The direction Rogla - Pohorje is famous for its wide forests, peat bogs and lakes. Tourist routes connect the ski center of Roglu with the thermal resort of Zrece, as well as wonderful villages.
Bled
Bled is a heavenly place. This world-class tourist pearl, located near Triglav national park, nominated for inclusion in the list of the New Seven Wonders of the World. The area has a mild, healing climate; here people come to the surface.
Bohinj
Bohinj is a paradise valley in the embrace of the Julian Alps. Lake Bohinj is located in the heart of Triglav National Park, one of the oldest national parks in Europe, it is the largest natural lake in Slovenia, overlooked by inaccessible mountain slopes and pristine peaks.
Carinthia
Carinthia, or Koroška, a mountainous area covered with dense forests, delights with treasures that can be seen in the UNESCO Karavanka Geopark - the depths of Mount Pec, the depths of which can also be reached by kayak and bicycle, the wide plateaus of green Pohorje and the leisurely sleepy Drava River .
Kranj
The city of Kranj has long been known as the capital of the Slovenian Alps, and thanks to the outstanding Slovenian poet Franz Prešeren, it is also considered the cultural “heart” of Slovenia. A special attraction of the city is the deep river canyon, which can be seen in the very center of the city.
Kranjska Gora
Kranjska Gora attracts tourists and sports enthusiasts throughout the year. In winter, alpine skiing competitions are held here, and in nearby Planica, flying skiers break records. The highest mountain pass in Slovenia awaits cyclists, and there are also attractions for hikers.
Maribor – Pohorje
Maribor - Pohorje is an excellent starting point for exploring the sights of eastern Slovenia. The green hills of the easternmost part of Alpine Slovenia, where there are many ski slopes, hiking and cycling routes, are closely adjacent to the city. The oldest grapevine in the world grows in the very center of the city!
Radovljica
Radovljica, a medieval town surrounded by a moat with views of Karavanke and the Julian Alps, is today called “Sweet Radoljica”. The tradition of beekeeping and honey production is complemented by new “sweet” experiences. Radovljica became the capital of beekeeping and chocolate.
Upper Savina Valley
The Upper Savinja Valley and the Logarska Valley, through which the clean green Savinja River flows, have preserved Alpine life in all its pristine condition.
Cerkno
The smooth hilly terrain and green valleys of the territory called Cerklje attract lovers of hiking and cycling. During the winter season, skiers enjoy skiing on the local slopes - the most modern ski center in Slovenia operates here. Cerkno is located above the so-called. The Idrija Fault, from which thermal water flows, on the basis of which the only thermal resort in the Slovenian part of the Julian Alps was created. Here, at one time, archaeologists discovered the oldest pipe in the world, and during the Second World War, a unique partisan hospital operated in the forest thicket.
The most vivid impressions from Alpine Slovenia
On the peaks of mighty mountains, in the rushing waters of rivers, in secluded corners of pristine nature, or in vibrant Alpine tourist centers - find something that will make your Alpine Slovenia experience unforgettable.
Bela Krajina
The Bela Krajina region, adjacent to the legendary border river Kolpa, delights with the beauty of the landscape - the birch groves are so elegant! Crnomel, Metlika and Semic are the cradle of original folklore, folk crafts, excellent wines and wonderful dishes.
Church on Gorenjski
The town of Cerkle na Gorenjske is located at the junction of the Ljubljana Basin and the alpine landscape of the Kamniško-Savinj Alps. This is the starting point of hiking and cycling routes, from here you can also climb to Krvavec, where there is a ski slope.
Idriya
Idrija is a UNESCO World Heritage site, home to the second largest mercury deposit in the world, a center of original lace-making and culinary arts, and a unique technical heritage. Explore the fortifications of river gorges, the “Slovenian pyramids”, and visit the UNESCO Geopark.
Kamnik
Kamnik is a medieval town with two castles and a monastery. There is also a picturesque street of artisans. The city is closely connected with the Velika Planina massif, where shepherds bring their cattle for grazing. Just a few minutes' drive away is the largest
Kochevsko
Kocevsko, together with the island of pristine nature preserved in the Krokar forest, is included in the List world heritage UNESCO and is a real mysterious forest of Slovenia.
Ljubljana
Ljubljana is the green capital of a green country. The city with its picturesque bridges and market owes its appearance to the famous architect Joža Plečnik. Ljubljana, where something interesting happens every day, is surrounded by parks and nature conservation areas.
Novo-Mesto
Novo Mesto is the center of the Dolenjska region and boasts a rich archaeological heritage. The city of Situl is surrounded by hills covered with grapes, a special wine is made here - “Tsviček”, and the Goryantsi massif rises here. On a small island in the middle of the Krka River stands Otočec Castle, the only “castle on the water” in Slovenia.
