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=Dubai Accessible Tourism International Summit=

About the Summit
Accounting for 15 percent of the global population, People with disabilities face barriers when it comes to experiencing tourist destinations. Lack of adapted hotel rooms and toilets in public restrooms, inadequate airport transfers, absence of wheelchair access and accessible restaurants and public transport are among the key hurdles they face. The abysmally woeful situations calls for greater commitment and cooperation between tourism authorities, destinations and businesses. Accessibility for all the tourist facilities, products and services is a central part of responsible and sustainable tourism policy. The disabled tourism markets have remained hidden and undervalued. Travellers with disabilities make more shopping trips and spend more per trip than the average consumer. All their purchasing characteristics and preferences make them a powerful and significant consumer group for the businesses to be engaged. According to the Global Economics of Disability study, US$8 trillion is their combined spending power globally. Millions of them wants to travel more and have greater variety of personalised services. Above all, they want to be considered as travellers first, with the ability to plan, book, travel and explore destinations independently. According to Lonely Planet, 50% of people with disabilities would travel more if suitable facilities were available to them wherever they travelled. Around 88% of people with a disability take a holiday each year. At least 54% of people with access requirements avoid going to new places if they cannot find them accessible to them. A whopping 50 million people with special needs in the Middle East are looking to visit cities and tourist destinations that provide appropriate services to them as per their needs. Acting as a link between the governments and tourism industry stakeholders, the Dubai Accessible Tourism International Summit (DATIS) started off in 2019 to offer multi-dimensional benefits to organizations to strongly work with for bettering holidays for People with Disabilities. Key decision-makers, policy and urban planners and tourism and travel officials, along with social influencers and crucial market players, need to be sensitized about the changing public perceptions and for working in tandem for a long-lasting impact.

Summit’s Goals and Purposes
The Summit aims at highlighting the challenges faced by people with disabilities during their travel to cities. It is also to discuss the necessity to strengthen the legislations, laws, infrastructure and services catering to the needs of tourists with disabilities and their aspirations to explore the world with ease. The Summit represents an additional initiative with which the UAE is moving forward on its course to become among the best in the world in providing people with disabilities with the services and facilities that empower them with the opportunity to be self-dependent, serve their communities and explore their diverse capacities. The Summit aims to respond to these needs by making the places and facilities used or visited by tourists, including hotels, resorts, airports, transport and communication means, shopping malls, beaches, parks and museums accessible and friendly to the requirements of people with disabilities. The Summit is held annually with the participation of a host of international officials and specialists from the public and private sectors.

Summit’s History
The Summit’s inaugural edition took place under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, President of Dubai Civil Aviation Authority, Chairman of Dubai Airports and Chairman and Chief Executive of Emirates Airline & Group on November 5 and 6th 2019 at the Dubai International Convention and Exhibition Centre (DICEC). Its Strategic Partners were: Dubai Tourism, Emirates Airlines, Community Development Authority (CDA) Le Meridien Dubai Hotel & Conference Centre, J W Marriott Marquis Dubai  and Marhaba Service. The Opening Remarks were delivered by Her Excellency Hessa Buhumaid, UAE Minister of Community Development. The speakers included His Excellency Abdulla Mohammed Al Basti, Secretary General  of Dubai Executive Council, His Excellency Humaid Mohamed Al Qutami Director General, Dubai Health Authority (DHA), His Excellency Dawood Abdulrahman Al Hajri Director General  of Dubai Municipality, His Excellency Ahmad Abdul Kareem Julfar, Director General  of Community Development Authority (CDA), His Excellency Ahmad Mahboob Musabih, Director General  of Dubai Customs, His Excellency Issam AbdulRahim Kazim, CEO  of  Dubai Corporation for Tourism and Commerce Marketing, Majid Usaimi, Executive Director of Dubai Club for People of Determination, Abdulredha Alhassan, Executive Director  of Roads and Transport Authority (RTA),  Dr. Rayana Bou-Haka, Country Focus and Support Manager at Eastern Mediterranean Regional Office,  World Health Organization (WHO),  Anna Grazia Laura, President, European Network for Accessible Tourism (ENAT), Thekla Georgiou, Customer Care and PRM Coordinator, Hermes Airports, Paudie Healy, CEO of Universal Access Ireland, Keiji Kawahara, Executive Director Of International Association for Universal Design (IAUD, Japan, Steve Dering, Head of Engagement at Direct Access and Fred Maahs, COO of Travel for All.

Conclusion
Dubai Accessible Tourism International Summit International has become has desirable platform for decision-makers to enable cities become favourite tourism destinations for disabled people by offering them pleasurable holidays without hindrances. It is helping cities march towards converting themselves into fully accessible cities by incorporating Mobility in their initiatives and programmes to ensure Accessible Tourism grows by leaps and bounds in the next decade.