UNWTO presents the San Marino Agenda for Action to make tourism accessible to all

21-11-23

With approximately 1.3 billion people worldwide experiencing significant disabilities, UNWTO has once again joined forces with key partners to make tourism more accessible to all.

The UNWTO European Conference on Accessible Tourism was held for the second time in San Marino (16-17 November 2023), hosted by the Italian Ministry of Tourism and in collaboration with the European Resource Centre on Accessibility - AccessibleEU, a flagship initiative of the European Commission. From it emerged the San Marino Agenda, which is a clear action plan for disability inclusion in all areas of the tourism sector.  

Promoting accessibility for destinations, businesses and individuals.  

Since San Marino hosted the first conference in 2014, many destinations and businesses have made great strides in improving accessibility, making progress towards achieving tourism for all.

At the two-day event, more than 200 delegates examined regulatory developments, such as the international standard ISO 21902, which addresses the needs of both host communities and visitors, and covers the entire value chain of the tourism sector. The event featured a Ministerial Roundtable, which brought together San Marino, Italy, the Republic of Korea, Uzbekistan, the Czech Republic and Israel to discuss the role of governments in promoting accessibility through policies, strategies and standards.

Innovation in accessible tourism was one of the key themes, and speakers presented new solutions in transportation access, leisure, RICE and tourism services. These included the SEATRAC system's help for wheelchair users to bathe in Greece, Braille tactile points throughout the city and the first accredited tour guides for blind people in Cape Town, and the fully accessible pier in Rimini.

The conference has strengthened international networks and showcased San Marino as an inclusive destination, a benchmark for accessible tourism and the only UNWTO Member State to have organized two International Conferences on Accessible Tourism.  

Untapped opportunities

However, many destinations still do not consider that accessibility can bring benefits, despite the fact that by 2023 there is a market of 1.3 billion people with significant disabilities, and that 1 in 6 people are expected to reach the age of 65 by 2050. In Europe alone, baby boomers already account for more than a third of the EU population, and 70% of EU citizens with disabilities have the financial resources to travel. 

Experts in this field discussed how best to meet the needs of this growing market and to offer tourism experiences in the spirit of Universal Design, so that they can be enjoyed by all people, with or without disabilities. Discussions have also focused on the importance of social inclusiveness and accessibility for sustainable tourism, and the immense economic benefits to the sector of establishing better accessibility measures.

San Marino 2030 Agenda for Action 

The Action Agenda is seen as a game changer in terms of disability inclusion and tourism's contribution to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals, with a commitment from conference participants to deliver concrete results.

This includes measures to promote training, develop measurement systems and raise awareness of the benefits of a diverse workplace.   

Stakeholders will align their business and marketing strategies and use digital solutions to help accessible experiences reach all customers and to integrate accessibility into their product development and decision-making processes.

As part of the legacy of the conference, UNWTO will publish a Compendium of best practices showcased in San Marino in 2004, in collaboration with AccessibleEU and ENAT.

Further studies on accessibility in cultural and nature tourism, digital solutions and other best practices will also be carried out in the coming years.