It is a project created by the tour operator Trentino Holidays to provide a map of accessible lodging and other useful information to help make a trip to the Trentino region more accessible and inclusive by 2026, the year of the Winter Olympics and Paralympics.
Accessibility becomes an opportunity for everyoneAs the data confirm, accessible tourism is a major market. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), 15% of the global population (1 billion people) lives with some form of disability, and this figure is increasing rapidly due both to demographic trends and a rise in chronic health conditions. It is also likely that nearly everyone, at some point in their life, will experience a form of temporary or permanent disability.
Benefits for society as a whole and for the tourism sectorPursuing a policy of accessible tourism brings benefits to us all: people with temporary disabilities, families with small children, the elderly, and even workers who can benefit from a safer workplace — not only as a societal right, but also as an opportunity for businesses in the tourism industry and for the destination as a whole.
The project “Accessibile è meglio!” was started in 2021 with the first 100 industry operators. In May 2022, work began on the commercialization of travel products designed for people with disabilities, and the first summer vacation packages have been sold. The approach has been to continue improving in order to promote a culture of inclusiveness not only among the individual businesses that offer lodging, but within the travel destination as an entire community.
The project “Accessibile è meglio!” is an important step towards a more inclusive Trentino
Accessibility as a universal and multidimensional valueAccessibility is a universal value and encompasses multiple areas of action, from with accessibility needs, including disabilities (40 million) and people over the age of 65 (80 million). In Italy, the Italian Institute of Statistics (ISTAT) estimates that there are 3.15 million people, or 5.2% of the population, with a disability. However, this snapshot of the market is somewhat reductive and does not, for example, take account of households with young children or people with temporary disabilities or other limitations due to an accident or other passing health issues. So pursuing a policy of accessible tourism brings benefits to us all — people with temporary disabilities, families with small children, the elderly, and even workers who can benefit from a safer workplace — not only as a societal right, but also as an opportunity for businesses in the tourism industry and for the destination as a whole.
The approach has been to continue improving in order to promote a culture of inclusiveness not only among the individual businesses that offer lodging, but within the travel destination as an entire community.
