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The physically challenged demand that rural tourism offer better adapted services (26/07/2018)

The European study, in which the Department of Tourism of the UCAM participates, concludes that these people consume especially cultural, gastronomic and health tourism.

The survey has collected opinions of disabled people from the eight countries participating in the work, as well as from the rural tourism management institutions, which recognize that much remains to be done in this area

The partners of the eight countries of the European Acces Angels project, for the evolution and development of rural tourist destinations in Europe, have met in La Manga to share the results obtained after two years of research work, in which It has surveyed 335 disabled people and 68 tourist institutions, from Spain, Poland, Italy, Belgium, Slovenia, Czech Republic, Bulgaria and Cyprus.

The project, framed in the call Erasmus + KA2 and managed by the Office of International Projects (OPRI) of the UCAM, aims to adapt tourism destinations to disabled people, serving values ​​of solidarity and defense of the rights of all citizens, to contribute to the improvement of the tourism sector with an intelligent model based on innovation, technology, sustainability and accessibility.

According to the World Health Organization, 15% of the world population suffers some type of disability, its potential tourist market is 500 million people (including an average of 1.5 companions per individual), and the total expenditure of this collective in tourism is about 5,000 million euros a year, when people refuse to be treated as "inferior" when they travel to tourist destinations.

Acces Angels wants to contribute to improve this situation.

"Equality, integration and ease of access to any rural tourist destination is the objective of this European project, in which the UCAM participates to develop accessibility, one of the keys to smart tourism destinations," said María Dolores Gil, deputy director of the Department of Tourism and coordinator of the team of researchers of the UCAM, during the final meeting of the project, held in La Manga del Mar Menor.

Surveys carried out on people with physical disabilities reveal that the information they receive about rural destinations and the conditions of adaptability to their needs are insufficient, making it difficult to plan and organize the trip.

In addition, they demand adapted activities and special equipment (wheelchairs, crutches, etc.), since they usually do not find it available or it is difficult to find support personnel capable of handling it in an adequate manner.

On the other hand, tourism institutions mostly recognize that they do not have support services for the physically disabled in rural areas, due to the lack of economic resources and personnel.

Therefore, they consider that the results of this project could have a positive effect, so that most would be willing to implement it, based on their management from the tourist institutions of the destinations and provided by young volunteers.

Despite the efforts made, the European Union still faces many challenges in terms of accessibility in the tourism sector, which does not always provide the necessary services to clients with physical disabilities;

which manifest difficulties to access transport, tourist attractions or destinations themselves.

This has been shown in the guide of good practices designed by tourism experts in which the results of the analysis are collected that will help to implement working models in rural areas with improvements in accessibility and services of these tourist destinations.

The final proposals will be presented in September in two final meetings, to be held in Murcia and Brussels, with all the project partners.

Source: UCAM

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