Summit for global co-op

Dubai Accessible Tourism International Summit has reccommended 20 measures for smooth travel of People of Determination worldwide, as per vision of Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai.

Dubai Accessible Tourism International Summit (DATIS), which called for international cooperation, was attended by His Highness Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, President, Dubai Civil Aviation Authority, President, Dubai Airports, President and CEO of Emirates Airlines and Group. It recommended 20 measures for smooth travel for travellers of determination to face challenges faced by People of Determination in terms of movement, residence and travel worldwide.

Issam Kazim, CEO, Dubai Corporation for Tourism and Commerce Marketing opened the summit. In his speech, he said, “Within the framework of the vision of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, to make Dubai the best city in the world to live, work and visit, many initiatives and steps have been taken to enable everyone to enjoy distinctive experiences and tourism components that take into account all needs.” The presentations given by experts indicated that the volume of missed opportunities on the economy and global tourism amounted to 142 billion euros per annum, as a result of the reluctance of millions of People of Determination to travel due to the lack of facilities in many cities of the world. The summit also stressed the need to adhere to Universal Design standards to accelerate the process of preparing cities to become friendly, and respond to the needs of People of Determination in mobility and decent living.

The session in which the People of Determination shed light on the challenges facing millions of tourists of determination during their travel, noting that their recommendations to government and private stakeholders around the world include 20 recommendations for smooth travel without obstacles. The participants called for strengthening international cooperation to provide for the needs of People of Determination on the move, the need to adopt smart solutions and provide professional staff to provide a smooth travel experience that meets the needs of different categories of physical, audio-visual disabilities and autistic children.

The summit comes in the wake of rapid recovery of travel and tourism sectors worldwide after the intensity of the pandemic lessened, to discuss the challenges facing the industry and the lessons learnt from the crisis, especially with regard to the Tourists of Determination.

Twenty speakers and experts from government and private agencies and IATA representatives, Airports Council International, World Tourism Organization and World Health Organization (WHO) took part in the summit which was held in both personal and and visual formats. This is in addition to the participation of experts from the fields of transportation, global design and facilitated mobility. There were also two training sessions on the best practices in dealing with travellers and hotel guests.

HE Majid Al-Usaimi, President, Asian Paralympic Committee and member, International Paralympic Committee and ED, Dubai Club for People of Determination moderated two sessions. “The DATIS facilitated People of Determination tourism as a mission, which discusses the travel and tourism of People of Determination who represent 15 per cent of the total travel and tourism movement.

He said the UAE has become a global destination for tourism in line with the vision of the “wise leadership” to make the UAE a preferred destination for People of Determination.” He praised the UAE’s efforts to enhance the services of tourists of People of Determination, as the country has become a model in empowering this category. As per WHO estimates, between 10 and 15 per cent of the world’s population has some need for assistance. About 50 million people with special needs in the Middle East look forward to visiting cities and tourist destinations that provide them with facilities that meet their needs.