Skofja Loka
Škofja Loka, as well as the Selška and Polanska valleys, offers a picturesque medieval scene of the Škofjeloška Passion, which is included in the UNESCO World Cultural Heritage List. A city, two valleys and three highlands - and there are countless legends and enormous creative potential - from crafts to gastronomy.
The most vivid impressions from Ljubljana & Central Slovenia
In Ljubljana and Central Slovenia you can experience everything – from the vivacious cultural vibe to the peaceful moments in nature.
Čatež and Posavje
Posavje and the Terme Čatež resort offer many opportunities to spend any of the 365 days of the year without being bored. The largest thermal Riviera is located near the confluence of the longest Slovenian rivers Sava and Krka. Here you can count six picturesque ancient castles!
Dobrna
Dobrna is the place where the oldest Slovenian resort is located. An alley of majestic chestnut trees leads from it to the village, there is an energy park, there is a lot of greenery and attractions around, and there are walking, cycling and themed forest routes everywhere.
Dolenj region
Dolenj region, region thermal springs near the Krka River are the resorts of Šmarješke Toplice and Dolenjske Toplice, and Novo Mesto, where valuable archaeological heritage has been preserved. In the vicinity of the town of Situl, a special Slovenian wine, Cviček, is produced.
Lashko
Laško is a place where wellness and health, brewing, beekeeping and production come together herbs. In the city, above which the castle rises, right next to the Savinja River there is the Termana Laško resort, and a little further away there is the Rimske Terme resort.
Podchetrtek
Podchetrtek is the center of the area adjacent to the Sotla River. The resort of Terme Olimia and the village of Olimje, where the monastery and one of the oldest pharmacies in Europe are located, attract us here. The herb plantations and Podsreda Castle are part of the Kozjansky Park.
Rogaska Slatina
Rogaška Slatina is the place where crystal masterpieces are produced and where the unique mineral water “Donat Mg” comes to the earth’s surface. A promenade park, spread among buildings in the style of decadence, connects the resort, known for four hundred years, and the most modern medical center.
Ptuj
Ptuj is an ancient city of new impressions. From the castle, overlooking the city's oldest wine cellars, there is a view of the streets where one of the most colorful carnivals in the world takes place: its central character, the “court”, has been classified as a world cultural heritage by UNESCO. The Terme Ptuj resort is also nearby.
Velenje - Topolsica
Velenje is a city where there is a unique underground coal mining museum, and Topolšica is a wonderful thermal resort among green forests. Velenje has a popular lakeside beach and the largest children's festival in Slovenia. Brda
Come to where the sun shines, where every moment is filled with sweetness! Enjoy the famous wines and cuisine of the Brda area, visit traditional holidays, visit romantic villages, vineyards, olive groves and gardens.
Izola
Izola is a small seaside town; in the past it was located on an island. The life of the townspeople is still closely connected with the sea. Izola invites you to stroll along its charming streets, frolic on the beaches, from where you can see the stunning Strunjan cliff, and the greenery of the continental part - there are many vineyards and olive groves.
Koper
Koper is the city of hundreds of suns that decorate medieval Venetian palazzos. The sun warms the lagoon of the Škocjan Estuary, home to hundreds of birds, and the steep edge of the Kraški rob karst plateau, where climbing walls are popular all over the world. Istrian cuisine invites its connoisseurs to a variety of events.
Nova Gorica and Vipavska dolina
Nova Gorica and Vipavska Dolina are the junction of two worlds, two different cultures. The wine region also delights in cuisine, and the city, home to many casinos, offers plenty of entertainment.
Portorož and Piran
Portorož and Piran are surrounded on both sides by salt mines. In the old days, salt was truly a wealth - it was it that helped Piran achieve its splendor. In cosmopolitan Portorož, salt has become an integral element of wellness procedures. Local salt is one of the best products obtained from the salt mines of Europe.
The most vivid impressions of Mediterranean & Karst Slovenia
An impressive karst landscape, vineyards stretching to the horizon, the roar of the sea, elegant white horses - let the beauty of Mediterranean & Karst Slovenia enchant you.
Yulia Shilkina
CEO of WELL
Tourism for people with disabilities - problems and prospects
How acute is the problem of tourism for people with disabilities in Russia? Are there many companies involved in such travel?
In Russia, according to statistical data, there are more than 15 million people with varying degrees of disability. Up to 70% of them would like to travel, both within Russia and to other countries. 30% of disabled people have sufficient income for this. However, only 3% of disabled people can afford to travel independently, about 7% travel with the help of relatives. Others who wish to travel cannot use this service. Why? Due to the inaccessibility of the environment and, most importantly, because tour operators and travel agencies cannot offer a tourism product due to its lack of availability for this category of citizens.
