"Trasimeno per Tutti": Project for the development of an accessible and inclusive tourism system of the Lake Trasimeno area

The Trasimeno per Tutti (Trasimeno for All) project is implemented by the Umbria Region Tourism Department in collaboration with Sviluppumbria, Anci Umbria, and FelcosUmbria, Association of Municipalities for Sustainable Development with the contribution of the Presidency of the Council of Ministers - Minister for Disability.

Tourism for all is the set of policies and practices put in place by a destination as a whole (institutions and businesses) to remove barriers that prevent or make it difficult for people with specific access requirements to enjoy vacations and leisure time. The implementation of the principles of tourism for all results in a positive impact on the entire system of offerings, which grows in quality and responsiveness to customers who require special attention to their needs and ensure customized solutions in terms of services, lay-out of attractors and places to stay (accommodations, restaurants, etc.), facilities, digital technologies, and tourism and leisure services.

The overall objective of the project is the development of an accessible and inclusive tourism system in the Lake Trasimeno area through a systemic intervention based on the "tourism for all" approach, consistent with the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and that can also be a forerunner and model for other territories in the Region of Umbria.

The project, to ensure the achievement of the general objective, has the following specific objectives:

1- Develop a comprehensive and timely analysis of the accessibility of the tourism system of the Lake Trasimeno territory;

2- Improve the accessibility of attractors (walking, cycling, beaches, cultural offerings, etc.) and enhance system services (local transport, health and banking services, etc.) and information and reception systems according to the model of tourism for all;

3- Improve the accessibility of basic, related and specialized tourism services, stimulating the creation of a network of businesses operating according to the principles of tourism for all;

4- Implement full accessibility of tourism communication in the area covered by the intervention, develop tourism communication products consistent with the principles of tourism for all, in close collaboration with the regional tourism portal (Umbriatourism), and promote a brand that helps raise awareness of these issues in the supply system and helps position Trasimeno as a welcoming and accessible destination;

Specifically, the inclusion goals are:

• Promote the labour inclusion and employment of young people with disabilities in the tourism sector of the Lake Trasimeno area, in tourism businesses or services through the tool of training internships, role training and the promotion of innovative social enterprises;
• Improve the skills of tourism operators and the various public, private and associative services for the accessible and inclusive tourist reception of people with disabilities and their families and promote a widespread culture of welcome, inclusiveness and accessibility in the local community and the supply system in its public and private components;
• Improve the accessibility and usability of health services and develop integrated pathways for all health needs of people with disabilities who access the Lake Trasimeno area for tourism.

The Trasimeno for All Project is funded in implementation of the Decree of the Minister for Disabilities, in consultation with the Minister of Economy and Finance, Labour and Social Policy and Tourism, 28 September 2021, the Office for Policies in Favour of Persons with Disabilities of the Presidency of the Council of Ministers, through the Public notice for funding for accessible and inclusive tourism projects for people with disabilities.