Thailand to introduce disabled-friendly tourism routes

The Thai government plans to create eight routes through the country that will be completely accessible to visitors with disabilities.  Thailand’s Minister for Tourism and Sports, as she launched the initiative , at the United Nations’ World Tourism Day conference in Bangkok. The routes will cover each of Thailand’s eight major regions and will be designed for anyone who finds travel and

tourism challenging, whether because of a physical disability or because of age, or a sight or hearing impairment. Mrs Wattanavrangkul admitted that improvements needed to be made in the country: “to better understand the challenges I personally tried to reach the hotel in a wheelchair and it wasn’t possible. it all starts with ‘Universal Design’ to make sure proper facilities are in place. There must be public and private sector co-operation that apply cultural standards that are also suited for local populations.”

  

The first trial route will journey through Khon Kaen Province in northeastern Thailand, and will aim to eliminate any gaps in accessibility from arrival to departure of the visitor.

The scheme will then be replicated around the rest of the country. Khon Kaen Province is home to the large university town of Khon Kaen and Nam Nao National Park, an important nature reserve sheltering an abundance of wildlife including elephants, gibbons, barking deer, flying squirrels and Malayan sun bears.

World Tourism Day is an annual conference hosted by the United Nations World Tourism Organisation (UNTWO). The theme of this year’s event was ‘Tourism for All “