A program with an international flavour

This year, the first-ever Destinations for All World Summit will welcome experts from more than 30 countries to Montréal togive over 130 presentations on key issues for societies looking to create One World for Everyone. The final program is now online.

Tourism as an industry is doing well, with the number of tourists climbing steadily year after year. The fact is, though, that for roughly 15% of the world’s population, or 1 billion people, transportation and accessibility are a challenge.

Disabled people, aging Baby Boomers and the elderly travel for business and/or pleasure as well. But when you have a disability, these trips are not that simple. Where to stay? Where to eat? Will the attractions and buildings be accessible? Will getting to and from the destination or getting around once there be problematic?

Some telling statistics

The Baby Boomer generation—at least in the West—holds a significant amount of assets, has the greatest spending power and will account for 50% of tourism spending by 2020. Like other people, individuals with disabilities tend to travel with friends and/or family. It is predicted that the accessible tourism market will account for 25% of tourism spending by 2020. It is thus important to point out that accessibility is profitable for businesses in the tourism industry.

Purpose of the Summit

The aim of the Summit is to share the best practices of the most accessible cities, regions and destinations, to incite the establishment of a plan for the development of inclusive and universally accessible tourism worldwide, namely through the creation of common standards. “We have to stop doing the same thing over and over again, and start pooling our knowledge and best practices,” states André Leclerc, founder, President and CEO of Kéroul, the organization that initiated the event. “If man can walk on the moon, why isn’t the earth accessible to everyone?”

Who?

The Destinations for All World Summit 2014 will welcome practitioners from the field of tourism, transportation and culture, and researchers from around the world, to come together to share their experiences and discuss the fundamental issues surrounding the inclusion of people with disabilities and specific access requirements in tourism and travel.

This event is one of several initiatives taken recently by international organizations, including the release in early 2014 of the UNWTO’s recommendations on accessible tourism for all and ICAO’s publication of the Manual on Access to Air Transport by Persons with Disabilities in December 2013.

Representatives from the UN, UNWTO (UN World Tourism Organization), ICAO (International Civil Aviation Organization) and ENAT (European Network for Accessible Tourism), among others, will be attending and will examine the situation from their perspective.

Our major partners are the Ministère du Tourisme, the Ministère des Transports, the Ministère des Relations internationales et de la Francophonie, the Ville de Montréal, the Secrétariat à l’action communautaire autonome et aux initiatives sociales, the Secrétariat à la région métropolitaine, the Office des personnes handicapées du Québec and the Chief Scientist’s Office.

The event is organized by Kéroul and JPdL International.

For further details on the Destinations for All World Summit, go to: http://www.destinationsforall2014.com

Follow Summit activities on Facebook and Twitter (DPT2014) with hashtag #D4ALL2014