Brussels, 12/11/2013 (Agence Europe) - At a ceremony on 11 November, the European Commission awarded the annual EDEN trophies. For the past six years, these prizes have been awarded to high-quality European tourist destinations. This year, the European Union sought to award tourist destinations that focused on sustainable tourism and access to persons with disabilities. Although tourism in the European Union is doing well, tourist destinations in the European Union still have to find ways of remaining competitive and accessing new markets in a difficult economic context, said the Commission.
In total, 19 destinations were awarded EDEN trophies. Representatives from the winning destinations were congratulated on the efforts made by their respective authorities to adapt the tourist packages they offer to economic, environmental and social contexts, making them accessible to people in wheelchairs, providing specially adapted bicycle hire facilities and adapting access to beaches and mountains. The Commission underlined that “these kinds of services and features make holidays more enjoyable for people with different kinds of special access needs: reduced mobility, visual impairments or learning difficulties; but also for senior citizens or families with children”. (IL/transl.fl)