MAKING TOURISM ACCESSIBLE FOR EVERYONE: VISION OF THE ACCESS CITY AWARD WINNERS

Öz

The Access City Award is an annual award given by the European Commission since 2011 and aims to recognize the efforts of cities to improve accessibility for people with disabilities and older people. The award recognizes the innovative and effective work that cities are doing for people with disabilities in areas such as the physical environment, transport, information and communication technologies. It also encourages tourism to become more inclusive and accessible: creating tourist destinations that are more suitable and accessible for people with disabilities, older people and people with reduced mobility. This article aims to examine the tourism-focused practices implemented in cities that have been comprehensively awarded the Access City Award between 2011 and 2024 and to evaluate the effects of these practices on urban tourism policies and spatial accessibility. As a result of the examinations, it was concluded that the Accessible City Award sets an example for other cities and contributes to the development of accessible tourism on a global scale, making tourism more inclusive and accessible.

Anahtar Kelimeler

• Accessible Tourism
• Access City Award
• Tourism
• Accessibility

TURİZMİ HERKES İÇİN ERİŞİLEBİLİR KILMAK: ERİŞİLEBİLİR KENT ÖDÜLÜ KAZANAN KENTLERİN VİZYONU

Öz

Erişilebilir Kent Ödülü (Access City Award), Avrupa Komisyonu tarafından 2011 yılından beri her yıl verilen bir ödüldür ve engelli bireylerin ve yaşlıların erişebilirliğini artırmak için kentlerin çabalarını tanımayı amaçlar. Bu ödül sayesinde kentlerin fiziksel çevre, ulaşım, bilgi ve iletişim teknolojileri gibi alanlarda engellilere yönelik yaptıkları yenilikçi ve etkili çalışmalar tanınır. Ayrıca bu ödüller sayesinde turizmin daha kapsayıcı ve erişilebilir hale gelmesi de teşvik edilir: engelli bireyler, yaşlılar ve hareket kısıtlılığı olan kişiler için daha uygun ve erişilebilir turistik destinasyonlar yaratılır. Bu makale, 2011–2024 yılları arasında Erişilebilir Kent Ödülü (Access City Award) almaya hak kazanan Turku, Krakow, Pamplona, Ljubljana, Arona, Chester, Lugo, Funchal, Viborg, Monteverde, Hanya, Bremerhaven, Florens, Palma, Córdoba ve Mérida kentlerinde hayata geçirilen turizm odaklı uygulamaları kapsamlı biçimde incelemeyi ve bu uygulamaların kentsel turizm politikaları ile mekânsal erişilebilirlik üzerindeki etkilerini değerlendirmeyi amaçlamaktadır. Yapılan incelemeler sonucunda Erişilebilir Kent Ödülü’nün diğer kentlere örnek teşkil ettiği ve küresel ölçekte erişilebilir turizmin gelişmesine katkıda bulunarak turizmi daha kapsayıcı ve erişilebilir hale getirdiği sonucuna varılmıştır.

Anahtar Kelimeler

• Erişilebilir Turizm
• Erişilebilir Kent Ödülü
• Turizm
• Erişilebilirlik

Kaynakça

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