2024-01-12 22:02:07
Participants in the Facilitated Tourism Conference, which concluded its activities yesterday in Dubai under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, Chairman of the Dubai Civil Aviation Authority, Chairman of Dubai Airports Corporation, Supreme Chairman and CEO of Emirates Airline and Group, confirmed that the extent of the opportunities lost in the global economy as a result of not enabling these… The important category of cross-border movement and travel amounted to 142 billion euros last year, calling for the need to provide smooth movement rights for people with special needs, stressing the importance of cities and tourist destinations developing strategies that take into account the needs and requirements of this category.
The participants praised the UAE’s drive to be the best tourist destination friendly to people with disabilities in the coming years, as part of its plan to be the best tourist destination in the world.
They appreciated the role of the International Air Transport Association (IATA) in providing sustainable solutions for travelers with disabilities, and organizing a workshop to improve air transport services for passengers with disabilities.
While the number of people with special needs in the Middle East who are eager to visit friendly tourist destinations reached regarding 50 million people, according to 2023 statistics.
Experts estimated the number of people with special needs around the world at regarding 1.3 billion people, expecting the value of global accessible tourism to exceed 150 billion euros annually.
They stressed the importance of the participation of people with disabilities in the planning and construction process of tourist facilities, to ensure that their needs are met effectively. The conference called for strengthening sustainable development plans at airports, carriers, hotels, museums, shopping centers, and beaches to make them more friendly to people with disabilities.
The International Air Transport Association (IATA) called for the establishment of advisory councils, the development of practical steps, and joint work among stakeholders, including airlines, airports, and service providers, and taking advantage of technology to improve services, and creating synergy through cooperation between stakeholders and the use of effective tools. .
During the fourth session of the International Conference on Accessible Tourism, the International Air Transport Association (IATA) presented recommendations on improving mobility assistance services, stressing the importance of effective communication, joint coordination, and accurate use of symbols.
The workshop discussed how to overcome challenges such as lack of advance notification of services and using wheelchair assistance as a comprehensive solution, while providing suggestions for better service to customers, including non-disabled passengers who require assistance.
The workshop included prominent speakers such as Moza Saeed Al Rumaihi from dnata, Marc De Laurentiis from the Italian Civil Aviation Authority, Hilal Kahraman from Istanbul IGA Airport, Xavier Mascarell from British Airways, and Conor Halpin from PRMAssist in Ireland. Linda Ristaño from the International Air Transport Association led the workshop.
The recommendations included several axes, the most important of which were: understanding individual customer needs, such as blind people who may not need a wheelchair, or elderly people who need mobility support, analyzing current regulations and using the wheelchair as a comprehensive solution, and providing various solutions instead of relying on one solution. Fits everyone.
Ghassan Suleiman, Secretary-General of the Conference, thanked His Highness Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, Chairman of the Dubai Civil Aviation Authority, Chairman of Dubai Airports Corporation, Supreme Chairman and CEO of Emirates Airline and Group, for his sponsorship of the conference.
He thanked all partners, participants and speakers for their constructive interaction and their keenness to cooperate in order to come up with innovative ideas and proposals that would pave the way towards a more vibrant and innovative future for the affordable tourism sector in the region and the world.
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