaints. Based on
the complaints you receive and how fast a complaint is resolved you can evaluate the situation.
2.2 Network and partnerships
The internal and external stakeholders should be identified and should be involved in the process.
Networks with multiple stakeholders (local, regional and national networks) are vital for developing the
necessary know-how and building a deep understanding of customers’ needs and how to address these.
Through online and face-to-face networking at events useful partnerships can develop. Businesses
partners, NGOs, decision makers, public sector managers and researchers can mix across their usual
sectoral boundaries and find each other. Networking also opens up opportunities for training, knowledge-
sharing and innovation.
Sometimes partnerships are difficult, especially on a macro level, because the members have different and
sometimes conflicting interests. A good coordination and management will help you with that. Even if you
cooperate with external parties, coordination and an integrated approach is important. Cooperation is
important to achieve good results.
It is also important to involve other partners like stake holders, the community,... Besides the importance of
informing customers, citizens and tourists (with and without an impairment), it is also important to involve
the knowledge and experience of those people where possible. For accessibility the input of expertise is a
great value for the quality of policies and actions. Experts can help you with specific accessibility issues.
2.3 Accessible Tourism Value Chain – visitors journey
Fundamental to delivering a satisfying tourism product or service is the need to consider the whole access
chain (see figure). The customer’s needs are central to the design of any tourism operation so the
connections between every place, every service and activity must be thoroughly worked out and tested in
order to succeed.
Staff will also play an important role in bridging possible access gaps or smoothing out unforeseen
difficulties. Their training in disability awareness and customer care should not be overlooked.
Equipment hire companies and other specialists are also important for providing adequate services.
Access chain Visitor’s journey
The access chain includes all items of a visitors journey. This is a simple tool that helps to take a visitors
view of what visitors want at every stage of a holiday or a short break. The journey starts when a visitor
first decides to take a trip and ends when they return home and reminisce about their visit. Keep in mind

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that all visitors feel different emotions at each stage of their journey. For visitors with special needs,
emotions can be stronger. When they plan a trip, visitors are likely to feel frustrated with a lack of
information. When they arrive they might feel anxious about what welcome they will receive and whether
their needs will be met. It is important to know so the tourism industry can help the visitors to feel more
relaxed at every stages.
Visitor’s journey
- stimulation, planning and anticipation
o Information: mouth to mouth advertising, marketing, booking systems, web sites & services:
information accessible to all
- ease of booking
o Information: marketing, booking systems, web sites & services: information accessible to all
- travel to the destination:
o Transport: by air, land and sea, suitable for all users
- the destination experience:
o Barrier-free destinations: infrastructure and facilities
o High quality services: delivered by trained staff
o Activities, exhibits, attractions: allowing participation in tourism by everyone
o Travel at destination: transport: by air, land and sea, suitable for all users
- going home
o Transport: by air, land and sea, suitable for all users
- recollection of the experience: memories, pictures,...
For each segment in the journey there exists a plethora of public and private sector bodies whose products
and services can make or break the visitor experience.
2.4 Destination and product Development
Accessible tourism requires the development of accessible enterprise and/or destinations with the
necessary facilities, infrastructure and transport to make up a varied, stimulating and well-functioning
environment. Isolation is the worst form of inaccessibility. However good the accessible accommodation,
attraction or venue may be, it cannot deliver an optimal experience for the visitor if it is an “accessible
oasis” within an inaccessible urban or rural landscape, served only by inaccessible transport. The public
sector clearly has an important role in providing or encouraging local accessible services which, in turn, will
support businesses in their efforts to attract customers who seek good access.
It is important to remember that destinations have greater capacity than individual businesses. They
must lead the way by marketing themselves boldly and clearly as being accessible and friendly towards
disabled visitors, seniors and families. Destinations may develop their own accessible destination brand
labels to enhance their visibility, as well as using existing labels.

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An important part of the product and destination development is the availability of accessible information.
Visitors need good and reliable accessibility information about the venue and its surrounding (transport,
other facilities, activities,…). Most of the time the information about that environment is not objective and
not reliable. It is very important that these extra information is objectively checked so the visitor will get the
reliable information he or she needs.
2.5 Accessible Tourism Experience
Delivering accessible tourism experiences must be at the heart of the business model for any enterprise
or destination which aims to succeed in this market. This means ensuring that the activities, facilities and
services are designed as close as possible to the visitors’ needs and expectations. Gathering feedback
from visitors is also essential to understanding the outcomes of the visitor experience.

