With the aim of becoming a more competitive tourist destination and a benchmark for accessibility in heritage and culture, Orihuela, a member city of the DTI network, through the Orihuela Town Council, has presented its Strategic Plan for Accessible Tourism to the Standing Committee of the Sectoral Council for Tourism.
This is a comprehensive report which has analysed all the links in the tourism accessibility chain, identifying shortcomings and proposing solutions to improve the tourist experience for all people, including those with physical, visual, auditory and cognitive accessibility needs.
The project, which has been carried out by Equalitas Accesibilidad, a consultancy firm specialising in the creation and development of accessible tourism initiatives, has been subsidised by the Diputación de Alicante. The study was carried out with the participation of the technical staff of the city council, heads of different areas, representatives of the disability sector, as well as businessmen and representatives of the tourism sector in Orihuela through interviews, participation tables and surveys.
In addition, 25 resources of special relevance within the tourist accessibility chain have been audited over several days, including museums, churches, tourist offices, accommodation, beaches, natural environments and transport services, among others.
The Plan establishes 4 strategic lines and 25 actions that will be Orihuela’s roadmap to becoming a reference in accessible tourism in the Vega Baja region of Alicante.
Councillor Gonzalo Montoya, said that the first steps are already being taken by the Department of Tourism: A section “Inclusive Tourism” has been implemented on the Orihuela tourist website where tourists can find relevant information to organise their visit to the city, with a list of parking spaces for people with reduced mobility, an inventory of accessible resources/services, videos in sign language at different points of tourist interest, as well as a training course/workshop in which tourism professionals and council technicians will learn about the needs of people with disabilities and will receive the knowledge and tools necessary to improve their treatment and attention to this target audience.