How is the situation in Europe?
According to experts in Europe, 70% total number people with disabilities travel, and most of these people travel not alone, but with accompanying persons.
The demand for “accessible tourism” (accessible tourism is a term most often used in relation to tourism for people with disabilities) is constantly growing, and global experience shows that tourists with limited mobility occupy an important segment of the tourism market. Due to growing demand, tourism products and services are being updated. Thus, a new target group is being formed in the global tourism industry - tourists with disabilities.
Why, in your opinion, is the situation in Russia radically different?
Unfortunately, in Russia there is no corresponding legislative framework, comprehensive program social tourism at the federal level, no lack integrated approach to solving this problem. Attempts to reduce accessible tourism to a simple set of excursion tours or spontaneous trips for disabled people on the principle of “rescuing drowning people...”. The inaccessibility of the entire medical, socio-cultural environment, the inadequacy of transport, the unpreparedness of employees of cultural, educational and tourism institutions to work with people with disabilities, the limited information about the product, countries, regions and their capabilities to receive people with disabilities also have an impact. However, the lack of desire on the part of most travel companies to deal with the problems of social tourism due to its greater cost, greater responsibility and requirement for non-standard approaches and solutions also influences it.
However, are there prerequisites for the development of this type of tourism?
Undoubtedly. Now the policies of many states are aimed at creating new living conditions for people with disabilities, at changing the attitude of society as a whole towards the problem of disability. In addition, it should be understood that this is a huge, practically untapped market of a clearly segmented consumer of tourism services (in Russia there are already more than 15 million people). What is also important is the desire of disabled people themselves to “break out” of personal and social isolation, to see the world, to overcome their own fears and insecurities (this desire is so great that disabled people are ready themselves, despite sometimes extremely difficult financial position, pay for your trips and excursions).
What needs and problems arise during travel?
“Need does not always mean impediment”, which in most cases with tourists with special needs means providing services and facilities that best meet their needs. Considering that 84% of tourists with special needs declare only one need, 10% have at least two and less than 5% of them have at least three, a detailed analysis of the needs declared by tourists with special needs gives the classification below stated needs:
the most common need is special food, it was reported by 43% of tourists with special needs;
the need for an allergy-free/hypoallergenic environment was expressed by 37% of tourists with special needs;
need to visit a doctor and medical care expressed by 29% of tourists with special needs;
the number of tourists with special needs who stated the need for assistance in moving was 8% of tourists with special needs;
special needs related to sensory limitations were expressed by 3% of tourists with special needs
- What are the requirements for organizing tours for people with disabilities (for hotels, transport, infrastructure, etc.)?
Requirements (for us these are “wishes” for now) regarding accessibility for blind and visually impaired travelers:
1. Before entering the building, it is recommended to lay tactile strips:
- guides (with longitudinal reefs, 0.4 m wide. The length of the guide tactile strip depends on the length of the path of movement of disabled people);
- warning (with hemispherical reefs; 0.8 m wide, placed no less than 0.8 m before the start of the entrance).
2. The first and last steps of the porch should be marked with a contrasting stripe (preferably bright yellow).
3. The entrance porch, with a height of 0.45 m and higher above ground level, must be equipped with fences and handrails and have two levels in height 0.7 m and 0.9 m with non-traumatic endings, as a rule, connecting the upper and bottom handrail. The ends of the handrails must have a horizontal component of at least 0.3 m.
4. Entrance doors must be at least 900 mm clear in width. A tactile warning strip must be installed in front of the entrance door.
5. Thresholds entrance doors, as well as other doors along the route, should be no more than 0.025 m high. If it is impossible to provide such a height, mini-ramps 0.9 m wide are installed with a slope in the proportion of height to length 1: 12.
6. The flight of stairs from the entrance vestibule to the elevator hall must be equipped with two-level railings with non-traumatic ends at a height of 0.7 and 0.9 m, which are attached either to the wall or to the steps of the flight of stairs. The first and last steps of a flight of stairs are marked with a contrasting stripe.
7. After finishing a flight of stairs, it is recommended to install a tactile guide strip before entering the elevator, and a warning strip before entering the elevator. There is duplicate sound information in the elevator.
8. Special relief copies of excursion objects
REQUIREMENTS FOR ORGANIZING TOURS FOR DISABLED WHEELCHAIRS:
1. The width of all doors must be at least 80 cm (especially pay attention to toilet rooms).
2. The toilet is located at a height of at least 50 cm (if this is not possible, sanitary wheelchairs are required); near the toilet there are folding grab bars.
3. The best option bathroom - shower, it must be flexible and installed on a certain height. It would also be nice to have a special seat in the shower (bathroom).