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3 Accessible Tourism – problems and actions
In order to develop an accessible destination all success factors should be accomplished. On micro scale
for an accessible enterprise and on macro scale for an accessible destination. If one or more success
factors are failing, problems will be experienced by the customers. F.e. when there is no or no reliable
information, visitors will have problems with booking or they will not get the service they expect and need.
To increase the accessibility of those success factors actions should be taken in all those success factors.
Examples of those activities can be found in the list below.
Policy, strategy, evaluation:
- Decision makers commitment at the highest level.
- Strategy
- Raising awareness among stakeholders and economic operators in the tourism sector
- Maintain the involvement of the advisory board and users.
- Implement a visitor survey and repeat on a regular basis
- Ensure continued and increased incorporation of accessible tourism objectives in all policies
- Integrate accessible tourism in policies and actions by increasing awareness of all policy makers
- Policy is firmly adressed in the project period and should now be transfered to the standing policies
of the enterprise en be integrated in the overall tourism policy of the destination
- Maintain the use of the budget for problem solving, checking and advice, audits, control, grants,
promotion, marketing,…
- Appoint a responsible person (if needed with an accessibility team) to maintain responsibility for
accessible tourism at the highest level and delegate to all sectors: coordinating, continuity,
knowledge management, hotline for problems,…
- Evaluation + follow-up
o Continue using the system and gather the statistics in order to be able to monitor and
evaluate. Develop and use visitor surveys as a routine part of evaluations.
o A good certification system should be based on continuous improvement of "weak" areas,
allocation of resources and development of appropriate services to meet demand. The
accreditation program requires re-assessment and certification at the end of a two-year
period.
Networks and partnerships:
- The entrepreneur should take a leading role national developments and continue in participating in
international networks

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- Maintain the high level of stakeholders, users, advisory board,… involvement in destination
management and strategic planning
Implementation ( accessible tourism value chain)
- Incorporate accessibility in all steps of the access and visitors chain
- A systematic approach to the assessment of all services should be implemented
- Extend the assessment of services to all tourist enterprises
- Bring together all information about accessible tourism at the destination in one point. Develop
information products in different media and targeted to different visitors segments
- Develop information in greater detail and make it available through multiple channels and sites
- Develop a visitors card with a range of offers
- Develop training for all tourism enterprises throughout the destination
- Development of an information database of all services in the area & around and look for service
possibilities for tourists (demand oriented)
- Although some venues have been assessed by an auditor there has been no publication for the
tourists of the results, nor feedback about the audit to the owner. Therefore make the accessibility
information available and continue auditing the venues on a regular basis and update. Make on
overview of the accessibility of the destination and develop an overall action plan
- Register and monitor the number of the assessed venues
- Implement results of studies (accessible venues, mobility, activities,….)
- Register the offers and the proportion of the accessible undertake actions to increase the number
of accessible activities and offers
Destination product development
- Develop and implement a national and international marketing and promotion strategy
- Accessible destination brand label to enhance the visibility
Accessible Tourism Experience
- Deliver an accessible tourism experience
- Development of trainings for the stakeholders, employees,…
- Gathering feedback from visitors for evaluation
When all success factors are achieved the enterprise (micro scale) or destination (macro scale) is
accessible. Unfortunately, lot of venues and/or destinations aren’t accessible at this moment. There is a

