World Tourism Day 2016

World Tourism Day spotlights Universal Accessibility.

To chat with others about ‘Tourism for All – Promoting Universal Accessibility’ join Azamara Club Cruises at #CruiseChat on Twitter 9.27.16 at 2 pm ET.

World Tourism Day, which is celebrated on September 27, raises awareness about the role of tourism in the global community. The theme for World Tourism Day 2016 is Universal Accessibility. Nearly 1.2 billion people travel abroad each year. Yet, so many people around the world live with disabilities that can present obstacles when traveling.

A message from United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon

“With the world’s population ageing, all of us will benefit sooner or later from universal accessibility in tourism. As we celebrate World Tourism Day, let us recall that all of the world’s citizens have the right to experience the incredible diversity this planet has to offer.

We thus urge all countries and destinations, as well as the industry, to promote accessibility for all in the physical environment, in transport systems, in public facilities and services and in information and communications channels.”

Travel is a huge part of people’s lives. The United Nations reports that there are around 1.2 billion people travelling the world. Travelling has become a huge part of many lives.

Some of the reasons I like to travel are meeting new people, discovering new places, and expanding my perspective. As UNWTO Secretary-General Taleb Rifai points out, “travelling can be quite a difficult process, especially for the 15% of the world’s population that lives with some form of disability. That is 1 billion people around the world who may be unable to enjoy the privilege of knowing other cultures, experience nature at its fullest and experience the thrill of embarking on a journey to explore new sights.”

How is the cruise travel industry meeting the challenges?

Azamara Club Cruises, like many cruise lines, promotes accessibility on their ships. Azamara offers accessible staterooms and assistance to make their guest’s voyage as enjoyable as possible. At the time of booking, but no later than 30 days prior to sailing (60 days if you are requesting sign language interpreting services) a guest needs to provide the cruise line with details related to special needs accommodations. For more information, see www.AzamaraClubCruises.com/Access.

A cruise line can handle most special needs requests such as:

Mobility accomodatons
Wheelchair assistance at the pier and on the ship (Note: At certain ports of call, gangway and tender conditions may make it difficult for equipment to be taken on or off the ship.)
Accessible staterooms with roll-in shower
Low Vision / Blind Large Print menus and daily activity planners
Service Dog (Guests are responsible for obtaining required permits for service dogs to depart the ship in non-U.S. ports)
Sleep Apnea accomodations for CPAP or BIPAP machine (distilled water1 and extension cord will be provided)
Dialysis
Hemo-dialysis
Medical Related Dietary Requests