Raia/La Raia Border Route Strategic Plan

(PDPTours) Platform and development of tourism products

In drawing up the strategic plan, PDPTours aims to achieve the proposed objectives and develop a sustainable tourism product that is at the same time compatible for everyone without exception, optimizing economic and social benefits and with a special focus on people with special needs.

Special thanks to Sílvio Gil Martins from the #AccessibleEU community of practice for his willingness to contribute.

Special thanks also to Ana Garcia, director of Accessible Portugal;

Claudia Peralta Former Director of SLP Municipal Tourism;

Tatiana Alemán Selva Consultant at Ilunion Accesibilidad

Auditing a destination is usually one of the first steps in getting to know the situation before planning any improvements and/or developing new tourism products and services. The audit provides essential information for the project's KPIs and guides the development of the work.

Involving people with disabilities in a consultative or participatory way demonstrated commitment to and appreciation of visitors/customers with disabilities. Consulting people with disabilities demonstrated a real commitment to the universal accessibility of spaces and services. It is also an asset in terms of knowledge about specific accessibility issues that is difficult to obtain otherwise. Involving these people in destination accessibility audits can provide a user perspective on existing conditions. Local organizations of people with disabilities can bring more specific knowledge that can be used to enrich information for tourists about access to places and services. By involving people with disabilities from the outset and taking their opinions into account, services and destinations can be made more accessible.

The strategic plan was developed in three phases, the first and second of which have already been completed.

Sílvio Gil Martins took part in the #AccessibleEU - Spain forum on monitoring and good practice in accessibility in municipalities: 😀 👏

First phase

1. analysis of the environment, the situation of current tourist activity and the area in which it takes place;

2. analysis of resources;

3. synthesizing previous information and drawing up conclusions;

4. selection of objectives and strategies;

5. development, detailing specific actions.

Transforming cities, the methodology we designed to assess the level of accessibility of Spanish cities, at a conference organized by the hashtag#AccessibleEU

Context

Indicator system as a quantitative or qualitative measurement tool,

Strategies, which are applied in the different fundamental areas of a society, such as the economy, education, the environment or basic well-being.

How to target and apply strategies for vulnerable groups

A transversal approach, analyzing the built environment for this purpose,

Sustainable Development Goals "Leave no one behind".

From the perspective of people with disabilities, the European Disability Resource Center (AccessibleEU) believes that the lack of accessibility for people with disabilities needs to be addressed.

a transversal approach, analyzing built environments for this purpose,

digital environments and the different processes and services to which they apply.

Finally, it is necessary to limit the scope of the indicators to a limited geographical area.

A limited geographical area, with a good use case being the application of these systems in cities, as a service provider to the citizens who live there.

cities, as a service provider to the citizens who live there.

An accessible and inclusive city will be one that, through its processes,

infrastructure and services guarantees the right to autonomy and personal development for all people in safe and comfortable conditions, thus raising the quality of life and ensuring equal opportunities for all its inhabitants.

The right to the autonomy and personal development of all people in conditions of safety and comfort, thus raising the quality of life and ensuring equal opportunities for all its inhabitants.

The second phase answered three basic questions:

a) Where are we?

b) Where do we want to go?

c) How will we get there?

Conclusions from the first and second phases of the plan.

In most cases, private resources are mixed with collective resources (geonatural, cultural, etc.), and it will also be necessary to create specific infrastructure, equipment and services for the development of the tourist destination.

It's quite clear that when a tourist decides to go on a trip, they know perfectly well that they won't be staying in a hotel or camping site, but visiting the city, the woods, the monuments, etc. Therefore, a tourist's satisfaction will be given by a series of experiences that range from the moment they unpack their bags to the moment they return home. And between these two actions there are a wide variety of experiences that will condition the tourist's stay in the place. In other words, there are many factors that will vary the final value of the experience tourists have.

A large part of the areas to which the entrepreneur cannot respond is the responsibility of the public administration, hence the need for cooperation between the two sectors.

Urban planning that is inclusive of all people and respectful of the environment.

The relationship between businesspeople and administrations must be based on active management shared by both parties, in order to promote development plans with a future perspective and high economic value. Close collaboration between both sectors is essential, fundamentally in the involvement of public administrations in an active management process and in the contribution of capital to maintain projects.

We mention the following:

- Sponsorship of the necessary infrastructure;

- Sponsorship of tourism training;

- Financing private initiatives;

- Support for the idea and design of new products and destinations;

- Adequate maintenance of services, infrastructure and equipment.

The collaborative platform PDPTours is creating a considerable relationship between the public and private sectors in the municipalities of Almeida and Cidade Rodrigo. Castelo Branco, Covilhã and Cáceres We are currently directing joint efforts in favor of the experience process that each consumer is looking for. From the beginning until the service is provided, the public and private sectors must move together to the same place.

The main effort is focused on the integral management of all the products that operate within the same destination. The four major economic players in the sector (state administration, local administration, institutions and private companies), have their specific weight in each phase of the process of creating the tourist experience.

If we want to steer future activity towards higher levels of quality and opt for sustainable tourism. Greater collaboration and the search for new organizational models will be necessary to develop more effective active management shared by both parties, with the key factor being coordination between everyone.

We're learning, sharing and discussing really interesting things about hashtag#AI and hashtag#accessibility at the hashtag#AccessibleEU Spain workshop: Artificial Intelligence vs. Human Intelligence: Empathy, Leadership and Creativity.

We began the third phase of the strategic plan by taking part in the major European event AccessibleEU on accessible urban design: Smart Cities:

1- The aim is to draw up an agreement that will serve as a benchmark for everyone. This agreement aims to establish the different commitments that need to be made, such as how the companies interested in the Raia/La Raia route should work or how the different hotel congress organizers should collaborate. The result of this agreement is enormously positive, since it allows all professionals, companies and associations to have a common point of reference and, when the aim is to organize some kind of event in a given location, this document guarantees a type of service with a certain quality.

2- Product package design

2.1- Central reservations

Accumulation of hotel and food products for immediate booking with alternative offers. Having a sophisticated information system and free direct contact lines for customers.

Combining products to form packages that offer a more competitive price. By combining products into packages.

Choosing the right distributor system means selecting the right intermediaries to work with. With them we will seal the contractual agreements and alliances that will enable us to achieve our commercial objectives.

2.2- Functions of the distribution channel

The main functions carried out by distributors are:

* Carrying out product promotions and offers

*Personalized contact with new customers

*Having the resources to finance operations in the channel.

2.3- Establishing exclusive relationships between companies and P&DP.

*Ensuring that commissions are paid on time

*Collaboration between companies

*Encourage a two-way flow of information between PDPT and companies to streamline processes.

*Providing detailed information on facilities and services, payment systems, etc., by means of the necessary communication elements, such as leaflets, magazines, etc.

*Collaboration between companies and local entities in organizing visits or promoting the FAM.

*Organizing regular conventions or seminars for travel agents, in order to retrain them or bring them up to date on new technologies or advances.

*Providing reliable information on promotions, discounts and offers on new packages or products, sufficiently in advance for the agency or client to design their sales programs.

3- Channel behaviour and organization

Since the distribution system is made up of several companies that relate to each other in order to obtain a common benefit. Relationships of dependence are established, as each company performs a task which the other needs to a greater or lesser extent in order to carry out its own. This means that they inevitably work as a team.

3.1- Vertical contractual system: Independent companies with different levels of production united by contracts.

Alliances: Agreements designed so that each party benefits from the advantages offered to the other.