Tourism4All: KUH and Village4All publish a guide on accessible tourist destinations

As part of Tourism4All, the accessible tourism project carried out by Roberto Vitali, founder of Village4All in partnership with KUH (Kamping Udruženje Hrvatske), or the Croatian Camping Association, a guide has been published dedicated to accessible tourist destinations in Croatia and Italy. This initiative aims to reduce the negative impact of high seasonality and further promote the social inclusion of people with disabilities or special needs.

In order to present and illustrate this personalized offer, both existing and implemented as part of the pilot projects launched within Tourism4All, the brochure Tourism4All – Accessible tourist experiences in Italy and Croatia was created, including 36 proposals of different types: Active, Nature, Culture, Food and Wine as well as Sea, Sun and Beach.

Among the proposals from Croatia, we highlight the Brioni Sunny Camping campsite in Pula, in the Istrian Region, in which there are two mobile homes, fully accessible to people with motor disabilities. These mobile homes have large wooden terraces accessible via a ramp, as well as doors wide enough for wheelchair users as well as accessible bathrooms and kitchens. In addition, several small precautions facilitate the stay, such as electrical switches placed in a lower position, larger rotation spaces in the living room, two bathrooms and so on.

For cultural tourism, the Basilica of St. Euphrasia, open all year round, which is a Unesco cultural heritage site and is located in Poreč, should be highlighted. Among the specific services, parking with the European Disabled Person’s Unified Pass, materials and information in Braille, horizontal and vertical signs for the visually impaired/blind, visual aids for the deaf. Also in Poreč, within the “Veli Jože” Sports and Recreation Center, there are training spaces for people with disabilities. Inside the gym, experts (kinesiologists, nutritionists and physiotherapists) work in synergy to conduct specific training sessions for people with disabilities and developmental difficulties.

The Tourism4All project

The Tourism4All project is funded by the European Union as part of the Interreg Italy-Croatia 2014/2020 cross-border cooperation program. The goal is to develop and promote a wide cross-border network of accessible tourist destinations that offer a natural and cultural heritage, in order to reduce dependence on seasonal tourism and promote social inclusion. This by sharing approaches and methods, and jointly promoting tourist services for people with disabilities and for those with particular accessibility needs (for example, the handicapped and the elderly). The project brings together 14 partners from Italy and Croatia, and the total budget is almost 2.6 million euros.

Last July, on the occasion of the second Tourism4All Crossborder seminar, organized by KUH, the Accessible Camping Guidelines were presented to the public. This brochure is part of the efforts of the Croatian Camping Association to bring the travel and vacation experience closer to everyone and make camping guests feel comfortable and safe during their stay.