27 September marks World Tourism Day, an initiative promoted by the United Nations to push for reflection on the sector's responsibility for economic, social and environmental development at a global level. At the centre of the OMNIS project "Co-creatiOn of inclusive sustainable tourisM itineraries and packages from coastal to Inner areas", co-financed by the European Union through the Interreg Italy-Croatia programme, a series of activities related to the theme of socially sustainable and inclusive tourism, specifically for visually impaired users and those accompanied by guide dogs, are being developed.
The overall objective of the project is to lay the foundations for a fruitful cooperation between tourist operators in the coastal and inland areas of Italy and Croatia by creating and distributing tourist itineraries and packages that are inclusive, sustainable and digitized, for tourists travelling with pets, with particular attention to those with guide dogs, promoting sustainable economic development and social inclusion in local communities.
The OMNIS reflection aims to promote the idea of tourism: -INCLUSIVE by allowing categories of tourists with special needs to enjoy the same services available to everyone by including different categories of users without distinction; -SUSTAINABLE by making it a factor in the development of local communities, particularly in the hinterland; -PARTICIPATIVE in order to involve local communities, tourists themselves and tour operators in jointly developing itineraries and packages specifically designed for these needs.
Last week, a public event was held as part of the Kick-Off meeting attended by stakeholders and venues from Italy and Croatia that welcome blind and visually impaired persons and implement ad hoc experiences to exchange best practices and develop a productive dialogue. Watch the live stream at this link: https://lnkd.in/dkEu2KZd.