The Hellenic Ministry of Tourism and the OSSATE Team announced the 2nd International OSSATE Workshop on Accessible Tourism, to be held in Athens, Greece on 8th-9th September 2005.

The Workshop is organised as part of the OSSATE initiative, which is supported by the European Commission`s e Content Programme. This initiative will create a pan-European information service on the accessibility of tourist destinations and venues.

The Goal of the planned e-Service is to enable people with disabilities - and others who experience access problems when on holiday - to find appropriate and reliable information easily and effectively. Then they can choose destinations that really suit their needs and preferences.

Today, customer information about the accessibility of tourist venues in European countries varies tremendously, depending on which country you live in, which country you plan to visit, which languages you can speak or read, and the type of requirements you may have. OSSATE will build on the European experience that has been achieved in this field, and will provide an integrated approach to on-line and mobile cross-border services for accessible tourism.

At this Event in Athens, representatives from public sector bodies, the tourism industry and NGOs will present their experiences and plans for delivering Accessible Tourism Information, both in Greece and across the European Union, focusing especially on the role of information services and new media. The OSSATE Team will present its analysis of the state-of-the-art in Accessible Tourism Information Schemes. In break-out sessions, delegates will identify and discuss best practices for gathering and delivering access information, leading to recommendations for the planned OSSATE service network.

Participation is open to all organisations and individuals who are interested in accessible tourism in Europe. The Workshop will be a meeting point for learning and sharing knowledge, which will open up new opportunities for pan-European co-operation on accessible tourism issues.