UN Tourism, ONCE Foundation, and the Spanish Association for Standardisation are collaborating to promote increased accessibility of tourism for disabled individuals and seniors, aligning with ISO 21902:2021 Standards on Accessible Tourism.
Small investments in accessibility and innovation can be a game-changer for tourism destinations everywhere. But, despite 1.3 billion worldwide people already experiencing significant disability, many destinations and tourism businesses are still failing to embrace the many benefits of welcoming these travelers.
To mark International Day of Persons with Disabilities, UN Tourism has joined with its partners ONCE Foundation and the Spanish Association for Standardisation to highlight the immense economic and social benefits of increasing the accessibility of tourism for persons with disabilities and specific requirements and seniors, against the ISO 21902:2021 Standards on Accessible Tourism.
The latest research makes clear the growing demand for accessible travel:
- Globally, 1.3 billion people already experiencing significant disability
- one in six of the population is set to be aged 60 and over in 5 years
- Travellers with disabilities being accompanied by two to three additional clients
The new guidelines on accessible tourism, produced by UN Tourism and our partners, set out how both destinations and businesses can harness the power of innovation and investment to boost accessibility in every way Within the European Union, more than 70 percent of the 80 million persons with disabilities can afford to travel and enjoy tourism.
In Asia and the Pacific, the potential market size is 690 million people, and in Latin America and the Caribbean, this figure reaches 85 million people. Zurab Pololikashvili, UN Tourism Secretary-General, said: “Everybody should be able to enjoy tourism. At UN Tourism we have been advocating for accessibility for many years, and the benefits have never been clearer. The new guidelines on accessible tourism, produced by UN Tourism and our partners, set out how both destinations and businesses can harness the power of innovation and investment to boost accessibility in every way.”
Guidelines for Accessible Tourism
Accessible tourism is a game-changer for improving mid- and low-season performance; its customers are extremely varied and loyal; it creates jobs and significantly improves the reputation of destinations and businesses welcoming all visitors, with or without disabilities.
To help destinations and businesses tap into this potential, UN Tourism and its partners have released six sets of guidelines Produced by UN Tourism, ONCE Foundation, and the Spanish Association for Standardization (UNE), in collaboration with the European Network for Accessible Tourism and many other partners.
The guidelines put the International ISO 21902:2021 Standard on Accessible Tourism in the spotlight and target:
- National tourism administrations and destination management organizations
- Accommodation, food & beverage, and MICE companies
- Travel agencies and tour operators
- Transport sector
- Heritage sites and cultural institutions
- Organisations and companies working in protected nature areas
All these guidelines offer strategic and actionable recommendations to provide accessible tourism experiences, so every person can enjoy travel and tourism on equal terms. Accessibility put in place, brings improvements in comfort, service, and the quality of life of visitors and host communities alike. The Madrid International Tourism Fair FITUR 2025 will serve as a meeting point to discuss different ways of putting these recommendations in place.
Source: Trade Arabia News Service
