AT tourA aroundD You start here Accessible tourism page 4 Introduction page 10 Belgium page 12 The project VET area and the state Italy page 20 research of art Lithuania page 31 Portugal page 46 page 6 page 9 Aggregated data page 61 Conclusion: analysis of market needs and VET offer Introduction page 72 SMEs’ page 155 snapshot Good practices page 74 Mapping of the SMEs page 129 page 70 TheT AbilityA AdvisorD 2 Accessible tourism Tourism for all Inclusive tourism Accessible Tourism, which is often also called Tourism for all or Inclusive tourism, means that any tourism product should be designed to be used by everyone, irrespective of age, gender or ability and, ideally, with no additional costs for customers with specific access requirements1. Accessibility refers to visitors’ abilities to approach, reach, enter, use, understand, touch, see, hear, speak and taste and the design of the environment and its components, including products, services, devices, information and orientation systems. There are a lot of myths connected to accessible tourism or accessibility in general. A common one is that accessible tourism is only for people with disabilities. That is not true because although persons with disabilities are mentioned most often when speaking about accessibility, accessible tourism serves a wide variety of customers with different access needs (which are not always visible) which can be caused by impairment, illness, injury, age, foreign language proficiency or culture. As such, good accessibility benefits any person who, when travelling, faces some difficulties in accessing, using or enjoying tourism services and facilities comfortably, safely and independently2. When we talk about accessible tourism we talk about the needs of persons with motor, hearing, speech or vision impairments, learning difficulties and cognitive impairments, long-term health problems (e.g. respiratory and circulatory conditions or invisible disabilities) etc. We also refer to seniors with age-related impairments such as restricted mobility, ability to receive and process information, difficulties in spatial and temporal orientation, speaking, reading, writing or understanding words etc. In addition it is important to consider the access requirements of small children, pregnant women, persons with allergies, asthma and/or food intolerances, persons with injuries, carers of persons with disabilities, people with pushchairs and prams or with luggage, local residents, foreigners etc. In fact, accessible tourism can benefit everyone and all of us at least once in our lives will have a need for accessible environments, products and services3. Another typical misconception of accessible tourism is the idea that 1.Source: Messages of the World Committee on Tourism Ethics on Accessible tourism, http://cf.cdn.unwto.org/sites/all/files/docpdf/wctemessagesonaccessibletourism.pdf 2.Source: World Tourism Organization (2016), Manual on Accessible Tourism for All: Principles, Tools and Best Practices – Module I: Accessible Tourism – Definition and Context, UNWTO, Madrid, https://www.e-unwto.org/doi/pdf/10.18111/9789284418077 3.Source: British Tourist Authority (VisitEngland), At your service, https://www.visitbri- tain.org/sites/default/files/vb-corporate/at_your_service_17.12.10.pdf 3 it is a niche market, while in fact it is a loyal, growing market which brings competitive advantage and new opportunities to businessses4. Tourism is one of the largest and fastest growing economic sectors in the world. According the United Nations World Tourism Organization, 1.2 billion people travelled to a foreign country in 2015 and their number is expected to reach 1.8 billion in 2030. Tourism accounts for 9% of the world GDP and generates one job out of 11. It is, therefore, a key driver of socio-economic development, creating wellbeing for communities. It is also an integral part of the lifestyle of much of society and provides tourists with experiences for their personal growth. Moreover, the direct gross value added of EU’s Accessible Tourism in 2012 was about €150 billion; after taking the multiplier effect into account, the total gross value added contribution amounted to about €356 billion. (GfK, 2014). The numerical importance of people with specific access needs for the tourism sector has been confirmed by the results of the study published in 2014 that the European Commission has commissioned in order to provide a coherent picture of the current and future potential demand of accessible tourism in Europe and to estimate its economic impact5. According with this study, in 2011 there were 138.6 million people with access needs in the EU (around 27% of total population), of which 35.9% were people with disabilities aged 15-64, and 64.1% were the older population aged 65 or above. In 2012, people with access needs in the EU took approximately 783 million trips, thus generating a total gross value added contribution of about €356 billion, as mentioned above, and a total employment of about 8.7 million persons. Driven by the ageing population, which in Europe is much higher than elsewhere, the demand is anticipated to grow by 10% to about 862 million trips per year by 2020, equivalent to an average growth rate of 1.2% annually. However, the overall potential is far greater: if it would be possible to increase the accessibility of tourism-related facilities significantly, then up to 1.231 million trips per year could be realized, equivalent to a growth of 43.6%. If accessibility is significantly improved, the total economic contribution generated by the EU tourists with specific access needs is expected to increase against the current contribution by roughly 36%. Moreover, like most of the people, persons with specific access needs rarely travel alone; on the contrary, they usually prefer or need to travel with relatives or friends. According to the previous study, on average, people with access needs in the EU travel with about 1.9 companions. Therefore, if we consider this, the economic contribution of Accessible Tourism will be amplified by a similar scale if the travel companion effect is taken into account. 4. Source:UNWTO, Tourism Highlights 2016 Edition, UNWTO e-library 5. Source: GfK and Partners. Economic Impact and Travel Demand of Accessible Tourism in Europe (2014). European Commission. 4 Another typical misconception about tourism for all is that accessibility means absence of architectural barriers but it is not only confined to physical parameters. Accessibility is often narrowed down to the adaptation of facilities but other types of barriers and difficulties faced by tourists have a wide impact on all tourism and travel-related services. Accessible destinations have to ensure the accessibility of the complete value chain including hotels, transport, attractions, free-time facilities, tourism information offices, information and booking systems, marketing and a positive and welcoming attitude of all relevant actors. Accessibility measures in tourism must also be accompanied by adequate accessibility of public spaces and involvement of public bodies in service delivery. Visitor satisfaction depends on coordinated efforts addressing each phase of the visitor´s travel experience. It is necessary to understand that each element of the tourism chain influences and depends on the others: if one of the elements is weak, in terms of the quality and the experience offered to the customer, the holiday can be compromised as a whole. A hotel without barriers but located in a place without recreational and cultural facilities that are accessible to people with specific access needs, would not be assured of attracting these customers, however good the quality of its accessibility and usability. The same would apply to an accessible museum or monument that cannot be reached by suitable means of transport or that does not have adequate accommodation facilities nearby suited to customers with specific access needs. Destinations should therefore seek to create a comprehensive supply of Tourism for All products and services in which all the elements of the supply chain (reservation systems, accommodation, transport, etc.) are easily accessed. Tourism operators often think that accessibility is expensive and needs big investments, but even small adjustments and smart solutions can positively affect visitor´s decision and experience. There are many low-cost actions with positive impact on tourists with access needs, like accessible websites and information, honest information about accessibility of facilities and services provided in 5 alternative formats, trained staff capable of dealing with accessibility issues, an inclusive marketing, providing technical aids and disability equipment (wheelchairs, bath chairs, toilet raisers) to rent, giving free entry with assistance dogs, providing well-adapted hotel rooms with capacity for bigger groups, universally designed tourism products and activities. having a paper and pencil on hand in case a deaf person comes to the reception counter, printing menus in large print, providing water bowls for assistance dogs... and others. Efficiency of investment in accessibility is often measured as costs in relation to the number of visitors with disabilities. In fact, accessible measures improve safety and comfort and ensure that environment, products and services can be enjoyed by any person. That is why investment in accessibility should be perceived as an investment in dignity and quality for all. Finally, it must be added that a