Festuris innovates with the Accessibility Trade Show

Figures from WTO – World Tourism Organization reveal that 10% of the population of developed countries is constituted by disabled people. In Brazil, there are 24,5 million people with some physical, mental, visual or auditive incapacity. Based on that, the 24th Gramado Tourism Trade Show (Festuris) will present as the main newness the Accessibility Trade Show. More than an original environment to present the accessible tourism, the objective is working with the causes, which has started in the last edition of the event with many adaptations in the pavilions of Serra Park Center, where the event takes place yearly.

Eduardo Zorzanello, CEO of Festuris, tells that in 2011 were installed ramps, the aisles were widened and disabled people were employed. “With the Accessibility Trade Show, one more time we are in the vanguard, anticipating a tendency which will reach all tourism market”, says Zorzanello. He even bets this Trade Show is going to favour the accomplishment of new business and bring more acquaintance to the exhibitors. “We also want to incite them to promote any kind of adaptation for the accessible tourism in their stands”, Eduardo concludes.

ADVISERS

To carry out the accessibility Project, were contracted as promotional advisers Tânia Brizolla and Marcia Godinho, from Prisma consulting company. Tania, with background in the Tourism Ministery and wide knowledge of the trade, explains that, besides the accessibility to be related to the adaptation of buildings and equipments, in order to make them accessible to impaired people, it has also other important uses. “When we talk about accessible tourism, we must think on the aged, on the pregnant, on the obese and the child, who need spaces and  situations adapted to their necessities.

Marcia reminds that the laws related to accessibility are not new, but their use in the tourism sector are being done a short time ago. “Now the market starts to become conscious about the importance of the good attention to this considerable part of the population”, she says.

 “We have noticed the importance the countries give to accessibility in the tourism”, declares  Marta Rossi, CEO of  Gramado Tourism Trade Fair. One example is Italy, which develops the project Village for All, a well-succeeded initiative for the development of universal architecture to help people with any kind of disability, or even children and  aged people.

In Brazil the town of Socorro (São Paulo State) is recognized as the reference destination in accessibility, by means of the adaptation of all public and private places in the city, besides all the tourism activities directed to people with any kind of mobility impairment.

Márcia Godinho, Rose Ott, Eduardo Zorzanello, Tânia Brizola e Marta Rossi