4. Bed height - no lower than 45 cm and no higher than 80 cm. A convenient option is 50 cm.
5. There should be no thresholds in the rooms.
6. When beach holiday a firm descent into the sea is required and the path is equipped with handrails. To make it easier for a wheelchair user to enter (enter) the sea, special beach strollers are required.
7. For the convenience of travelers, we recommend:
- to conduct excursions and provide transfers, a bus/minibus with a lift is required;
- presence of trace. information: the possibility of transporting a person in a wheelchair inside the bus, how many people can travel in this way on the bus; Are there buses with removable seats?
- availability of rental products such as electric wheelchairs, telescopic ramps;
- the presence of volunteers (special staff) at hotels and/or a program to support disabled people traveling with volunteers.
In Russia, the term “barrier-free” or “accessible tourism” began to be used only two years ago, while all over the world for more than 20 years tourism programs, infrastructure and even entire cities have been created for people with disabilities. Meanwhile, in Moscow alone, according to the capital’s Committee for Tourism and Hotel Industry, there are more than a million people with disabilities; in Russia as a whole there are several tens of millions of them, and no more than 7% of them have ever left their city for tourism purposes.
“In Russia, barrier-free tourism is still in its infancy. If it were not for enthusiastic social activists who are trying their best to somehow develop this area, we would have nothing at all,” he admitted at the Second International Conference on Accessible Tourism held in the capital Deputy Head of Rostourism Evgeny Pisarevsky.
He noted that the situation with the promotion of accessible tourism may change after Russia ratifies the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. "This document contains requirements for creating necessary conditions in tourist infrastructure facilities for people with limited mobility, which all organizations and facilities involved in tourism will have to comply with,” the expert emphasized.
Other forum participants expressed the opinion that state regulation alone cannot solve the problem, proposing the creation of a separate public organization in Russia that would deal only with affordable tourism.
"We need durable partnerships between policy makers, the private sector and disability organizations. The attitude of service providers towards people with disabilities will be of decisive importance in this activity, since this is a completely different approach, different from the standards of the hospitality industry,” says World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) expert Alla Peresolova.
Incorrect approach
According to Irina Rudenko, deputy chairman of the Moscow Committee for Tourism and Hotel Management, in the capital, accommodation facilities and museums are not yet ready to provide people with disabilities (especially wheelchair users) a comfortable stay. But work on the bugs is already underway.
“About 400 museum objects are adapted for unhindered visits by people with disabilities. The Darwin and Timiryazevsky museums are the best equipped to accommodate people with disabilities; 42 hotels have 130 rooms for guests with limited mobility. Of course, these are just the first steps,” she noted.
Representatives of companies that promote accessible tourism admitted that it is still difficult for disabled people to travel around Russia, since problems begin already at airports. And although the construction of new tourist infrastructure facilities includes all the technical devices necessary for people with disabilities, they do not always meet the requirements.
However, the main problem is not only in infrastructure, but in the fact that Russia has not yet learned how to correctly serve such clients. “Disabled people only need a set of clear services that will provide them with comfort during travel. But more often it happens that the staff of hotels or other facilities panics or begins to overprotect tourists who do not need these “services” at all,” Peresolova believes .
Most accessible cities
According to the UNWTO, there are more than 650 million people with disabilities in the world. For example, in Europe alone there are at least 50 million, but at the same time, more than 10% of all tourist trips in the Old World come from people with disabilities, which indicates the prospects of this market. In many countries, accessible tourism has become not only a necessity, but even a fashionable trend: designer ramps, special menus in restaurants, cars, taxis, tourist buses, routes and even entire cities. Infrastructure for people with limited mobility is an important part of the country's economy, foreign experts believe.
The issue of promoting affordable tourism, in their opinion, should be considered not in terms of cost, but in terms of investment. “Such people always travel with accompanying persons, so accessible tourism is important for everyone and can bring huge profits. In addition, people with disabilities should not be limited in their ability to access all types of recreation. Any person who has temporary or permanent health restrictions has the right to book any the trip I chose. The Convention on Human Rights confirms this,” recalled Andre Nowak, a member of the Tourism Committee of the German Bundestag.
As an example, he cited the national coordination center for tourism “for all” Natko, which has been operating in Germany for 13 years, which includes 11 public organizations. He recently developed a two-year program that provides for the creation large quantity new objects on the map of accessible tourism.
"We have been releasing for our tourists for a long time great amount information literature, which tells us what services and where people with disabilities can receive. I haven’t seen a single brochure on this topic at Russian stands at tourism exhibitions,” admitted Novak.
According to sociological surveys, Barcelona is one of the leaders in accessibility among European cities. Tourism organizations have managed to achieve success in this area thanks to the public-private partnership system.
