Main Theme and Topics

 

The main theme of this year’s congress will be on looking to the future:

• highlighting new trends and developments,
• weighing new challenges and prospects,
• exploring opportunities, and
• stimulating new efforts in accessible tourism for all.

Topics of the Plenary Sessions

• Plenary Session 1. "I want to travel, but how? Cross border cooperation's and political reflections." Lex Grandia, President of the World Federation of the DeafBlind, Chair of International Disability Alliance CRPD Forum - together with William Green, President of Deafblind International
• Plenary Session 2 . "Barrier-free Destinations in Germany" - a powerful alliance", Dr.Carmen Hildebrand, Erfurt Tourismus & Marketing GmbH, Germany
• Plenary Session 3. "Public Transport Systems in Vienna", Markus Ossberger, Wr.Linien (Public Transport System, Vienna); Austria
  
• Plenary Session 4. "Expectations and possibilities in standardisation and regulation for the further development of Accessible Tourism", Erika Plevnik, ÖZIV - Österreichischer Zivil-Invalidenverband, Austria
  
• Plenary Session 5. "Marketing Strategies in Accessible Tourism", Prof. Dr. Dimitrios Buhalis, Deputy Director, International Centre for Tourism and Hospitality Research (ICTHR), School of Services Management, Bournemouth University, Great Britain
  
• Plenary Session 6. "Servicing tourists with specific needs: towards synergies between public and private tourism sectors", Annagrazia Laura, Consorzio Sociale COIN Società Cooperativa Social, Italy
  

Topics of the Workshops

• WS1. "The support of accessible tourism by accessible ticket vending machines", Workshop-Leader: DI Dr Karin Siebenhandl, Department für Wissens- und Kommunikationsmanagement (WuK), Head of Research Centre KnowComm, Danube University Krems
  
• WS2. in German: "Innovationen und zukünftige Trends im Barrierefreien Tourismus" (Innovations in Accessible Tourism and future trends), Workshopleiter: Dr.Mark Markus und Dr.Markus Lassnig, e-Motion-Salzburg Research, restricted number of participants (15)
• WS3. "Future-oriented research in Accessible Tourism", Workshop-Leader: Dr. Angelika Laburda, IBFT; Additional presentation: "Proposal segmentation variables of tourism. Application to the Spanish market of tourists with disabilities", Trinidad Domínguez Vila, Marketing and Market Research in the Faculty of Business and Tourism at the University of Vigo
  
• WS4. "Vocational Education and Training", Workshop-leader: Mag. Britta Wagner, Mag. Daniele Marano (Hilfsgemeinschaft der Blinden und Sehschwachen, Wien Austria) and Doreen Heinze, Tourismusakademie Brandenburg, Germany
• WS5. "Accessible Tourism in Central and Eastern Europe" Workshop Leader: Ing.Ilona Ostruszková, KAZUIST, spol. s r.o. Třinec, Czech Republic; Additional presentations: "Accessible Belgrade", Zorana Gajic, Dunav, Serbia; "Creating  accessible tourism possibilities in Hungary", Max Madsen
  Region Midtjylland/Central Denmark Region, Skagerrak Consulting - DBO Office, Budapest
  
• WS6. "Success evaluation of Accessible Tourism for all",  Workshop-Leader: Dipl.-Geogr. Dr. Peter Neumann, President of the European Institute Design for All in Germany (EDAD), Neumann Consult
• WS7. "Accessible destinations marketing"  Workshop-Leader: Anja Lenz, Grenzenlos - Barrierefrei - Reisen, Austria; Additional presentations: "Catalonia for accessible tourism", Jordi Secall, Director of Institutional Relations, Spain; "Tourism For All - Through Upper Bavaria and Swabia along the Southern Romantic Road", Klaus Barthel, Herzogsägmühle, Europa-Projektbüro, Germany; "Accessible Tourist packages in Piemonte: Anyone, Anywhere, Anyway", Alberto Manzo, CPD - Consulta per le Persone in Difficoltà Onlus, Torino, Italy.
  
  

Topics of the Short Presentations

 

• "Travel agencies as a value generator for persons with disabilities", Jon Cortina, CEO, Viajes 2000 S.A., Business Corporation "ONCE", Spain
• "Design for all in education and training - a missing link?" DI Monika Anna Klenovec, Architektin, Univ.Lekt., Access Consulting, Austria
• "Euskadi for all: a Programme of Tourist Accessibility" Aziber Zubillaga, Adapta Group, Spain
• "Museum Sign Language Guide - pilot project Schönbrunn", Petra Plicka, B.A., equalizent Schulungs- und BeratungsGmbH, Partner of the Grundtvig-project "Museum Sign Language Guide", Vienna
• "An Inclusive Approach to the Development of an Accessible Tourism Destination: Lousã, Portugal" , Dr. Filipe Carvalho, Prof. José Ernesto Carvalhinho Paiva, Portugal
• "Accessible Tourism in the Middle East", Mukhtar Al Shibani, Architect, Vice President of GAATES, Saudi Arabia

         will be continued