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severe lack of provision for the needs of tourists with disabilities. The market is not generally accessible.
Some businesses are, others falsely claim to be, and some don’t care. Some would like to, but don’t know
how. One way of rewarding the businesses that are truly complying with the accessibility goals is by giving
them credible outside recognition and certification is a tool for doing so 7
. The certification process can
also teach businesses about better or exemplary practices, even if the business never gets certified. Of
course it is not enough to certify individual venues and businesses. To get an accessible touristic area you
have to investigate and certificate the whole region in all its different aspects.
Certification sets standards and helps distinguish genuine accessible tourism from others that make empty
claims. In the approach taken for development of a Accessible Tourism Destination Certification
Programme, the goal should be to measure two things:
• excellence in accessibility infrastructure and service provisions, and
• quality of the accessibility policies, including management processes and procedures that aim to
guarantee and improve the level of accessibility for all visitors.
Certification is not an end in itself. It is one of a number of tools for motivating businesses and others to
improve their environmental, social, and economic performance, while rewarding them for doing so. These
rewards are sometimes tangible and sometimes not.
There are a number of other reasons why certification is important. In a the study ‘A simple user’s guide to
certification for sustainable Tourism and Ecotourism’ of CESD8
they have investigated these reasons.
Applied to accessibility the benefits are:
Benefits for certified businesses
- It (usually) refers to a detailed specification of requirements or standards which service
providers must satisfy in order to receive the label (or other mark of approval). This gives providers
a clear set of targets to aim for, when developing their accessible services
- Certification helps businesses to improve themselves: going through a certification process is
educational. Many certified businesses have stated that one of the greatest benefits of the
certification process was to teach them the elements of accessibility in their operations and focus
their attention on the changes they needed to make in their businesses. A better-operating
business tends to be more efficient and to attract more clients.
- The process of implementing certification of accessible tourism is often accompanied by easier
access to technical assistance and financing for businesses to implement new technology – the
business is educated about these technologies, while donors and financial institutions are more
likely to offer low-cost financing.
- It provides the destination and the individual venue with a marketing tool (- usually in the form of a
label or pictogram) which can be used to catch the attention of potential visitors and inform
them about access, when choosing a destination, for example when searching magazines or the
Internet, before travelling;
7
Lousã, Accessible Tourism Destination, Portugal, Toegankelijkheidsbureau & Ivor Embrose, 2011.
8
Center on Ecotourism and Sustainable Development (CESD, undated) ‘A simple user’s guide to certification for sustainable
Tourism and Ecotourism’.

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- Potentially, certification can provide a marketing advantage to certified businesses, as consumers
learn to recognize credible certification brands. This has happened in other industries, such as
organic foods, wood products, clothing, wine, etc.
Benefits for consumers
- Certification provides tourists with impairments choices – it helps consumers to know which
businesses are truly accessible and to make choices on this basis. As certification programs
become better known, this may produce tangible benefits in a business’s reputation and popularity.
An access certification label can be used at the destination to indicate those venues which have
been assessed and approved according to the scheme, thus making these places or services
easier to find.
- When there are two of more providers with similar offers, the one which carries the access label will
be a more obvious choice for the visitor who needs good access.
- When the whole access certification scheme is managed and regulated carefully, it provides visitors
with disabilities with the overall reassurance that their access needs are being taken care of and
that “…here we need not to worry about unpleasant surprises due to lack of access”.
- It provides functional assurance - that the place or services will actually meet the needs of one of
more specified target groups of persons with disabilities (which may go beyond the legal
requirements);
- Certification in general increases public awareness of responsible business practices.
- Certification can alert tourists to the accessible issues in an area, allowing them to act more
respectfully.
- Certified businesses tend to offer better quality service.
Benefits for governments
- Certification helps governments protect their market niches as accessible tourism destinations.
- Certification raises industry standards in health, safety, environment, and social stability.
- It lowers the regulatory costs of environmental protection.
- It provides legal recognition that a place or service complies with the prevailing laws on
accessibility (i.e. fulfils legal requirements);
- By requiring economic benefits to communities, certification can help reduce poverty, especially in
rural areas.
Finally, certification of accessible tourism protects the social and economic structure of local communities
near the certified businesses.
- It requires businesses to respect accessibility and provide real economic and social benefits for it.

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- When the business is economically sustainable, and offers quality of service to ensure the
accessibility, it is likely to continue offering benefits for the long term.
That way the process and evaluation of a system, also in the future, will be very important.
In the certification system, all success factors should be included, assessed and actions should be made
for all items to increase the accessibility. The system includes not only an analysis of the current situation
but the development of an action plan, based on that analysis, and a
commitment by the decision maker to address identified weaknesses and gaps, within a given time-frame.
The certification should also be considered as a label which shows an ongoing commitment to accessible
tourism as part of a process of continual improvement by implementing the action plan, and not only a mark
of recognition for the achieved results. It is important that the assessment and the set up of an action plan
should be repeated after a few years. A repetitive cycle of planning, implementation and evaluation is
necessary to achieve the final accessible business or destination for all.

