Liguria. The Sea Guide, the tool that lists the free beaches, free equipped beaches and bathing establishments in Liguria regarding their level of accessibility, will have a second edition. This was decided today by the regional council on the proposal of the councilors for Tourism, Social and Third Sector, and Maritime State Property. The edition of the Accessible Sea Guide 2024 – which will be carried out through a widespread mapping of all the beaches thanks to the contribution of the numerous volunteers of Aism (Italian Multiple Sclerosis Association) and the National Association of State Police – represents a further step forward in work on the census of accessible structures in our region, which has already begun in recent years.
For the first time, in fact, in addition to the beaches, the hotel accommodation facilities present in the regional territory will also be surveyed and collected in the Guide, which stand out for offering services suitable for welcoming users with disabilities and/or reduced mobility.
An important challenge to make the world of hospitality and seaside tourism increasingly dialogue with the world of disabilities, in order to be able to offer more sustainable and adequate services to the needs of the inclusiveness of the tourist offer.
“The issue of accessible tourism – states the Councilor for Tourism – is a high priority both at a regional level and for the Ministry of Tourism, and the Accessible Sea Guide, as well as being a useful tool for the use of the sea intended for people with disabilities disability, has become a profitable resource for the promotion and knowledge of the territory for the purpose of developing accessible and inclusive tourism, also in consideration of the large number of elderly Ligurians with mobility difficulties and the increase in tourist flows within the Liguria Region”.
“The beaches and the sea must be accessible to everyone – declares the regional councilor for State Maritime Property -. With great shared work we are ready to give life to the 2024 edition of the Accessible Sea Guide, with the aim of making it an increasingly useful tool consulted by citizens and tourists. As a Maritime State Property Department, this year too, we have responded to all the applications submitted by coastal municipalities for works to remove architectural barriers and, since 2015, we have collaborated profitably to make our beaches accessible to every person”.
“Another important step to make our Region increasingly inclusive – adds the Social and Third Sector councilor -. The morphology of our coast does not always make it easier for those who want to spend pleasant hours at the seaside, for this very reason the Accessible Sea Guide 2024 is an essential tool that will offer Ligurians and the many tourists the guarantee of finding beaches and establishments capable of welcoming them by responding to different needs”.
“The social and occupational reintegration of people with work-related disabilities is among the most significant directions of the institutional mission entrusted to Inail. The joint creation of the Accessible Sea Guide is among the tools with the highest added value with a view to providing opportunities for leisure and free time in the Liguria region”, comments Angela Razzino regional director of Inail Liguria.
“This year we have 50 people appointed by the Council, volunteers from the National Association of State Police and Aism, who will allow us to thoroughly monitor all the Ligurian beaches – explains Claudio Puppo, coordinating secretary of the Regional Council for handicaps – . Furthermore, from this year we will also expand the mapping to hotels and we will know how many rooms are accessible to disabled people. We are currently at around 13% of the Ligurian beaches verified and which have been declared ‘accessible’ by us: we would like to reach 75% in the next few years. People with disabilities have the right to choose to go to the seaside anywhere in Liguria and not in a limited part of the region”.
