CONTEXT AND PURPOSE

The 2nd Regional Workshop on Accessibility in Tourism, titled: „TOURISTS and TOURISM“ will be held at the Master Conference Centre (www.kongresnicentar.sajam.net) in Novi Sad, Serbia, on April 23 and 24, 2009. We kindly invite you to take part in its activities.

The main purpose of this event, that represents a continuation of the First such Workshop, held in September, 2006 in Greece, is to stress the social and economic need for infrastructural investment into accessible tourism and to recognise the need for developing products and services in the area of tourism that will be accessible for all. The organiser’s intent is to achieve this by analysing the current situation in different countries, by informing and sharing information with the representatives of the business sector, by providing good practice examples from the region of South Europe, and by defining a set of measures to promote accessibility in tourism.

The realization of this event was supported by : OSCE Mission in Serbia, the Republic of Serbia Ministry of Labour and Social Policy, the Executive Council of the Autonomous Province of Vojvodina, the City of Novi Sad and the Fund for an Open Society.

TARGET GROUPS

The Workshop target groups are: representatives of the authorities, i.e. decision makers in various tourism sectors, and the business sector (Associations of tourist agents, hoteliers and the like, air companies, transport agencies, tourist organisations, etc.), persons involved in accessibility and media representatives.

REGISTRATION AND PARTICIPATION CONDITIONS:

Each country of the Region (with the exception of Serbia) has the right to 5 (five) representatives who should be representatives of the target groups. You are kindly requested to send the completed workshop participation form to the following mail address: touristsandtourism@czuns.org at the latest by 10 April, 2009 or to fax it to: +381(0)21 42 42 91. Registration forms that arrive after that date will not be taken into consideration. You can download the Registration form here.

The official languages of the workshop will be Serbian and English. Simultaneous interpretation will be provided for these two languages, as well as simultaneous interpretation for sign language users. The organiser will also provide, for all participants: free set of working materials, professional publications, as well as refreshments and lunch in the breaks.

The organiser will cover the travelling and accommodation expenses only for the official speakers/lecturers and the delegations of the countries from the region, while all the other participants will cover their travelling and accommodation expenses on their own. The speakers/lecturers and the delegations of the countries of the region are planned to be accommodated in Hotel Park - http://www.hotelparkns.com

WORKSHOP TOPICS

The workshop will address the following thematic units:

• Basic accessibility concepts (concepts of Universal Design/Design for All/Inclusive Design),
• Building facilities – a precondition for accessible tourism,
• Short accessibility and tourism reports by countries of the region,
• Economic aspects of accessible tourism,
• Tourism for all – current research and policies,
• Good practice examples in accessible tourism,
• Information technologies in tourism and accessibility,
• Ideas and suggestions of steps that will further develop accessibility in the region.

PROGRAM

Agenda of workshop can be seen here.