Tourists with disabilities can visit local sites of interest with the assistance of especially trained guides.
INTRODUCING SPECIALISED tourism
This project is the first of its kind, as a Bulgarian Municipality introduces accessible tourism as a specialised tourist product and as an opportunity to create additional employment in tourism. It provides opportunities for two vulnerable social groups (disabled and unemployed people) and simultaneously develops tourism in the Municipality of Rila.
ACCESSIBLE TOURISM IN RILA
The Municipality of Rila offers its services to make tourism in its territory accessible, by providing specially trained assistants. Tourists with disabilities who would like to visit the sights in Rila can now choose and book a personal assistance guide via a website especially created for this service. The thirty personal assistance guides have been trained for this purpose, and had been economically inactive and unemployed before. As part of their training, the guides have received thorough preparation to work as personal guides and assistants for tourists with special needs.
improved social inclusion
The overall goal of the project was to improve access to employment and social inclusion for unemployed and disadvantaged people in the municipality. The specific objective was to create and popularise the service which provides accessible tourism for people with disabilities. This service not only leads to the better inclusion and social integration of people with physical disabilities, it also has an additional benefit of improving their mental and physical wellbeing. The efforts of the Administration of the Municipality of Rila undoubtedly resulted in improved labour market conditions and an improved social life for two groups of people.
