1 comment.Tourism website launched aimed at those with special needs
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The Minister for Tourism Karmenu Vella, addressing a conference earier today, said that the Government is to implement various initiatives to facilitate accessibility in the tourism sector, particulary to improve travel opportunities in relation to social tourism
The conference was organised by the ACA (Accessibility for All Project Culture), in collaboration with the Malta Tourism Authority.
The Minister also announced the launch of a new website, www.accessibletourismmalta.eu, aimed at providing information, which will be constantly updated, to promote accessible tourism and facilitating exchange mechanisms, especially in the low season.
“The concept of social tourism is built around the fact that tourism is an experience that everyone should have access to, without discrimination of age, physical abilities, income, status or social conditions.,” the Minister said.
The Minister explained how the Government, along with the MTA and stakeholders, is working to strengthen the Maltese tourism product, improve accessibility and promote the Maltese islands.
The Malta Tourism Authority, in collaboration with the National Commission for Persons with Disabilities and partners from Finland and Croatia is aiming to develop a culture that facilitates the concept of social tourism and accessibility for the disabled.
‘Wings On Wheels,’ of the UK develop and run small escorted group holidays worldwide for people with special needs and the less mobile, their carers, friends and relatives.
On a recent visit to the Maltese islands the company escorted a group of people with special needs their comments on their visit to Gozo are as follows:
“Gozo ferry is accessible, you can take a lift from the car deck to the passenger deck where there are accessible toilets and café. When the lifts are out of service, there can be serious health and safety issues as disabled people are then stuck on the car deck.
Gozo restaurants are very inaccessible to wheelchairs and most do not have accessible toilets. This can easily be remedied with ramps to get wheelchairs up the kerbs but toilet facilities must be researched prior to the group eating.”
This website is a great idea but I’m not sure whether it is because I tried to access it from an iPad but the content is either non existent or very wordy …..very disappointing ….political brownie points but as a service to people with special needs not very good.