Here is the “San Marino Action Plan”

The UNWTO Conference ends with a document that dictates the guidelines for developing accessibility policies for the entire sector: San Marino will be a permanent hub for discussion on the topic.

The International Conference of the United Nations World Tourism Organization organized by the Monistry of Tourism of the Republic of San Marino in collaboration with the Italian Ministry of Tourism, concluded with high level technical panels and with the presentation, by Igor Stefanovic, Technical Coordinator, Ethics, Culture and Social Responsibility Department · World Tourism Organization (UNWTO), of the outcome of the conference. The work led to the publication, in the early afternoon, of the San Marino Action Plan on Accessible Tourism, a document that will dictate the guidelines for adapting to accessibility for all stakeholders in the tourism sector, for countries, destinations and attractions.

The agenda involves increasing awareness of social and economic issues to create equal opportunities and constitutes a business opportunity for destinations. Priority will be given to interventions on accessibility even in the case of scarce resources. The staff must be trained, starting with managers and decision makers. Entrepreneurship and an entrepreneurial ecosystem offering accessible services will need to be encouraged, efforts will be needed for the employment inclusion of people with disabilities. Let's make accessibility an opportunity rather than a challenge. The agenda includes research into visitor behaviour, spending patterns and feedback on access improvements, adopting laws, policies and standards that improve people's comfort, safety and quality of life, and implement strategies that deliver new revenue streams and customer loyalty. Accessibility criteria must be guaranteed among tourism businesses participating in tenders or public funding. Good practices must be promoted through tourism stakeholder networks and as well as monitoring progress based on key performance indicators. The private sector must improve accessible products and equalize key players on marketing, strategies and commercial platforms and accessibility offers must be diversified to allow everyone to enjoy the beauty of travel by innovating in accommodation services. Innovation is required in transport, information and communication technologies and the digital agenda.