Mélange Accessibility for All Magazine October 2020 | Page 94

Geographical Europe . Not all countries are represented . We are not looking for “ country ” representation as such . Our members have to be committed to share our principles , to adopt and follow the ENAT Code of Good Conduct , and to work in their own country and at the international level , within the activities that we promote : to promote and develop Tourism for All , aiming at the maximum inclusion of the end users both in terms of being able to enjoy leisure activities ( Art . 30 of the UN Convention on Rights of Persons with Disabilities ), as well as to get job opportunities in the open labour market .
What is ENAT ’ s primary purpose ? Our primary purpose is , as noted above , to make Tourism for All accessible to everybody and to promote it in Europe and around the world . This general statement , however , is the headline for a lot of initiatives which are aimed at involving different stakeholders , both public and private , to act in their own field , towards the recognition of rights , the design of tourist products accessible and usable by everybody , to plan destinations to become more friendly towards people with specific access needs , including seniors who are representing a huge potential and real market in Tourism .
What are ENAT ’ s top five major accomplishments over the past ten years ? There are major areas where ENAT has been actively working to increase the confidence of travellers , as well as the competitive positioning of the tourism industry .
ACCESSIBILITY STANDARDS ENAT ’ s work on standards for accessibility in the tourism sector continues as we take part in two major International and European initiatives on this subject . An ISO Working Group on " Accessible Tourism for All ”, was established in 2017 under ISO Technical Committee 228 Tourism Services , to help develop a Standard on “ Tourism for All ”. This project is led by the UN World Tourism Organisation and Fundación ONCE , Spain , with whom ENAT enjoys a close working relationship , having developed several guidance documents with them for the tourism industry . The ISO Tourism for All voluntary Standard promises to be a valuable reference , that will help to align policies and practices in accessible tourism at international level . As such it should provide a much-needed technical basis for businesses and public sector bodies to invest and develop new tourism services to serve the growing accessible tourism market , within the broad framework of sustainable development .
ENAT is also acting as official liaison organisation with the European Committee for Standardization ( CEN ), in the Technical Committee for Mandate M / 420 “ Public Procurement for an Accessible Built Environment ”. This work involves developing a new European Standard which is intended to support EU Public Procurement and the European Accessibility Act , which is expected to be passed by the European Parliament in 2018 .
WORLD TOURISM FOR ALL QUALITY PROGRAMME This unique certification programme is the culmination of several years of development , responding to the need for defined and consistent quality criteria for accessible tourism training , service delivery and marketing . The World Quality Programme will provide a guided pathway for service providers to improve and qualify their business , leading to the Quality Label , recognising their commitment to access and inclusion for all , enhancing staff competence and ensuring first-class customer service .