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ATTACHMENT
Accessible Tourism Requirements and Good Practices
Good Practice Requirements
ACCESSTOUR TEMPLATE FOR GOOD PRACTICES
Name:
Contacts:
General information:
Pictures:
Success factor
1 Policy, strategy and evaluation:
Commitment of decision-
makers, Coordination and
continuity, Strategic planning,
Qualification and knowledge
transfer, Communication and
distribution.
2 Network and partnerships
3 Accessible Tourism Value Chain
and visitors journey
4 Destination and product
development +
Information
5 Accessible Tourism Experience

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Good Practice Examples
Name: De Dielis, holiday center for people with
special needs
Contacts: Hamont-Achel, Belgium
General information: The Dielis is an accomodation that has all the
necessary infrastructure to accommodate people with
special needs (groups from institutions but also
families). The Dielis offers children and adults with
severe mental or multiple disabilities the opportunity to
enjoy a relaxing holiday.
Capacity: 24 people
Pictures:
Succes factor
1 Policy, strategy and
evaluation: Commitment of
decision-makers,
Coordination and continuity,
Strategic planning,
distribution.
Initiative of two individuals, who departed from their
personal commitment and their work experience in
care facilities.
Advise of an accessibility office during the design and
the building activities
Subsidy of Tourism Flanders
2 Network and partnerships Personal contacts derived from their work in care
sector
Designers, contractors,…
Tourism Flanders
Accessibility office
Services: nursing (wit-gele kruis, red cross),
minders/sitters (Lidoa and volunteers), mobility
(accessible transport service, taxi Hendriks,...)
3 Accessible Tourism Value
Chain and visitors journey
The whole venue ( entrance, doors, kitchen, all rooms
and bathrooms) and the garden are accessible
Availability of a lot of aids: wheelchairs, lifter, heating
lamp in bathrooms,…
Great service and special adapted offers for nursing,
sitting, mobility,…
Easy booking (website, phone,…)

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development +
Information
Accessibility certification (A+ label Tourism Flanders)
Website (www.dedielis.be) with a good overview of all
facilities and of all accessible activities in the
environment
Documentary (Vlaanderen Vakantieland)
Promotions
Accessibility information of the internal accessible
services:
Accessible kitchen, bathrooms and rooms
Elevator
Mobile hoist
Beds and bath: adjustable height
Heating lamps, colorful led lamps
Wheelchairs, shower wheelchair, shower stretcher,
shower seat
Alarm in all rooms, bathrooms and toilets
Storage with sockets for electrical wheelchairs
Co-operation with Red Cross, nursing (wit-gele kruis,
red cross), minders/sitters (Lidoa and volunteers),
mobility (accessible transport service, taxi Hendriks,...)
Accessible garden: animals, accessible playground,…
Accessibility information offered by the territory all
around:
Accessible walking routes ( municipality Hamont-
Achel)
Accessible swimming (Dommelslag Overpelt)
Cuddle room Sence City ( Sint-Oda, Overpelt)
Accessible wellness
Accessible tilt car
Accessible skiing
Rent of accessible bikes ( municipality Hamont-Achel)
Accessible playgrounds
5 Accessible Tourism
Experience
Because of all facilities, all extra services and the
commitment of the owners, the visitors will experience
a great holiday.
Feedback is gathered (evaluation form, personal
contacts of owners with visitors)
Name: Het Vinne, public provincial domain
Contacts: Zoutleeuw, Belgium
General information: This recreation area is the green visit card of the
province Vlaams-Brabant and it is unique in Europe.
During a relaxing walk around the largest inland sea
of Flanders . In the visitors center visitors will get a lot
of information about the huge diversity of the
waterfront fauna and flora. Most facilities are

