May 03, 2004
É Inegável a Nossa Vocação Para o Turismo
"Our vocation to tourism is undeniable" stated Brazilian president Lula in the opening section of the country's first ever National Tourism Plan promulgated April 2003.
Yet, quoting professors Davis Gruber Sansolo and Rita de Cássia Ariza da Cruz in Nacional do Turismo: uma análise crítica " "Tourism is not only a question of vocation ... but is the result of cultural construction."
And the question of who constructs it is currently presenting the nation with a choice between imposing handicaps versus implementing universal design.
The ministry charged with repesenting persons with disabilities (CONADE) points out that nowhere in the tourism document are persons with disabilities addressed (below). In fairness, consultations with organizations representing persons with disabilites have taken place to remedy this oversight but the original systemic exclusion continues to have its repercussions on later initiatives such as Programa de Regionalização do Turismo - Roteiros do Brasil nos Estados.
The tourism plan is approaching its first anniversary as preparations continue for Brazil to host the international conference on Universal Design, "Designing for the 21st Century III." Perhaps the integration of the voices of Brazilian citizens with disabilities into the tourism planning process will succeed to such a degree that the gathering of international expertise can play a supportive role in the country's grand undertaking during the December, 2004 Universal Design conference .
From a news item on the CONADE declaration:
Conselho Nacional dos Direitos da Pessoa Portadora de Deficiência - CONADE aprovou, na XXVI Reunião Ordinária, realizada nos dias 01 e 02 de setembro, o Parecer nº 13/2003 acerca do Plano Nacional de Turismo.
No Parecer, o Conselho analisa o referido plano e constata que nenhuma referência é feita à acessibilidade ao turismo para as pessoas com deficiência, o que é considerado inadimissível uma vez que, segundo dados do IBGE, a questão da deficiência atinge diretamente 14,48% da população brasileira e indiretamente 43,44% dessa população (em números absolutos, isso significa, respectivamente, 24,6 milhões e 73,8 milhões de pessoas). Vale ressaltar que os hotéis, aeroportos, rodoviárias, restaurantes, museus etc, não estão preparados e adaptados para receber esta parcela significativa da população, que fica desta forma excluída do seu direito ao turismo, à cultura e ao lazer.
Source:
http://www.netfenix.com.br/genteciente/noticia.asp?t=0&i=5
As international tourists we have no more valuable advocate and ambassador of goodwill than the resident population of persons with disabilities when they are invited to be fully engaged as equal partners in the development of tourist destinations.
Those who work in destination development ought never forget the irreplaceable role and hard-earned wisdom-of-place that nourishes the "vocation" of the hospitality of the local citizenry.
Em fim o que se lembra a turista e a sabeduria e a hospedagem. Persegue o patrimonio cultural deles.
Posted by rollingrains at May 3, 2004 08:52 AM | TrackBack