Costa Cruises, AISM (Italian Multiple Sclerosis Association) and the Costa Crociere Foundation have announced the results of a joint project aimed at making vacations increasingly accessible to people with impaired mobility. As part of the project, guests with disabilities will be able to participate in group shore excursions, at no extra cost, with accessibility verified by AISM, in accordance with the most advanced international good practices.
The new tours, called "Adagio Tours", will be available for booking from January 1, 2019, for Mediterranean cruises on the flagship Costa Diadema. At every port of call, at least one group excursion will be offered that is accessible to everyone, including guests with impaired mobility, and this is available at no extra cost.
The list of tours currently includes visits to the cities of Genoa, Marseilles, Barcelona, Palermo, Rome, Palma de Mallorca and Cagliari. "Adagio Tours" have been developed considering the needs of all our guests who want to enjoy their chosen destinations at a slower pace, with more time to discover or rediscover them. They are therefore particularly suited to parents with strollers, elderly guests or people with permanent or temporary mobility impairments.
The programs for these excursions have been devised, tested and checked with the contribution of 15 women with multiple sclerosis, trained and selected by AISM thanks to the "WAT! Women Accessibility Tourism” program funded by the Costa Crociere Foundation. These women – some with no permanent job, others who are students, recent graduates or part-time workers, attended a specific 160-hour training course on land and on board Costa ships, benefiting from the experience of AISM and a team of excursion experts from Costa Cruises.
Following this training, starting with a few excursions already included in the Costa offer, they contributed to planning the tours, testing them first hand and taking into consideration every detail relating to accessibility, route mapping, tourism experiences, making the most of local attractions. The skills gained will also help the 15 women find employment in the field of sustainable tourism.
The Adagio Tours supplement the other services Costa already offers guests with disabilities on board its fleet. All company ships include appropriately fitted cabins with all the comforts required and free of any architectural barriers. Guests who need special assistance can also benefit from free travel for an accompanying person staying in the cabin with them. Priority boarding and landing services and reserved seats at the theater, on the pool decks and in the buffet restaurants are also guaranteed.
AISM is dedicated to all aspects of multiple sclerosis. It takes an overall approach to its work that encompasses the rights of people with MS, social services and health care and the promotion, guidance and funding of scientific research. AISM has been operating since 1968 and is a not-for-profit social promotion association with local branches and volunteering activities across Italy.
For more information, visit www.costacruise.com.
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