The accessible tourism project by the Piedmont Region will be among the protagonists at the “Fa’ la cosa giusta” fair scheduled in Milan from March 22nd to 24th. A dedicated stand and a specific event will promote the “Via Francigena for All” project in Milan. This project was presented by the Piedmont Region in 2022 during a call for proposals from the Office of the Prime Minister on accessible and inclusive tourism for people with disabilities.
In particular, the talk-show scheduled for Sunday, March 24th at 3 p.m. in Piazza Terre di Mezzo will focus on the added value of training for tourism operators. This training enables visitors with disabilities to independently experience the Via Francigena through a range of services tailored to their specific needs. Speakers will include Franco Lepore, President of UICI Piedmont; Serafino Timeo, President of ENS Piedmont; Bruno Migliorati, President of CAI Piedmont, and an operator who participated in the training sessions. The journalist and writer Fabrizio Vespa will moderate the discussion.
The “Via Francigena for All” initiative, built around the historic route and cultural itinerary of the Council of Europe, concerns Via Francigena’s segments of the Canavese Ivrea-Viverone route and the Susa Valley variant Villar Focchiardo-Avigliana, along with neighboring territories. This initiative aims for innovation by embracing inclusive experiences from all angles. At the stand, visitors can obtain information about the cultural, naturalistic, sports, and gastronomic tourism offerings along the route, as well as updates on the project’s progress.
Numerous initiatives have been implemented or are underway: after making tourist offices accessible, training hospitality operators, and offering extracurricular internships in tourism for people with disabilities, the coming months will see the completion of green and accessible rest areas, the installation of multisensory panels along the routes and at 20 sacred sites (with visual, tactile, and Braille graphics, QR codes, NFC audio-video, and sign language in Italian and foreign languages). There will also be mapping of accessibility and usability of routes and tourist contexts for autistic adults. In May, there will be the “Walk in Blue” in support of Autism and the “I love Francigena” walk in collaboration with the European Association of the Via Francigena ways. In September, there will be the closing event.
For further details on project partners, updates on scheduled events, and ongoing developments, visit this link.
