TV personality Ade Adepitan is to front a new Spanish Tourist Office campaign designed to underline the country’s commitment to improving accessibility and social inclusivity within the travel and tourism sector.
He has been confirmed as the official ambassador for the ‘Spain for All’ initiative which includes a travel industry advisory panel to identify key challenges and opportunities and help build a roadmap towards positive progress.
The campaign follows a UK survey in December which asked 1,800 UK adults for their thoughts on how accessible Spain is as a travel destination with 86% considering Spain to be ‘very or quite’ accessible.
Adepitan has spent significant time in Spain having lived in Zaragoza and has travelled throughout the country both personally and professionally.
His role includes consultancy services for the advisory panel, personal feedback on his own experiences of travelling around Spain as a wheelchair user, and endorsement of the campaign.
He is also playing a role at the Spain Sustainabily Day on April 17, with part of the event dedicated to social sustainability and accessibility.
Adepitan said: “I am ecstatic to work alongside the Spanish Tourist Office on the ‘Spain for All’ campaign. This type of campaign can truly have a life changing impact on one of the most neglected communities in the world – the disabled community.
“Overall, I already rank Spain highly when it comes to accessibility provisions and infrastructure, but we need to educate everyone who works in the tourism industry about how to cater for people with disabilities.
“We should not be seen as a burden and should be treated with the same respect as all paying customers. When you are dealing with a person with a disability, you should not make assumptions about what they can and can’t do. Ask them what they need and listen to them, listen to hear and not to challenge, and always have a can-do attitude.
“I believe this campaign could be one of the most important moments in the history of Spanish tourism. The disabled community has billions of pounds of spending power, but until now nobody has ever taken a serious look at how to give us that five-star service experience.”
Spanish Tourist Office UK director Manuel Butler said: “We are delighted to have Ade Adepitan on board as the ambassador for ‘Spain for All’.
“Having spent time all over Spain, from Zaragoza to Ibiza, Ade is the perfect champion to support the Spanish Tourist Office’s objective of making Spain accessible to all.
“We hope to learn from Mr Adepitan and our peers in the travel industry to better understand the challenges people with accessibility needs face as we continue to advocate for a more inclusive travel sector.”