Visitor Economy & Accessibility Stakeholder Group

The South West RDA has set up a South West Visitor Economy & Accessibility Stakeholder Group to look at the provision across the South West visitor economy for people with disabilities.

The aim is to improve the product offer and service to travellers with disabilities and their families.  In short, to make the South West the most accessible destination outside London by 2012 and leave a lasting legacy well beyond the  London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games.

The rewards for opening up our markets, especially during this economic downturn are vast.  With a spending power of around £80 billion, people with disabilities and their families are a market not to be ignored.

There is tremendous scope for training, development and improvement at all levels of the visitor economy; from airports and ports to accommodation providers, attractions, transport providers and information provision.

Contact the group

Key contacts for the industry are Anna Hamlyn from Hue's Piece at Paynes Farm (Gold award winner of the 2008 Access for All Award) who will be representing the accommodation providers in the region; Vicki Barnes from Paignton Zoo who will be representing the attractions from across the region, and Teresa Timms who is representing the Destination Management Organisations.

If you would like to hear more about this group and the work it will be seeking to do across the region then please do not hesitate to get in contact with the representatives above. 

Contact details are as follows:

Anna Hamlyn
annahamlyn@paynes-farm.co.uk

Vicki Barnes
Victoria.Barnes@paigntonzoo.org.uk

Teresa Timms
teresa.timms@cornwallenterprise.co.uk

Anna, Vicki, and Teresa will be keeping you all up to date via your own networks and asking for your input into the development of this agenda. 

Previous meeting

The group held its first meeting on 29th January 2009. One of the first agreed actions was to look at the information on accessibility held on the main regional websites.  Infrastructure will be developed so that new information can be supplied to improve the offer to visitors. Also the possibility of a mystery shopper style ‘journey experience for a visitor with disabilities' is being looked into with a number of mystery shoppers travelling, staying and visiting the region throughout March and April 09.