“Barcelona Airport receives about 200 thousand people with disabilities a year. In Catalonia, the accessible tourism infrastructure has been created not only for wheelchair users, but also for people with various health limitations. What role does the state play in this partnership? It promotes accessible tourism in international level, as well as educational programs for staff of accommodation facilities, displays and travel companies,” said Christina Ionitskaya, deputy director of the Catalonia Tourist Board representative office in the CIS and Eastern Europe.
She spoke about how accessible Barcelona is today for guests with disabilities. “Museums have video guides that provide sign language interpretation for the hearing impaired. Taxis for wheelchair users cost the same as a regular taxi (the state issues additional licenses for transport companies serving the disabled), 87% of metro stations are accessible to the disabled. For projects ", designed for tourists with limited mobility, the state provides interest-free loans, and gives them very easily. Thanks to such benefits, companies are interested in working in this area," Ionitskaya noted.
In neighboring France, “tourist accessibility” is clearly stated in the law, meaning that the construction of roads and other facilities cannot be carried out without meeting the requirements for the disabled. Moreover, all tourist infrastructure facilities strive to receive the “Tourism and Disability” sign, indicating that this hotel or resort works for everyone without exception. Currently, more than 4 thousand establishments are marked with it.
An example of an accessible environment in France is Nantes. It was this city in the west of the country with a population of 600 thousand people that was recognized in the Fifth Republic as the most favorable for people with disabilities.
Accessible environment in a roadside cafe
Elena Kurochkina, a multiple winner of the World Chess Championships among participants with disabilities, a wheelchair user from Perm, travels to tournaments in Europe several times a year.
"As soon as we cross the Russian border and arrive at the first European city, I fall into euphoria and stop thinking about the fact that I won’t be able to get through somewhere, won’t be able to go into a store, go down the subway - as a rule, there are elevators everywhere - or reach the hand dryer in the toilet. All the European cities I have been to have this very accessible environment, even in the smallest roadside hotel or cafe. At first I wondered why they followed everything like that, but then I understood. There are very high fines, up to the closure of the facility, for the lack of infrastructure for the disabled,” Elena explained to the RIA.Tourism correspondent.
According to her, it seems that this has always been the case in Europe. But in fact, this accessible environment was created in 10-15 years. “I once complained to the owner of one of the Polish hotels that the infrastructure for the disabled is very bad in Russia, and, apparently, this will remain so for a long time. How surprised I was when he assured me that 10 years ago they had the same thing in their country there was nothing. This gave us hope that we too could create an accessible environment in 10 years," Kurochkina noted.
It would be possible to end this text with the words “We can only hope for this”, if not for the pleasant circumstance - the awarding of the most active ones that took place within the framework of the conference Russian companies and employees of travel agencies, through whose efforts barrier-free tourism is developing in Russia. The "Accessible World" award was awarded to: the St. Petersburg companies "Liberty" and "Radio Guide", as well as the Petro Palace Hotel, the Rossiya and Transaero airlines, the Pastila Museum in Kolomna and the Tsaritsino Museum-Reserve, and the Art Hotel near Moscow Pushkino" and the rehabilitation center "Ogonyok", the sanatorium "Anapa" and the Sochi "Parus", as well as guides Olga Maksimenkova from St. Petersburg and Muscovite Svetlana Morozova.
Lyudmila Titova
As part of the week of travel industry professionals held in Moscow, the 6th international Spa&Health conference was held. For the first time, it was devoted to the organization of tourism for the disabled, the elderly and people with disabilities.
The conference was organized by the exhibition company “Euroexpo”, the non-profit partnership “Sankurtur” with the support of the Russian Union of Tourism Industry and the “United Country” Foundation for the Support of Disabled People.
It is no coincidence that issues of both exclusive and inclusive tourism were discussed within the same conference. If we consider both of these segments within the framework of the term “tourist product”, the similarity is quite obvious: it is always a “piece” product, formed not on the basis of market conditions, but on the individual needs of the customer. In Russia, this segment of the tourism market is called “tourism for the disabled,” while abroad they use the terms “tourism for all,” “accessible tourism,” “inclusive tourism,” and “barrier-free tourism.” It is difficult to say which of these terms will take root in Russia. And the clients of this segment of the tourism market are not only disabled and elderly people, but also their guardians and family members, families with small children.
Inclusive tourism is tourism that is accessible to everyone, regardless of permanent or temporary physical limitations, and this is, first of all, social integration. So says Scott Rhine, one of the promoters and founders of affordable tourism. This market can hardly be called mass, even abroad. Experts cite fear and inevitable discomfort caused by limited mobility or cognitive abilities in people with visual and hearing impairments, as well as a narrow understanding of the term “accessible tourism” and confusion around this concept as one of the reasons for low demand.
