The aim of this project was for the trainees to acquire: (a) knowledge of specific issues of sustainable tourism development and the relevant European legal frameworks that will help them develop a specific action plan in this direction. The goal was therefore to understand how an action plan is drawn up that is part of a broader strategy and that satisfies the national plans for tourism, and how it is practically implemented. (b) techniques for building alliances to promote an integrated tourism product, especially for Accessible Tourism. The provision of a tourism product that satisfies the profile of a specific group of tourists is the result of a collective effort (regional authorities to tourism service providers). So the goal was for the trainees to learn how to create such collaborations. (c) acquisition of management and support skills for the disabled, as the recipient of the tourist product The goal was therefore to formulate a training program for the staff of each hotel unit to acquire knowledge about the most common disabilities and how to deal with and manage them by the staff.
Tourism, like any market, is evolving. The advent of the internet has opened up many opportunities for tourism businesses but has made the competition even more intense. The trend now is to secure market share either from specific groups of travellers or groups with special interests. Accessible Tourism is such a very large group that declares its own needs and requirements. Accessible tourists are considered profitable and loyal customers of a destination as they look for infrastructure to assist them in coping with their disability, tailor-made services and staff that understand their needs. This mobility gave the opportunity to experienced professionals of the hotel industry to gain knowledge, experience and good practices applied in Greece in the field of Accessible Tourism. The participants have become educational units that will spread the knowledge to their other colleagues in Cyprus.