About the project
The main goal of the Access2Heritage project is to support the sustainable development of heritage tourism in the Cross-border area and establish the region as an international destination for senior and accessible tourism, including persons with disabilities and with chronic diseases, elderly and their families.
The project aims to:
• exchange and import know-how and good practices related to the improvement of the accessibility of cultural and natural heritage structures (people-to-people activities)
• improve for all the accessibility and visitability of selected cultural and natural heritage assets in the Cross-border area (construction works)
• enhance the environmental performance of the supported structures towards better energy consumption, waste management andconservation, etc. (greening of supported sites)
• improve the capacity of authorities responsible for the management of cultural and natural heritage assets, and of professionals from tourist sector (such as guides, travel agents, event organizers, transportation services, etc.) to meet the needs of senior and accessible tourism (capacity building activities)
• raise awareness of the local stakeholders, especially of young people, in relation to the potential of heritage tourism, the importance of endorsing strategies for sustainable development and inclusive design, etc. (awareness activities)
• collect data related to the accessibility and friendliness to disabled and elderly visitors of key cultural and natural assets of the Cross-border area (field studies)
• improve the visibility of cultural and natural heritage assets that are accessible and friendly to all, through electronic and physical media, campaigns, etc. and by producing an informative guide for all visitors, with useful information for the elderly and the disabled persons (branding & promotion)
• conduct a joint strategic planning study towards the Cross-border area branding as an international tourist destination for elderly and disabled, of high quality at low to medium cost (policies & plans)
• measure satisfaction and behavior of elderly and disabled visitors in supported structures, and in the Cross-border area at large (tourist behavior & satisfaction surveys).