Recalling also the recommendations and Bali Declaration on Barrier-free Tourism for People with Disabilities emerged from the Asia-Pacific Conference on Tourism for People with Disabilities, Bali, Indonesia, in September 2000, and endorsed by the Committee on Transport, Communications, Tourism and Infrastructure Development, held in Bangkok in November 2000;
Recognizing that people with disabilities have equal right of access to all tourist infrastructure, products and services, including employment opportunities and benefits that the tourism industries can provide, and that people with disabilities should be provided with the same choices for all consumers, to ensure their full participation and protection of the individual's right to travel with dignity;
Appreciating that the Eden Social Welfare Foundation and the Asian and Pacific Disability Forum have taken the initiative to organize the above Conference to discuss the major issues relating to accessible tourism for people with disabilities, with a view to formulating action plan to promote barrier-free tourism in the Asian and Pacific region;
Noting that, while the inclusion of universal design in tourism development can create environments, products and services that are useable by a wide spectrum of consumers, irrespective of their experience, knowledge, skills, age, gender, as well as their physical, sensory, communication and cognitive abilities, most tourism service providers do not yet recognize the importance of this issue, in the absence of explicit government policies and strategies, as well as a lack of training for tourism personnel on the rights and needs of tourists with disabilities and a shortage of tourism programs that are accessible by people with disabilities;
Observing that, Inclusive Destination Development facilitates the social participation of people with disabilities and enables barrier-free economic development by systematically applying the principles of universal design to the creation of tourist destinations;
1. Affirm our commitment to promoting accessible tourism for people with disabilities in countries in the Asian and Pacific region;
2. Develop and implement our empowerment programs, focusing on advocacy, facilitation and negotiation to work more effectively with the tourism industry, government agencies and regional and international organizations to improve existing practices relating to accessibility and to support the tourism industry in introducing universal design principle to tourism for all;
3. Assist in: (a) development of training materials on disability awareness in tourism education and training for use by the tourism industries and related fields, and (b) education and dispatch of experienced trainers with disabilities to training sessions on accessible tourism organized by the tourism industries and government agencies;
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