12th Accessible Tourism Day
The specialist event on accessible tourism topics took place on Wednesday, March 6, 2024, from 10:30 am to approx. 3:30 pm at Messe Berlin, CityCube, Hall A5 as part of ITB (hybrid event).
After the "Accessible Tourism Day" had to take place online in previous years due to the pandemic, it was held as a hybrid event for the first time in 2024. The event took place on Wednesday, March 6, 2024, once again as part of ITB at the Messe Berlin exhibition grounds and was broadcast live.
Dieter Janecek, Federal Government Commissioner for Maritime Affairs and Tourism, opened the 12th Accessible Tourism Day with a welcome address.
Jürgen Dusel, Federal Government Commissioner for the Interests of Persons with Disabilities, also supported the event with a greeting message.
Afterwards, national and international experts gave keynote speeches, presentations and discussions on issues relating to "Accessible destination development", "Target group-specific offer design", "Accessible communication" and "Transferring know-how on accessibility in training, studies and tourism practice".
The event was funded by the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action.
It was implemented with the support of the state working group "Tourism for All", the working group "Leichter Reisen - Barrierefreie Urlaubsziele in Deutschland" and the AG Tourismus of the German Council for People with Disabilities (DBR).
Sign language, simultaneous and written interpreters were used for the event. The event languages are German and English (with simultaneous interpretation).
Program booklet for download
Program “Accessible Tourism Day”
Moderation
Daniela Wiesler-Schnalke, DW Akademie, Head of Media Training
10:30 am – 10:40 am
Opening
Olaf Schlieper, Innovation Manager, German National Tourist Board
10:40 am – 10:50 am
Welcome
Dieter Janecek, Federal Government Coordinator for the Maritime Industry and for Tourism
10:50 am – 11:00 am
Welcome
Jürgen Dusel, Federal Government Commissioner for the Interests of Persons with Disabilities
11:00 am – 11:10 am
Welcome
André Nowak, Spokesman of the Tourism Working Group at the German Council for People with Disabilities and Deputy Chairman of the ABiD Institute for Disability & Participation e.V. (IB&P)
Designing accessible travel experiences: Destination development and target group-oriented product design
11:10 am – 11:20 am
Keynote
Eric Thill, Minister for Culture and Minister Delegate for Tourism (Grand Duchy of Luxembourg)
11:20 am – 12:00 pm
Discussion
Ulrike Bergeaud, Tourist Board District Kelheim, Deputy Managing Director
Carola Heimann, Saarland Tourism Board, Project manager Accessible Tourism and Network Hearing
Anika Kinnemann, World Heritage Region Anhalt-Dessau-Wittenberg, Deputy Managing Director
Hartmut Smikac, Member of the Tourism Working Group of the German Disability Council
12:00 pm – 12:50 pm
Break with networking - Opportunity to talk to the experts
12:50 pm – 1:10 pm
Presentation
Accessibility in Germany's largest theme park - Europa-Park
David Lämmel, Member of the Management Board of Europa-Park Adventure Resort I Director Marketing, Sales & Digital
Accessibility & education: Knowledge transfer in science and tourism practice
1:10 pm – 2:00 pm
Discussion
Ross Calladine, VisitEngland, Accessibility and Inclusion Lead
Monika Klapper, Distance Learning Academy of Tourism and Hospitality, Academy Lead Tourism
Prof. Dr. Peter Neumann, IU International University of Applied Sciences, Professor of Tourism Economy
Dr. Sasha Kosanic, Liverpool John Moores University, Liverpool John Moores University, Senior Lecturer in Climate Change Ecology
2:00 pm – 2:10 pm
Short break
Digital accessibility: Information for everyone!
2:10 pm – 2:40 pm
Presentation
Enrico Göbel, Staff unit responsible officer for the disabled for Thuringia, Spokesperson for digital accessibility
Accessible communication: understandable for everyone!
2:40 pm – 3:30 pm
Discussion
Gisela Moser, MosGiTo, Expert for Accessibility in the Tourism Industry
Steffen Schwab, Lebenshilfe Heidelberg e.V., Translator for plain language
Kai Ayubi, City Guide Heidelberg
Stephanie Angel, Lessingstadt Wolfenbüttel, Deputy Head of Tourism Department
Markus Lau, Lebenshilfe gGmbH, Head of department of Family-Service
3:30 pm
Farewell
Olaf Schlieper, Innovation Manager, German National Tourist Board
Networking - Opportunity to talk to the experts