Accessible Tourism—Asia Pacific, or ATAP, is a platform started on Facebook that seeks deeper involvement in conversations surrounding Accessible Tourism in the Asia Pacific Region and aims to engage diverse stakeholders globally. Its mission is to enhance awareness and foster comprehension regarding accessible and inclusive tourism. The platform extends an open invitation to individuals intrigued by accessible tourism within the Asia Pacific region and beyond, particularly inviting travel agencies to embark on a journey of exploration in this relatively untapped domain.
While Asian people are known for their hospitality, many countries face significant obstacles to making and providing their facilities and services more easy to access. Most organisations in the Asia Pacific Region are actively promoting accessible and inclusive tourism. Furthemore, they also train service providers like hotel and airline employees, and provide tours for people with disabilities. After the ICAT 2014 Conference in Malaysia, The Asia-Pacific Network for Accessible Tourism (APNAT) was established by experts and stakeholders in inclusive tourism.
Through this platform, everyone with an interest in accessible tourism in the Asia Pacific region and around the world was invited to join in, particularly travel agencies interested in engaging in this largely unexplored area. Members actively engage in a vibrant exchange of experiences and best practices, fostering a sense of community and discussing questions related to accessible tourism. They eagerly share information about their accessible tours, events, training facilities, assistive devices, equipment, etc.
Presently, ATAP boasts a membership of 266 individuals worldwide. Its founders, Veneranda Mateo, representing Pinati, the Philippine International Network for Accessible Tourism, and Kerstin Beise from AccessibleIndonesia, passionately envision that through this forum, more individuals with disabilities and tourism stakeholders will discover the endless possibilities of barrier-free travel across Asia Pacific countries.
You can access the ATAP Discussion via the following link: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1358844074145388/