The meaning of terms that define tourism for people with disabilities has been the subject of scientific debate for more than 20 years. In addition, the very term “Tourism accessible to all” is already enshrined in international normative legal acts. In 1991, the UNWTO General Assembly adopted a resolution entitled “Creating Tourism Opportunities for Handicapped People in the Nineties”, which was further updated in 2005 in Dakar (Senegal) and was called “Tourism accessible to all” (Resolution A/RES/492(XVI)/10).
In the Declaration on Facilitating Tourism Travel, adopted at the 18th session of the General Assembly in Astana (Kazakhstan) in 2009, UNWTO calls on Member States to: make their tourism sites and facilities accessible to people with disabilities physical capabilities, publish clear and detailed information about the current reception service for people with disabilities and the challenges they may encounter during their journey.
All disputes arise due to non-standard terminology. At the last conference, a discussion also broke out about what accessible tourism is. It was suggested that this is rehabilitation in specialized sanatoriums for spinal patients. Indeed, in all specialized sanatoriums - both for patients with spinal injuries, and in ophthalmological sanatoriums of VOS, and in sanatoriums for people with hearing impairment of VOG - a barrier-free environment has been created.
The first sanatorium for patients with limited mobility was opened in1947 at the Sergievskie Mineralnye Vody resort, and the next year a specialized spinal department opened at the Saki resort. In 1974, a specialized sanatorium named after. N.N. Burdenko" for 380 beds for the treatment of patients with consequences of spinal injuries and diseases spinal cord. The entire infrastructure of the resort town of Saki has been changed - all entrances are equipped with ramps, and wide alleys have been laid in the park area. Currently, the Saki resort is managed by Ukrprofzdravnitsa CJSC, and at the Sergievskie Mineralnye Vody resort in the Samara region in 1996, a separate building with 240 beds was built for the spinal department.
There are three more specialized branches in Russia: in the Anapa sanatorium (80 beds) in the Anapa resort, in the Lesnaya Polyana sanatorium (70 beds) in Pyatigorsk and in the Taraskul sanatorium (60 beds) in the Tyumen region. In addition, there are special rooms in the sanatoriums “Vyatskie Uvaly”, “Elton”, “Staraya Rusa” and others. Sanatorium "Garden City", where there was the only spinal department in Far East, has been in ruins for several years. Maybe there will be 500 places in total, or half as many?
As a rule, spinal patients are admitted to such sanatoriums with an accompanying person. Every year in the Russian Federation, about 8 thousand people, mainly aged 18 to 45 years, become disabled as a result of spinal injury. Specialized sanatoriums (with a treatment period of 42 days and subject to occupancy 365 days a year) can accept about 2 thousand patients per year for rehabilitation. But this is social tourism, since it is financed from the Social Insurance Fund of the Russian Federation, or medical tourism, since this is a rehabilitation program for a disabled person - sanatorium-resort treatment. These definitions are given in the law “On the Fundamentals of Tourism Activities in the Russian Federation”. And that's a completely different story...
Inclusive tourism (fr. inclusive – including, lat. include – I conclude, I include) is the process of tourism development, which implies the accessibility of tourism for everyone, in terms of adapting the infrastructure of tourist centers and tourist attractions to the various needs of all people, including the disabled, the elderly, their guardians and family members, people with temporary disabilities, families with small children. The definition, in the opinion of the author of these lines, reflects both the subject of conversation and the prospects for the development of tourism in Russia, accessible to all
The concept of inclusive tourism is traveling around the world. Its foundation is universal design, the seven principles of which were formulated and implemented more than 30 years ago under the leadership of wheelchair architect Ron Mace and colleagues at North Carolina State University. Universal design is also reflected in the legal acts of the Russian Federation - GOSTs, SNIPs, standards. An accessible environment created according to the principles of universal design is convenient for everyone, it is vital for 10% of the world's population, and another 40% of the population needs it.
Demand creates supply. Even 7-8 years ago I was able to find information only about specialized rehabilitation centers"for guests in wheelchairs." Then a chapter about barrier-free resorts appeared in the “Guide to World Resorts”, and the “accessibility” pictogram for guests in wheelchairs appeared next to the names of only a few resorts, although I was looking for this information not only in Russian-language Internet resources. Currently, on the websites of Russian travel companies, in the descriptions of hotels in world resorts there are blocks: rooms for wheelchair users, for guests in wheelchairs and even... for people with disabilities.
According to Russian tour operators, now all types and types of recreation are available to Russians with disabilities except those that involve group travel by bus. Foreign experts primarily talk about the lack of information to the interested audience. Existing information is difficult to find, as it is often dispersed across various websites: hotels, travel companies, associations of the disabled.
