The aim of the GATE project is to facilitate the spreading of inclusive tourism as a key to area development. The project aims to undertake activities including spatial planning on a cross-border level, starting with places which are particularly suited to providing a qualified and qualifying access for the visitor, integrating existing features with useful informational and inclusive communication tools.
WP1 Project management
WP leader: UNESCO Dolomites Foundation
The First Work Package is dedicated to the coordination of the initiative, general monitoring of the project and financial reporting of its activities and foreseen expenses. A Coordination Committee was created to strengthen the management system, composed of representatives for each organisation and chaired by the lead partner. The Coordination Committee collaborates with the lead partner to guarantee smooth financial reporting and ensure that the desired results are reached.
WP2 Communication
WP leader: UNESCO Dolomites Foundation
Definition of the scenario
The communication strategy designed for the GATE project takes into consideration the current state of the region in which it is developed, its strengths and the points to be improved, working primarily to develop the concept of inclusive tourism and consequently the sustainable economic growth of the area.
GATE develops in an alpine and pre-alpine territory with an enormous natural, landscape and geological value, that is also recognised as a world heritage.
Key messages and ideas
The project centres on sustainability in the environmental, ecological, tourism, inclusion and accessibility sectors.
The following messages are conveyed:
- Enhancing the alpine and pre-alpine area and its natural and cultural heritage by developing accessible tourism
- Diversity as a state of normality
- Reducing differences
- Freedom of movement
- Accessible alpine areas allowing everyone to participate on a physical, cognitive, emotional and social level
- With the GATE project, disability and normality are simply points of view
- Large scale usability of the alpine heritage from an experiential and perceptive viewpoint
- Cooperating to ensure an enriching tourism experience for all
- More inclusive tourism in the Dolomites through cross-border cooperation and the use of new technologies
Our aims
The communication plan aims at disseminating the project’s contents and activities, increasing awareness of both the public and the stakeholders on such topics, informing the public, strengthening and widening the involvement and participation of target groups, promoting the project, its objectives and its contents.
WP 3 Cross-border study and research group
WP leader: University of Innsbruck
The WP3 applies the most up-to-date scientific discoveries to the reality of accessible tourism.
The planned activities in this WP are:
TASK 1 – Analysis of the best practices
- Analysing the best practices on an international level, with particular focus on the development of accessible tourism and on the routes in the Alpine and Dolomitic area, as well as on parks and natural attractions;
- Transferring and mainstreaming the success factors of good practices to the Interreg regions, taking into account the “Strategic Programmes for Tourism Development” designed by he various regions;
TASK 2 – Stakeholder management
- Qualitative analysis of the stakeholders, directed towards the recognition and assessment of the demands and expectations of the actors as concerns the enhancement of natural heritage. Furthermore, assessment of waiting times of potential tourists, to be carried out in collaboration with platforms such as ENAT – European Network for Accessible Tourism
TASK 3 – Monitoring and Assessment
- Planning and monitoring the efficiency of the activities, as well as assessing their practical realisation under a quality viewpoint, with the support of the IT (Information Technology) features at the planned pilot sites for the GATE project, including proposals for improvement and participation in disseminating the results.
WP 4 Development of accessible online tools
WP leader: Coopertiva Sociale Independent L.
The accessibility of online tools is fundamental in the promotion of accessible tourism, recognised by the UNO 2007 Convention as part of the “Rights of disabled persons” and by EU guidelines. This involves designing and programming the tools and having them tested by people who are partially-sighted, blind, partially or completely deaf, people with impaired motor and cognitive skills and the elderly, and then making the necessary adjustments based on the results.
TASK 4.1 – Developing accessible online tools
The GATE project doesn’t develop new tourism promotion portals (as they are already present across these areas), but makes the re-programmed modules available to these and other websites both on a front-end (display) and back-office (input mask) level, creating new and innovative tools, starting with the development of the altoadigepertutti.it ones.
An online application with responsive design for mobile devices will be developed to make the multimedia contents of the pilot sites accessible and will be available for use by third parties that intend to take advantage of the technologies implemented in WP5 by proposing accessible multimedia contents in other parts of the region.
The application shall provide:
- General information on the tourist site;
- Information on security and accessibility;
- Contents concerning culture and landscape.
and shall support multiple languages, including sign language.
