News The 2nd and 3rd volumes of accessible tourism guides in the Parma Province have been published
The 2nd and 3rd volumes of accessible tourism guides in the Parma Province have been published
Thirty million of differently able Europeans could travel more if they had access to an adequate quantity of information on tourist resorts and holiday facilities. This figure could even grow if one considered also the attendants of the disabled people. This figure, together with the Parma Province’s taking sides with the differently able people and people living in hardships, led the Parma Province to commit to the pilot project "Parma, a province for all" which is part of the European project "C.A.R.E. Accessible Cities of European Regions".
After our first book, dedicated to "Parma Apennine" now we are going to publish the second and third book of the technical guide to restaurant and accommodation facilities of our territory, dedicated to “Parma Hills and Spa" and to "River Po and Parma lowlands". The official presentation of the books was held on June 29 in the halls of Piazzale della Pace and it was attended by all the subjects that participated to the initiative plus the representatives of Provincial, and Regional administrations, the Si Può Association and operators that worked in the initiatives.
Tiziana Mozzoni, Director of the Social Policies Department of the Parma Provincial Administration opened the meeting saying that "The goal we have pursued is to collect all information on accessibility of the structures on the territory, in order to allow all differently able people to exercise their right to holidays and leisure".
The project included surveying of 450 structures, chiefly eating places (restaurants, pizza houses and hotels) and describing their accessibility level using a clear and linear graphics. The three guides, therefore, represent a new tool to be added to the existing ones but aimed to guarantee to everyone the right to travel and enjoy a good quality of life in leisure time.
"The guides revolution the classical logic of accessible tourism– pointed out Leris Fantini of Si Può association, that trained the surveying staff – because they focus on each single place (restaurant, hotel and so on) offering everyone an opportunity to choose the places that suit them best".
The tourist facilities’ interest in this issue and their willingness to help allowed the operators to collect easily all information on accessibility of each facility as well as to provide suggestions for improving them.
"Parma is an example of how a strong cooperation between institutions, tourism resorts and territory associations may contribute to the success of such an innovative project. – said Elena Terenziani (officer of the Tourism Department of Regional Administration) – a project that the Regional Administration plans to use as a starting point to build a network of European cities that will use one single model of accessibility".