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accessible.
Pictures:
Success factor
decision-makers,
Strategic planning,
distribution.
Commitment of the province
The province has one person who is responsible for
accessibility in all levels of the provincial policy. He
also is responsible for the budget and coordination
Collaboration with an accessibility office from the first
design until the implementation
2 Network and partnerships Accessibility office
Designers, contractors
All employees of the public domain ( hosts, green
service,…)
Tourist office
Municipality
Interreg Project
Outdoor: Accessible routes (walkways and cycling
routes), adapted play area,…
Buildings: adapted lavatory, exhibition, Food &
Beverages,…
Aids: adapted bicycles for rent , Daisy-player
Adapted wayfinding
development +
Information
Promoting in brochures, website
(vlaamsbrabant.be/vrije-tijd-
cultuur/provinciedomeinen/het-vinne-zoutleeuw), …
Arrangements of accessible activities
Documentary ( Vlaanderen Vakantieland)
Accessibility information of the internal accessible
services:
Accessible playground
Accessible wayfinding
Accessible walking and cycling routes for all
Accessible toilet, exhibition, restaurant
Rent of accessible bikes
Daisy player
around:

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Accessible walking and cycling routes
Accessible venues in the surrounding
Experience
Training for employees ( fe green service, guides,…)
Accessible offer includes all items of the visitors value
chain which makes this destination an accessible one.

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Name: Lousã , Accessible Tourism Destination
Contacts: Lousã, Portugal
General information: Located in the central region of Portugal, Lousã is an
area which epitomises the unspoilt beauty of the Serra
da Lousã mountain landscape. Following an initiative
to host the first National Accessible Tourism
Conference in April 2007, Lousã civil society
organised a Task Force to plan for the development of
Lousã as the first Accessible Tourism Destination in
Portugal. The project, which is supported by national
and EU funding, aims to serve as an example both
nationally and internationally.One of the first actions of
the Task Force has been the launch of an "Accessible
Lousã" label for public and private enterprises. Over
100 members of the scheme have received the label,
advertising their commitment to the objective of
accessibility for disabled people, and their willingness
to take concrete measures to improve access, so as to
make Lousã a destination suitable for all visitors.
Pictures:
Succes factor
decision-makers,
Strategic planning,
distribution.
Municipality with ombudsman
Coordination by technical team
Structure committee: local agents with responsibilities
of promotion and execution of action plans
Monitory committee to report
Advisory committee: national and international
2 Network and partnerships Municipality with ombudsman and committees
Local partners: venue owners, rehabilitation center
Arcil, tourist agents, medical services, technical staff,
…
Tourist office
Tour operators ( Accessible Portugal)
Accessibility office Belgium
ENAT
All parts of the tourism value chain were investigated,
problems were indicated and action plans were made
for all those parts

19
Development of an accessible destination certification
program + label which includes infrastructures and
services.
Implementation of the action plan: improve
pavements, provide ramps, accessible activities
(descida da Serra,….),provide extra services,…
development +
Information
Seminars ,…
Lot of promotion on different levels: website (www.cm-
lousa.pt/turismo_acessivel), television, congress,
brochures,…
around:
Accessibility information about all investigated parts of
the tourism value chain presented at different
seminars.
Experience
Trainings for stakeholders, venue owners, staff,…
There are over 120 enterprises participating in the
Lousã Accessible Tourism Destination labelling
scheme. Members of the scheme are committed to
make access improvements in their facilities and
services, while training courses in disability awareness
and “welcoming all” have been conducted for different
groups of businesses. Because of this visitors with
special needs feel welcomed and at home in Lousã.

20
Name: I Girasoli
Contacts: marco.pizzio@aism.it
General information: In the heart of the Tuscan countryside, Lucignano is the
location of the Casa Vacanze I Girasoli, an inviting hotel
with universal design rooms, bungalows, restaurant
and accessible pools, nestled in a magnificent maritime
pine park on the border between Arezzo and Siena.
The Casa Vacanze I Girasoli is a quiet oasis for nature
vacation, near the main Tuscan – Umbrian cities and an
excellent starting point for enchanting trips and
excursions. Full of ample outdoor spaces, ideal for
a vacation with children, the hotel has a restaurant,
two pools (one heated), bar, gym, tennis court, free
parking and three meeting rooms for business and
training meetings.
Pictures:
Success factor Even if owned and managed by AISM (Italian Association
for Multiple Sclerosis), the hotel, including rooms and
bungalows, is open to all guests, not only to persons with
disabilities. The rooms, all with private bathrooms, are
inspired and equipped in respect of the universal design
concept and allow enter and move by wheel chair. The
wooded park of the hotel is wide and flat. The swimming
pool and gym are full equipped for people with disabilities
and provided with specialized staff. The restaurant provide
meals inspired to traditional recipes and using mostly
organic products. The prices are very reasonable and the
offer is therefore very appreciated by groups.
Commitment of decision-makers,
Strategic planning, Qualification and
knowledge transfer,
Communication and distribution.
The accommodation policy is inspired to give offer targeted
to all kind of guests, with specific attention to satisfaction
of needs from persons with disabilities and their families.
The staff is continuously trained to support this kind of
public and qualified according to high quality standards.
The communication to the public is very effective both at
level of the hotel offer, as well as for the general contents

