British television presenter and wheelchair basketball player Ade Adepitan is the official ambassador for the latest “Spain For All” campaign. Promoted by the Spanish Tourist Office, the campaign has been launched to underline the country’s commitment to improving accessibility and social inclusivity within the travel and tourism sector.
It comprises various initiatives “aimed at creating dialogue, sharing key learnings, and building a roadmap for better tourism inclusivity from a social and accessibility standpoint”, as well as a travel industry advisory panel to collate feedback and identify key challenges and opportunities to ensure positive progress.
According to the tourist office, Adepitan has spent significant time in Spain, living in Zaragoza for a period and travelling the length and breadth of the country both personally and professionally. His ambassadorship role includes consultancy services for the advisory panel, personal feedback on his own experiences of travelling around the country as a wheelchair user, and endorsement of the campaign.
He will also be playing a role during Spain Sustainability Day on 17 April, with a part of the day dedicated to social sustainability and accessibility.
“I am ecstatic to work alongside the Spanish Tourist Office on the ‘Spain For All’ campaign,” said Adepitan. “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.”
The campaign follows a U.K. survey conducted by Opinium on behalf of the Spanish Tourist Office in December 2023 which asked 1,800 U.K. adults for their thoughts on how accessible Spain is as a travel destination – with 86 percent of respondents considering Spain to be “very or quite” accessible.
“We are delighted to have Ade Adepitan on board as the ambassador for ‘Spain For All’,” said Manuel Butler, director of the Spanish Tourist Office (U.K.). “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.”
Corvera Airport Murcia is fully compliant with EU regulations when providing services for travellers with disabilities or reduced mobility, including special assistance when required.