The project DIVETOUR aimed at implementing and experimenting, within tourism VET institutions, innovative and inclusive educational approaches, and digital tools for delivering new training contents on tourism and accessibility. The project partnership, was focused on: - reducing the training gap within tourism VET providers on accessible tourism topics, by embedding them in their training offer; - providing VET trainers and learners with new knowledge, skills and competences on possible strategies for the tourism sector recovery after the pandemic, with a focus on accessible tourism challenges and potential; - developing and experimenting new educational approaches and innovative digital training tools by integrating collaborative and game based learning into VET and using new media and digital technologies in a creative and collaborative way; - developing the above mentioned training tools in such a way that they are as inclusive and accessible as possible taking into account the needs and rights of VET learners with disabilities.
The COVID-19 pandemic has affected the Tourism sector more than others and, within the sector, vulnerable groups such as people with disabilities and seniors with aged-related health conditions were among the hardest hit. People with disabilities and seniors represent an immense market opportunity that is overlooked by the majority of tourism operators. However, the percentage of tourism operators that can benefit from this potential is still low, due in large part to the lack of staff who are trained to cater for customers with specific access requirements. Courses in disability awareness, accessibility and inclusion are generally not offered in VET institutions as part of the training. There are very few and mainly directed to continuing, professional VET while training on accessible tourism at VET and higher education levels is not a part of mainstream curricula. Therefore, there is a need for a major shift towards general training on accessible tourism. In recent years the spread of new digital technologies has fostered the implementation of new teaching and learning approaches. Nevertheless, in the current formal educational context innovative approaches and tools are still under-represented and relatively untested.