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History of ENAT ENAT, the European Network for Accessible Tourism was founded in 2008, as a Belgian nonprofit association, which promotes accessibility to tourism for the benefit of all citizens. ENAT began as an EU-funded pilot project which had the aim to mainstream the concept and consideration of accessible tourism and disability issues.
It was established by a number of organisations and individuals whose common goal was to make tourism accessible for all.
These included:
• EWORX S. A., Athens, Greece
• Fundación ONCE, Madrid, Spain
• Vzw Toegankelijkheidsbureau, Hasselt, Belgium
• Association National pour le Logement des personnes Handicapées asbl, Bruxelles, Belgium
• VisitBritain, London, UK
• Tourism for All in Sweden, Helsingborg, Sweden
• Work Research Centre, Dublin, Ireland
• Ministry of Tourism, Athens, Greece
• Disability Now, Thessaloniki, Greece
• ATHLA Onlus, Italy
• Turismo do Centro, Portugal
The demand for accessible tourism, in its wide conception of Tourism for All, was and still is now growing. It ' s now recognized as an opportunity for the tourism sector rather than an obligation. If the tourism industry wants to maintain and develop quality, sustainability and competitiveness, it must support and develop tourism which is accessible for all.
However, almost always, when“ Tourism for All” is taken into consideration by the tourism sector, the focus of all activities, promotions and offers is normally on tourists with disabilities as a separate“ segment” of the market, to be managed as such, and therefore without genuine inclusion in a mainstream logic.
The founding members were the organisations which belonged to the Partnership for the development of the pilot project. Since the founding, many other members were accepted as full members. The Network is ruled by a Statute, approved by the majority of the full members and is led by an international Board of Directors. Its members are national and regional tourist bodies, public and private tourism companies, tourism professionals, academic and research institutions and non-governmental organizations of people with disabilities from more than 30 countries worldwide.
The goal of ENAT, since the very beginning, has been the promotion of accessible tourism in Europe and in the rest of the world, in an inclusive perspective of environments, products and services.