Meanwhile, 11% of all leisure trips in Europe and 7% worldwide are made by travelers with special needs, most often in the company of family members or friends. They mainly choose hotels from 3 to 5 stars, since only hotels in this category offer adapted rooms. Budget level hotels - one or two stars - account for only 10.62% of the affordable tourism market. According to experts, an increase in the number of budget hotels, with rooms created according to the principle of universal design, will significantly increase demand in this segment of the tourist market. According to experts, the capacity of such a market is large. In Europe alone, there are about 130 million potential consumers - older people who are willing and able to travel and will soon make up 25% of the European population, and 60 million people with disabilities who want to spend holidays with family and friends.
There are more than 13 million disabled people in Russia. About 2 million 700 thousand pensioners live in Moscow – a quarter of the city’s population. 1.7 million disabled people: 1.6 thousand disabled people using wheelchairs, 23 thousand disabled people using various types supports, 8 thousand blind and visually impaired, 5 thousand deaf and hard of hearing.
And completely different statistics: in Moscow there are 32 thousand working disabled people. The call center on Ogorodny Proezd employs about 1,000 blind people. It is planned to open another such call center, almost twice as large. There are other projects to create jobs for people with disabilities, perhaps not so large-scale. In addition, many have family, friends, and everyone has a desire to discover something new and travel. “Don’t worry too much about my rights, pay attention to my wallet!”, advised the head of the Spanish Society of the Blind, Jesus Hernandez, to representatives of the tourism industry.
There are more than 4 thousand tour operators in Moscow. Of these, only two - “National Tourism Center for Disabled People “Invatur”” and “WELL Agency” - organize group tours for disabled people in Moscow, churches in the Moscow region, and the Golden Ring. The travel company "Liberty" from St. Petersburg has been exploring the accessibility of city facilities since 2004. This is how the first specialized excursion tours of Northern Venice and the suburbs of St. Petersburg for people with disabilities were built. However, this does not mean that others cannot do this. As Olga Polyakova said, CEO travel company "Ekvatour", when a group of hearing impaired people contacted them, they encountered many problems. As it turned out, even in Moscow it is very difficult to find a sign language interpreter. However, a company that has great experience organization of exclusive tours, solved all the problems that arose, and tourists with special needs went on vacation.
The rescue of drowning people is the work of the drowning people themselves. It turns out that this postulate works not only in Russia. Most of specialized travel companies around the world were organized by travelers with special needs themselves.
The National Tourism Center for the Disabled “Invatur” was created by Tatyana Melyakova in 2005. A wheelchair user since 1994, after a traffic accident, she first drove herself around Moscow and the Golden Ring routes. Now the Invatur tourism center organizes excursions around Moscow, the Moscow region, group tours to St. Petersburg, along the Golden Ring, as well as to Turkey, Greece, and the USA.
Chairman of the Board Charitable Foundation“Social adaptation of disabled people and youth” (Invatur) Vladimir Pukhlyakov said that since 2007 they have been organizing trips to resorts in Greece and Turkey. The package of services for foreign tours includes flights, transfers, accommodation in a hotel equipped for the needs of the disabled, an excursion program, and medical insurance. Some tour operators help you purchase air tickets with significant discounts. So holidays abroad are available to people with disabilities according to financial criteria.
Russia without barriers and prospects for the development of tourism accessible to everyone. Inclusive tourism can only develop if the facilities of the hospitality and tourism industry meet the principle of “accessible and convenient for everyone”: from the first drawing of the hotel to the tourist office where you buy your trip.
Currently, the tourist market of Moscow and St. Petersburg offers a fairly wide range of suitable accommodation facilities. Among Moscow hotels, 13 have specially equipped rooms that are ready to accommodate guests with disabilities (wheelchair users). In the future, their number will increase significantly. This is due to the fact that the Moscow Committee for Architecture and Urban Development is currently developing uniform regulatory requirements for hotel projects under construction. Hotels with up to 50 rooms will be required to equip at least two rooms for disabled people, and large hotel complexes must allocate at least 3% of the total number of rooms for them.
St. Petersburg is more accessible in this sense. Accesses and main museums are the Tretyakov Gallery in Moscow, the Hermitage and the Russian Museum in St. Petersburg. In general, this list is quite extensive. The “people’s” map of barrier-free Russia can be viewed on the website www.barierovnet.org. Its users are wheelchair users themselves; its geography already covers 77 cities and 1,500 objects.
In 2011, the implementation of the program “Accessible Environment for Disabled People” will begin in Russia. According to official data, today in Moscow about 70% of city infrastructure facilities are accessible to people with disabilities. According to the experts themselves, those in wheelchairs are significantly less. In Sochi, by 2012, all Olympic facilities will be commissioned in accordance with the standards of accessibility of sports and recreation facilities.
