Taking into account people with special needs Take into account every person in regional policies 80 Millions disabled people in Europe Anyone must have the opportunity to live in the best possible conditions. People with special needs have the right not to be discriminated when they travel and to fully enjoy their holidays. We want to offer a warm welcoming to every visitor in an Universal Designed way. Accessibility has to do with quality in tourism services, facilities and destinations. In the forthcoming years accessibility will be a key asset for destinations to remain competitive.
The tourist dimension in Veneto o Veneto is the most visited region in Italy (16% of Italian tourism flow), over the last years and despite the economic downturn the tourism sector kept growing (64.3 overnight stays); o Veneto counts a number of world-wide known destinations (e.g. Venice, Verona, Dolomites); o Given the diversity of its landscape, Veneto s tourism offer is wide and varied (e.g. beaches, lake, mountains); o Different type of destinations have different accessibility lacks;
Veneto s organization Regione del Veneto is the regional administration in charge to set up tourism policies and to implement strategies through different lines of actions: 1. promotion of the regional tourism identity; 2. enhancement of the regional natural and cultural heritage; 3. training for professionals; 4. supporting destinations in improving their quality standards (innovation, environment, accessibility, etc.).
How to outline a strategy on accessible tourism o o o o mapping the accessibility within the region; keep working closely with active stakeholders and associations; identifying the key challenges we have to cope with; participating in working groups at national and European level to benchmark different experiences, and to try to build up a common view on accessible tourism;
Future actions o o o o rising awareness among tourism stakeholders, public and private actors (e.g. Gitando.All, I diritti solcano gli oceani ); implementing the tourism web portal with accessibility-related information about the regional tourism offer; setting up innovative tools to improve services for people with special needs (GPS data, service card, etc.); supporting pilot destinations where public and private actors cooperate in order to improve accessibility;
Sustainable and Competitive Tourism Creating the right balance between the welfare of tourists, the needs of the natural and cultural environment and the development and competitiveness of destinations and businesses
What do we do? Increase KNOWLEDGE: Collection, exchange and evaluation of good practices of sustainable and competitive tourism policies; Increase JOINT ACTIVITIES: Development of projects, facilitate partner search, dissemination of project ideas and progresses; Increase EXPERTISE: Cooperation with European and International organisations; Increase VISIBILITY: Promote the strategies and activities of the members within the network, towards stakeholders and the Institutions Ensure the POSITION: Monitor, contribute and influence the European Tourism Policy developments;
NECSTouR Methodology o3 Pillars osocial Dialogue, Competitiveness, Measurability otransversal Approach oprojects, Studies, Events, Policy, Communication othematic Approach opriorities of the Agenda 2007 otaskforces 1. Reduction and optimisation of use of natural resources with particular reference to water 2. Reduction and optimisation of energy consumption 3. Reduction of waste and better waste management 4. Quality of life of residents and tourists 5. Quality of work 6. Active conservation of cultural heritage 7. Active conservation of environmental heritage 8. Active conservation of distinctive identities of destinations 9. Widening the relations between demand/offer (geographical and seasonal) 10. Transport and mobility 1. Indicators 2. Blue Growth 3. Landscape 4. Governance of Cultural Routes 5. Accessible Tourism 6. Structural Funds
Projects onecstour Project methodology 1. INFORMING AND BEING INFORMED 2. FACILITATE PARTNER SEARCH 3. SUPPORT BUILDING CONSORTIUM 4. FACILITATE THE REDACTION/ADMINISTRATIVE PROJECT MANAGEMENT 5. QUALITY CHECK OF THE PROPOSAL 6. MANAGEMENT OF THE PROJECT 7. COMMUNICATION / DISSEMINATION OF THE PROJECT onecstour role in selected project omembers COORDINATION EXPERTISE NETWORK CREATION EVENTS COMMUNICATION & DISSEMINATION oongoing NECSTouR Projects ot4est (LLP), MEDrouteSTD (ENPI), BRAND, NEZEH (IEE), o ODYSSEA (CIP), CERTESS (INTERREG IVC), TASTEUROPE, TBSP (Tourism Business Support Portal)
NECSTouR Taskforce accessible tourism A common definition of accessible tourism : Accessible tourism means dealing with the entire holiday value chain to make services and facilities without obstacles and difficulties for everyone. Consultation and collaboration with all private and public partners is essential. It is a key word for quality and competitiveness in tourism. Tourism accessibility must be conceived as a factor that is intrinsic to the quality of tourism products. To increase the accessibility of the touristic area, information is important to improve the mobility, social cultural inclusion and territorial cohesion. That will provide a new demand for the accessible regions.
NECSTouR Taskforce accessible tourism The taskforce members : Beleidsmedewerker Toerisme (Flanders) Catalan Tourist Board Emilia-Romagna region FederCultura Turismo Sport Confcooperative France Station Nautique Ministry of the German Speaking Community of Belgium Puglia Promozione Join us! Ile-de-France region Veneto region Toscana region Toerisme Vlaanderen University of Girona
NECSTouR Taskforce accessible tourism A european thinking by comited institutions Coleading: Paris Ile-de-France + Veneto Aims : Exchange experiences and good practices Draw working lines on a european level Count in european policy of tourism an accessibility
NECSTouR Taskforce accessible tourism Action plan 1) Report : Gathering good praticies and actions Identify obstacles Create a memorandum 2) Work on common issues for european actions (EP and EC) Next steps: 1st meeting this morning 2 nd meeting by mid 2013 Memorandum by the end of 2013
Thank you for your attention. etulliez@nouveau-paris-idf.com silvia.draghi@regione.veneto.it communication@necstour.eu twitter.com/necstour www.necstour.eu