HTSI offers a course on accessibility and inclusiveness for the tourism sector of Les Corts

HTSI offers a course on accessibility and inclusiveness for the tourism sector of Les Corts

This march, Mónica Cerdán, a professor and researcher at the School of Tourism and Hospitality Management Sant Ignasi (URL), offered a course on accessible tourism for the management of tourism businesses from the Les Corts district of Barcelona.

In the course, which was organized by the Barcelona City Council, the report “Accesibilidad en los establecimientos turísticos y comerciales del distrito de Les Corts” (Accessibility in tourist and commercial establishments in the Les Corts district) was presented. This study served as the basis for the course, as it sought to make tourism and commerce more accessible to individuals with intellectual disabilities and their families.

HTSI creates an advice manual on travellilng with children with autism

The Chair of Responsible Tourism and Hospitality of the School of Tourism and Hospitality Management Sant Ignasi (HTSI) has created an advice manual for traveling with children with autism. The manual, created in collaboration with the Provincial Council of Barcelona, the MRW Foundation and Vueling Airlines, provides useful information to help children with autism and their families travel on planes.

The Chair of Responsible Tourism, commited to improving the lives of people with intellectual disabilities

The Chair of Responsible Tourism and Hospitality of the School of Tourism and Hospitality Management Sant Ignasi (HTSI) has taken part in projects to improve the lives of people with intellectual disabilities in the tourism and recreation sector. These initiatives, driven by the Les Corts District, are part of the second phase of its Study for Improving Accessibility.

HTSI meets with the Japanese Ministry of Land, Infraestructure, Transport and Tourism

The School of Tourism and Hospitality Management Sant Ignasi (HTSI) met with the Japanese Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism (MLIT) to share its experience with sustainable tourism. The goal of the MLIT is to study advanced cases of sustainable tourism policies from abroad in order to develop and implement the “Tourism Vision to Support the Future of Japan” plan, prepared in March of 2016. One of the cities chosen as a reference by the Ministry is Barcelona.

Hisea Sogou, MLIT Senior Researcher; Kenta Okui, MLIT Research Officer; Hajime Kishi, Manager of the Japanese National Tourism Office (JNTO) in Madrid; Kenji Inoue, Executive Director of JNTO and the representatives of the SunBeam Co., Ltd consulting firm came to HTSI to study projects and success stories from the School’s Chair of Responsible Tourism and Hospitality. Daniela Freund, Vice Dean of Corporate and International Relations and Mónica Cerdán, Director of the HTSI Chair, were charged with welcoming the delegation. They explained the impact of tourism in Barcelona, and described how the Chair is carrying out multiple projects related to responsible tourism, accessibility and hospitality in collaboration with different public and private organizations.

HTSI and the Gran Teatre del Liceu present the “Alas para el Autismo” project in the 8th week for social responsibility in Catalonia

The School of Tourism and Hospitality Management Sant Ignasi (HTSI), part of Ramon Llull University, participated in the 8^th Week for Social Responsibility in Catalonia by explaining the project “Alas para el Autismo: cultura para todos sin barreras” (Wings for Autism: culture for all, without barriers) in collaboration with the Gran Teatre del Liceu Foundation. The project was presented as part of the round table entitled “Alianzas empresa y tercer sector” (Company and third-sector alliances).

At the event held at the seat of the General Archive of the Crown of Aragon in Barcelona on November 15, Mónica Cerdán, Director of the School’s Chair of Responsible Tourism and Hospitality, indicated that the goal of the project is to improve access to tourism and cultural activities for individuals with intellectual disabilities in general, and autism in particular. HTSI is currently preparing a manual on accessibility in collaboration with El Liceu and the Provincial Council of Barcelona, along with a number of scientific articles on an international scale to transmit the experience to other opera houses. Cerdán expressed her thanks for the involvement of institutions like the Barcelona City Council, the Barcelona Provincial Council and the Unesco Chair of Ramon Llull University in many of the HTSI Chair’s projects.

HTSI participates in the 8th Week for Social Responsibility in Catalonia

As part of the 8^th Week for Social Responsibility in Catalonia, on November 15 the School of Tourism and Hospitality Management Sant Ignasi (HTSI) will hold the conference “Wings for Autism: culture for all, without barriers” in Barcelona. Mónica Cerdan, Director of the HTSI Chair of Responsible Tourism and Hospitality and Irene Calvís, Head of the Social Project of the Gran Teatre del Liceu Foundation of Barcelona, will be speaking. The “Ales per a l’Autisme” (Wings for Autism) project will be presented at 12:30, as part of the general lecture entitled “Business and third-sector alliances”.

Accessible routes in the Les Corts district, a cultural opportunity for everyone

The City Council of Barcelona, as part of its commitment to accessibility, has organized a series of accessible routes or tourist itineraries in different city districts that are adapted to the specific needs of those with physical, sensory or intellectual disabilities. On the weekend of October 7 and 8, two guided tours of the Les Corts district were offered with the collaboration of the Chair of Responsible Tourism and Hospitality from the School of Tourism and Hospitality Management Sant Ignasi (HTSI), which was in charge of designing the adapted materials.

“We worked with the Barcelona City Council and, more specifically, the Les Corts district to design the routes and make them more understandable and accessible for all. We worked with elements of wayfinding, universal design and easy reading. At the same time, we created materials using braille and pictograms in relief to make the route more educational” explained Mónica Cerdán, Director of the HTSI Chair in Responsible Tourism and Hospitality.

HTSI participates in the Mediterranean Hospitality Forum

Daniela Freund, associate dean for Corporate and International Relations at the School of Tourism and Hospitality Management, was a speaker at the 2nd Mediterranean Hospitality Forum, which took place in Barcelona last December, within the framework of the Mediterranean Week of Economic Leaders.

The event, in which Freund presented HTSI’s Wings for Autism project, brought together hospitality industry experts who discussed the sector’s key challenges and unveiled ongoing solutions and initiatives to make hotel and tourism products more sustainable and successful.

One hundred children with Autistic Spectrum Disorder attend an operatic rehearsal at the Gran Teatre del Liceu in Barcelona

On November 12^th, the School of Tourism and Hospitality Management Sant Ignasi (HTSI) organized an Open Day at the Gran Teatro Liceu in Barcelona for 120 families of children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (TEA) attended a rehearsal of a family and school production “The Superbarber of Seville”. It is a pioneering experience realized for the first time in collaboration with the Liceu for this collective. This production will be for schools and starts on November 14 and for families and schools.

Open Day is part of the project “Wings for Autism” by the HTSI Responsible Tourism and Hospitality Chair at HTSI, with the support of the Paideia Foundation, the Aprenem Association and the IDAPP Institute. A dozen volunteers from the School gave their support to the families.

Training and awareness are key to meeting the demands of tourism and leisure groups with disabilities