Availability and level of medical care is one of the main criteria for choosing a vacation spot in this segment of the tourist market. Cristina Ionitskaya from the national office of Catalonia reminded the conference participants of this. During the reform of the organization of medical care, which lasted 25 years, it was taken into account that the main income of Catalonia is tourism, and the 20 million tourists who annually choose Catalonia for their holidays are, first of all, people who at any time may need health care. Catalonia is currently a member of the European Accessible Tourism Association. To ensure the right to recreation and tourism, enshrined in UN General Assembly resolution 48/96, appropriate changes have been made in Catalonia legislative framework. For travelers with special needs, an adapted infrastructure and a special Internet resource have been created where you can find information about 21 tourist centers in Catalonia.
In 2009, the Czech Republic joined the European movement “Tourism accessible to all”. Monika Lingartova, director of the Czech tourism office, told the conference participants about the available facilities in Czech cities and resorts. A special section “Holidays without barriers” has been created on the website www.czechtourism.com.
Most of the information about hotels and accessible routes in Russia, as well as throughout the world, is passed on by word of mouth. On forums, experienced travelers who already have experience of inclusive holidays at foreign resorts share information on how to book a hotel, which company is best to contact, and how the rules of air transportation “with us” and “with them” are followed. And, as sad as it is to say, all messages are loaded with encouraging phrases that the feeling of being a “second-class citizen” will leave a traveler with special needs immediately after landing at an airport abroad.
We will continue the conversation about tourism accessible to everyone this year. At the initiative of the PCT - at the forum on inbound and domestic tourism " A New Look to Russia", which will be held in St. Petersburg from October 13 to 15 as part of the international tourism exhibition Inwetex CIS Travel Market 2010. On the initiative of ANTOR - on November 18 in Moscow, where a conference and workshop will be held dedicated to medical and therapeutic tourism, as well as tourism for people with disabilities.
Thus, the Spa&Health 2010 conference actually gave impetus to the development of a new direction in the domestic tourism industry - tourism, accessible to everyone. (Nadezhda Manshina, editor of the portal www.sankurtur.ru, moderator of the Spa&Health conference)
Everyone wants to live in a fair society - and be able to travel with ease. We figured out what inclusive tourism is and why it is important for everyone.
What is inclusion?
First, let’s understand what “inclusivity” or “inclusion” means. This is a principle of organizing life in society that allows all people to participate in its various aspects (everyday life, education, culture and art), regardless of their appearance, origin, gender, or state of health.
Inclusive tourism means that all travelers can enjoy tourism services without restrictions, independently of other people, on equal terms and with dignity. In particular, attention is paid to travelers with special accessibility needs. This may be accessibility in movement, visual and auditory accessibility. Accessibility means equal access to infrastructure, transport, information and communications. This is the definition of the World Tourism Organization.
The basic principle of inclusive tourism is universal design, that is, taking into account special needs and at the same time suitable for all categories of people.
What other names can you find?
In addition to “inclusive tourism,” you can also come across the following concepts (they all mean the same thing):
Tourism for all
Barrier-free tourism / tourism without barriers
Accessible tourism
Can you give me a couple of examples?
You've probably already come across many of these examples while traveling around Europe and the USA, when you easily get to the station with a huge suitcase, without stumbling on any curbs - because there are none on your way.
Other examples:
Information plates and signs are written in a clearly legible, contrasting font.
The width of the doors is no less than 85 cm, the thresholds are no more than 2 cm; to enter, you do not need to climb the steps. The width of city paths and alleys is at least 180 cm: this allows people to walk in different directions, as well as for a pedestrian and a person in a wheelchair to move side by side. Inclusive tourism means that the same paths are laid out to the beaches.
All necessary objects (for example, switches, handles, sockets) are no higher than 120 cm and no lower than 40 cm, so that they can be reached while standing or sitting.
You don't have to climb steps to get on a bus or train.
The spaces are well lit, with transitions between different spaces marked with contrasting colors and textures. Pedestrian crossings are clearly marked and have light and sound signals.
Accessibility of information: excursions in sign language, museums adapted for visually impaired or hearing impaired people.
More details in guidelines for inclusive tourism .
One more point: inclusive tourism is not only accessible and comfortable cities, but also a service that is ready to work with all people and their needs. People with disabilities may need additional services: for example, a veterinary service for guide dogs or repair services for prosthetics and equipment, adapted taxis.
Is this only important for people with disabilities?
With the development of inclusive tourism, traveling becomes easier for everyone. Benefits from universal design include:
People with disabilities and people with diseases of vision, hearing, musculoskeletal system;
Parents with children, pregnant women;
Aged people;
Travelers who do not know a foreign language;
Travelers with heavy luggage.
So inclusive tourism will be useful to you now, not to mention when you retire - you’re not going to sit at home, are you?
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