Accessible Tourism & European Greenways. FITUR

Greenways and Accessible Tourism in FITUR

The European Greenways Association, the Spanish Railways Foundation, as project coordinator partner of "Greenways4ALL", project and PREDIF, the Spanish Representative Platform for Physically Disabled Persons, organize this workshop in the framework of FITUR, the International Tourism Trade Fair.

The objective is to publicize the "Greenways4ALL" project and share experiences on accessible tourism, improving accessibility around greenways and the dissemination of these routes as resources for all.

It is aimed at political and technical professionals at national, regional and local level, county councils, municipalities, greenways managers, experts, entrepreneurs and workers in the tourism sector, the third sector and specialized media.

Accessible Madrid will participate in this workshop being a partner of the local "Greenways4ALL" consortium.

What is a Greenway?

Vías Verdes (literally, "green-ways") are old disused railway lines that have been recovered and reconditioned for use by walkers and cyclists. Exploring them is a different, enjoyable and environmentally friendly way of getting to know Spain, its culture and its landscapes. This is an alternative ideal for all ages, that respects the environment and brings together sport and the great outdoors.

Greenways4ALL Project

The new EU funded project Greenways4ALL aims to move forward towards the creation of accessible tourism products linked to greenways.

Greenways4ALL will help improve accessibility to and around greenways, the quality of the tourism supply aimed at persons with disability, and the dissemination of greenway resources as infrastructures for everyone.

Greenways, which are non-motorized routes that mostly make use of disuse railway lines and canal towpaths, are probably the most accessible routes providing access to nature and open-air leisure activities for everyone, including persons with disability.

With this project, whose full name is "Accessible Tourism on European Greenways: Greenways For All", we aim to move forward towards a product which leverages the accessibility value chain, moving from an accessible route to an accessible trip or experience. Accessibility will therefore be the element common to all the resources making up the tourism product: travel the greenway, eat at local restaurants, stay in the immediate vicinity of the greenway, visit museums, or do some shopping, among other options.

The project will also include training in accessible tourism for enterprises, and assessments of the designed products by groups with different special needs (testing groups). In this way we will succeed in moving from "accessible resource" to "accessible product".

All these activities will be accompanied by various promotional and communication actions, such as dissemination over the web, awareness-raising campaigns on social networks, the production of a brochure, the publishing of newsletters, and the holding of two conferences, one at the start of the project in Madrid and the other at the end, in Viseu.

This project will enable us to elaborate equally on the consolidation of the image of European Greenways as an accessible and environmentally sustainable tourist destination, and on the contribution of the greenways to the economic diversification of the rural world.

Whoo coordinates and participate in this program?

The project is coordinated by the Spanish Railways Foundation; the EGWA provides the European dimension and coordinates communication. It will be implemented by a consortium formed by 9 partners from Spain ( Accessible Madrid is one of these partners) and Portugal, and one of a European dimension, the European Greenways Association: Four SMEs specialized in accessible and experiential tourism will also take part.

When: Friday January 30th; 10:00 ? 14:30
Where: IFEMA ? Feria de Madrid, Parque Ferial Juan Carlos I, Campo de las Naciones, Madrid, Sala N115. 1ª Planta. Centro de Convenciones Norte. (Entrada Norte) How to arrive
Language: Spanish
See Program HERE Registration Form
Participation is free of charge, previous registration at: registration16@aevv-egwa.org