Facilitating Accessibility in Support of Tourism Erasmus Project

Project Title

Facilitating Accessibility in Support of Tourism

Project Key Action

This project related with these key action: Cooperation for innovation and the exchange of good practices

Project Action Type

This project related with this action type : Strategic Partnerships for vocational education and training

Project Call Year

This project’s Call Year is 2020

Project Topics

This project is related with these Project Topics: Recognition, transparency, certification; New innovative curricula/educational methods/development of training courses; Inclusion – equity

Project Summary

FAST addresses a service need which is currently a key barrier to accessible travel. Personal Assistant Services (PAS) are often necessary to accessible travellers but expensive to have, primarily because they are controlled by travel agencies and the supply of such professionals is low.

This project (FAST) will develop the definition of the individual who offers PAS to give more people the opportunity to become “Accessibility Travel Facilitators” (ATF). In this regard, FAST will first define the exact role and duties of the ATF under the new conditions and requirements. By clearly defining the role, the responsibilities and corresponding expectations will be set. Consequently, the definition of the position will identify the necessary qualifications, experience and educational requirements.
As the occupational role of the ATF will be significant and key to the growth of accessible tourism, the project will design a qualifications framework for its profile to accredit the acquired skills by defining the level descriptors and the corresponding learning outcomes based on EQF. This will also facilitate access to, mobility and progression within education, training and career path. Furthermore, this will enable national qualification systems to expedite recognition of the acquired skills and competences, thereby ensuring an integrated system that encourages lifelong learning. FAST will then develop the necessary training framework comprising of the training methodology, training curricula and didactic material. Lastly, an Assessment Guide will be developed to address assessment strategies for the different stages of learning.

The overall aims of the project are to:
1. Define ATF as an occupation in accordance to EQF, thus establishing the basis for all European national qualification systems to licence it as a qualified job;
2. Achieve ECVET/EQF/NQF conformity for the description of this position in order to allow mobility of learners, facilitate lifelong learning and qualifications recognition;
2. Encourage the local authorities to take control of this service, thus benefiting their local economies;
3. Motivate disable travellers to have more travel experiences without significant cost;
4. Eliminate significant cost barriers associated with escorting for the disabled traveller;
5. Foster transnational cooperation among the widest possible number of actors along the tourism value chain to better service accessible tourists;
6. Demonstrate that VET education can contribute to the enhancement of accessible tourists’ travel experience;
7. Stress the importance of VET education in improving the skills and competences of learners;
8. Establish safer land travel conditions for the disabled.

The expected target groups will be:
(1) VET Trainers: who are mostly engaged in non-formal VET education of learners in the tourism and hospitality sectors
(2) Learners (future Accessibility Travel Facilitators): who will acquire new skills and competences and become the Accessibility Travel Facilitators
(3) Local/Regional authorities: Want to implement new tourism policies and initiatives in order to increase influx of tourists to their destinations
(4) VET Centres & stakeholders: VET who will strengthen their role and relationship with the tourism supply chain, specifically related to accessible tourism.
(5) Tourism stakeholders: who want to claim greater market share from international accessible tourism
(6) Tourism SMEs: Want to address new tourism markets and increase their sustainability outlook.
(7) Accessible Travellers: want travel barriers to be eliminated in order to have more destination options.

At least 460 members of the above target groups will participate in the various project activities.
The impact on the various target groups will be:
(1) VET Trainers:
– benefit from their exposure to accessibility in tourism.
– gain new skills, competences to offer accessible travellers an enhanced travel experience
– be exposed to best practices and tools
(2) Learners:
– acquire new skills and competences –
– be able to use a ready-made toolkit which will enhance their role in assisting accessible travellers
(3) VET Centres & stakeholders:
– strengthen VET role and relationship with the tourism supply chain
– exploit the learning outcomes to launch EQF aligned certification programmes.
(4) Partners:
– identify opportunities by offering consultation and VET based courses to local/regional authorities to improve their accessible tourism services.
(5) European business community:
– gain competitive advantage over international competition in servicing accessible travellers
(6) Accessible Travellers:
– elimination of an important barrier to travelling
– added quality assurance of a properly trained individual.
– use of a trusted service

FAST offers the basis for local/regional tourist authorities to launch a service that will differentiate their destinations from competition.

EU Grant (Eur)

Funding of the project from EU: 234412 Eur

Project Coordinator

Srednja sola za gostinstvo in turizem Maribor & Country: SI

Project Partners

• DEKAPLUS BUSINESS SERVICES LTD
• BEST INSTITUT FUR BERUFSBEZOGENE WEITERBILDUNG UND PERSONALTRAINING GMBH
• SOCIEDADE PORTUGUESA DE INOVACAO CONSULTADORIA EMPRESARIAL E FOMENTO DA INOVACAO SA
• APOSTOLINA TSALTAMPASI KAI SIA EE
• ETAIREIA TOURISTIKIS ANAPTIKSIS KAI PROVOLIS PERIFERIAS LEYKOSIAS LTD
• INUK Institut za napredno upravljanje komunikacij, Maribor