21
provided by AISM.
2 Network and partnerships AISM ONLUS is a non-profit organization based in Rome
and in Genova, with premises for accommodation in
various regions. “I Girasoli” is the most important of them.
AISM has national and international partnerships and
contacts with social and tourism operators and associations
such as ENAT.
AISM is the leader of an ongoing project on improvement
of accessible tourism facilities and design with a specific
focus on accommodation, staff training and services for
guided visits. For the purpose of guided visits a bus is
available equipped for persons with limited movements.
development +
Information
Promotion on the website www.igirasoli.ar.it of the hotel
in Italian and English and on the AISM official website
www.aism.it . Assistance and services are provided at high
level for any needs of the guests, also due to continuous
staff training and initiatives to favour entertainment and
wellbeing.
5 Accessible Tourism Experience From tourism location for multiple sclerosis patients to
hotel open to all guests including persons with different
disabilities. The weak and threat points due to a target of
persons with multiple sclerosis were turned into strong and
opportunity points by opening the hotel to all. As a
consequence staff training and universal design became
the most important trends for “I Girasoli”. Also the
communication was addressed to a wide range of potential
guests, with focus on assistance and services for persons
with different disabilities.

22
Name: Therapeutic Parks
Contacts: mgpossenti@regione.umbria.it ; tel. +39 075 5045793
General information: The Region Umbria has been developing since 2012 a
project based on accessible tourism and social tourism in
the natural parks. The first step of the project consists of
rural farms in the Subasio Natural Park, near Assisi,
adapted to accommodation and laboratories for persons
with mental disabilities. One of the farms, called “La
semente”, has been restored, equipped and managed by
ANGSA (Parents’ National Association of Autistic Persons).
This experience has been shared also with a farmers’
association and the University of Perugia.
Pictures:
Success factor The study on the way to adapt at the best old rural houses
in order to put up persons with mental disabilities has been
carefully analyzed by a team constituted by architects,
agronomists, social and health operators and parents of
persons with mental disorders. This multidisciplinary
approach has contributed to design rooms and open spaces
oriented to wellbeing of persons with various mental
disabilities.

23
Commitment of decision-
makers, Coordination and
continuity, Strategic planning,
distribution.
The involvement of technical staff members and parents
since the beginning of the project has allowed start within
2 years with the basic services to the guests. The group of
old farms in the middle of a natural park, with agricultural
fixtures, is the centre of the activities consisting of rooms
and common spaces inside and horticultural cultivations,
greenhouses, stables outside planned to be safely attended
by persons with mental disabilities. Also part of the
therapeutic park bike and trekking paths and sport plants
for leisure time.
2 Network and partnerships The partnership is constituted of the Region of Umbria,
municipalities, parents’ associations, social and health
units, University of Perugia and other stakeholders and
supporters.
The tourism approach as communication aiming at
attracting tourists is still not a focus of the activities, but it
will be more developed when the centre and services will
be sufficiently experimented.
development +
Information
The current use of the centre is addressed to persons with
autistic disorders, basically hosted at “La semente”. The
feasibility of tourism activities more generally addressed to
persons with mental disabilities has been studied and
tested within a 2-year research in the framework of the
Rural Development Plan 2007-2013 measure 124
(innovation). The results are going to be published under
coordination of the University of Perugia.
5 Accessible Tourism Experience This first step can provide a starting point for a more
general accessible tourism experience oriented to persons
with mental disabilities. The integration of health services
with the rural space and agricultural activities can be
considered a new frontier of assisted therapies and
activities addressed to persons with mental disorders.

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