TASK 4.2 – App for sustainable mobility
Independent L. has already created an app that allows to display disabled parking spaces. This app will be fitted with a function to show whether a space is free or occupied thanks to the installation of 20 sensors in the car parks. The choice of appropriate geo-referential maps (Google Maps, iOS Maps or OpenStreetMaps) will be based on the results of an analysis of the planned interfaces (OpenDataHub). The project aims to implement the app all over the cooperative area, starting with the pilot sites.
Project Background
This project aims to enhance and increase an experience already started in the Autonomous Province of Bolzano by Independent L.
In November 2016, the cooperative launched an app for iOS and Android-accessible that allows visitors to display all of the reserved parking spaces for people in possession of a disabled parking permit in South Tyrol on their own mobile phones. The app was enhanced with useful images and comments regarding the accessibility and ease of use of the parking spaces. This system could potentially be implemented as a first inclusive app in all parking areas (blue zones, electric recharging stations, covered car parks, ski lifts, rail stations and lines etc.) and extended to private and public passenger transport. In this way, the app would function as an essential tool in enhancing accessibility and mobility in the cooperative area.
The Autonomous Province of Bolzano has already expressed its desire to extend this service.
The new proposed intervention
- Extension across the entire region
Starting from the existing “model”, the zone will be widened; first to the areas where the partner companies are based, then progressively to all towns, cities, alpine and dolomitic regions. A suitable interface and secure and reliable back office system will be developed, which can be used easily by everyone. Google Maps and Apple Maps will be added as front-end outputs, comprising all street maps. Once the geo-referenced and annotated data have been revealed, they will be visible and accessible on tablets and smartphones. - Implementing the sensors
The GATE project also includes the planned implementation of sensors signalling whether a parking space is free or occupied, therefore resolving the main weak point of the current service. Various companies have designed sensors that don’t require constant electrical power, instead fixed with small batteries/accumulators that guarantee 5 years working time, even underground.
The GATE project intends to launch 20 of these sensors within the pilot sites presented in WP5 on an experimental basis, monitoring their usefulness, functioning and how they are perceived by disabled tourists/visitors.
This plan will also take advantage of the already existing database, using it as a model to pursue the objectives of WP5 and in particular of the Geoparc site. The widening of the partner regions will be achieved by incorporating the maps into the CMS (Content Management System).
The app will be integrated with the tools designed to publicise the multimedia contents of tourist areas.
TASK 4.3 – Multimedia contents for the pilot sites
The multimedia contents will be enhanced within the already existing portals. Through the app, the contents will be available on the spot via the internet or available for downloading on one’s device before visiting.
WP 5 Pilot actions for accessibility
WP leader: Comune di Santorso
The aim of this WP is to test and demonstrate the efficiency of different technological solutions that allow accessibility to the sites, in order to enrich the experience of all visitors.
5.1 – Accessible Dolomites, a place for everyone: GEOPARC VR
Virtual Reality (VR) allows everyone to have an interactive experience in a simulated reality and will be introduced in the Bletterbach gorge (www.bletterbach.info), where you can leaf through more than 40 million years of the Earth’s history. Thanks to VR, those who are unable to complete the visit due to physical obstacles on the route will be able to experience it too.
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5.2 – Santorso, Parco Rossi, augmented reality and chatbot
Parco Rossi (www.parcorossi.it) is an accessible and multimedia park. Augmented reality will be introduced into the park by way of the CHATBOT system and Artificial Intelligence. Stories and reconstructions of the park will be integrated into the chat. An integrated multimedia communication system will complete the intervention, available in IT, DE, EN and ISL.
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5.3 – Salzburg, a participative project
„Kinderleicht Wandern“ of SalzburgerLand Tourismus is a new offer of easy hikes for families with small children and prams in the Pongau region. The hikes are georeferenced and described with information and maps for access with mobile devices. Furthermore the pilot site explores how families can share online with others experiences and images from the easy hikes.
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5.4 – Alpago, talking paths
10 audio-guides in IT, DE and EN will be introduced, also available in text format for the hearing impaired, and 5 descriptive panels in IT, DE, EN and braille will be installed. The trail signs will include systems for the visually impaired. The contents will be geo-located and available both online and offline on the visitors’ own devices.
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