“Each project will receive funding of 430 thousand euros”

Three projects presented by municipalities in the Savona area and one by municipalities in the La Spezia area, corresponding to as many proposals aimed at developing a tourist offer characterized by the increase of experiences related to accessible and inclusive tourism. These are the four winners, chosen by a special evaluation commission composed of managers and officials of the Region, of the call for proposals relating to the initiative promoted by the Minister for Disabilities, in agreement with the Minister of Economy and Finance, the Minister of Labor and Social Policies and the Minister of Tourism, who allocated specific resources to the Regions.

In particular, almost 1,9 million euros have been allocated to Liguria: each project will be able to benefit from a maximum funding of 430 thousand euros which is subject to approval by the Department for Policies in Favor of Persons with Disabilities of the Presidency of the Council of Ministers.

“All 16 projects in the competition were very valid and interesting: we congratulate the four winners of this call dedicated to a very sensitive topic and for which the Liguria Region has always been very attentive. In this regard, the Guida Mare Accessibile, which will also be produced in 2025, and the ‘Liguria Accessibile’ section of the Lamialiguria website deserve a mention – state the regional councillors for Tourism Luca Lombardi and for social policies Massimo Nicolò – We are now awaiting the formal approval of the funding by the Presidency of the Council, after which it will be up to Agenzia InLiguria to take care of the promotion, information and communication actions of all the initiatives related to the winning projects.“.

At the closing of the call, last January 27, 16 applications had been received (4 for Genoa, 3 for Savona, 6 for Imperia and 3 for La Spezia) for a total of 77 Municipalities involved in the partnerships and numerous third sector entities. The contribution of the Consulta for the protection of the rights of the disabled person of the Liguria Region was important and made itself available to offer further support for the definition of the project actions.

The winning projects in detail

1. “All Together: From the Sea to the Mountain”: Pietra Ligure is the lead Municipality with partners the Municipalities of Loano, Finale Ligure, Borgio Verezzi, Tovo San Giacomo. Anffass Onlus section of Albenga is the third sector body involved.
   This is a project with events, experiences and workshops that are completely free and that everyone can participate in: able-bodied people or those with any type of disability, children and the elderly. The aim is to implement the transformation into a reality to encourage inclusive, deseasonalized tourism that is also aimed at the hinterland; to integrate services and equipment to best accommodate everyone; to raise awareness and understanding of disability and to work for the inclusion of people with disabilities in the workplace.
2. “Travels without Barriers (between sea, ceramics and history)”: Savona is the lead Municipality with partners the Municipalities of Albisola Superiore, Albissola Marina, Celle Ligure and Stella. Laltromare Onlus Social Cooperative, Bandiera Lilla Social Cooperative Society, Dafne Cooperative Society and the Albisola Ceramists Association are the entities involved.
   The project concerns the Municipalities of Baia della Ceramica and Stella, historically linked to the Savona coast. The challenge is to provide accessible tourism complementary to the sea to offer a panorama of possibilities beyond simple bathing which, although driving, cannot remain the only proposal of a rich and varied territory. Starting from one of the most attractive themes such as art and ceramics in particular, we want to provide everyone with the opportunity to enjoy ceramics not only as spectators, but as “authors”, increasing, through the creation of accessible experiential paths in the Municipalities, also in the museums present, the quality of tourism in the area by encouraging deseasonalization.
3. “ARIA – Hospitality, Reality, Inclusion, Accessibility Between Sea and River: a Path to Discover Together”: Levanto is the lead Municipality with partners the Municipalities of Bonassola, Brugnato, Borghetto Vara and Carrodano. Amici di Cesare, GiSAL and CeAD are the third sector entities involved.
   The main challenges concern the enhancement of accessible tourist infrastructures along nature trails for people with motor and visual disabilities and the activation of training internships in a contiguous territory, both in the field of work inclusion and of competent personnel in the field. The main objective is to enhance routes that respect the surrounding environment by creating a strong connection between the hinterland and the sea. The expected result is to have improved accessibility with the deseasonalization of tourist flows, creating the conditions for the realization of activities of cultural, sporting and environmental interest. The achievements concern the implementation of the trail network, in particular the religious path Via dei Monti, the creation of a sensory path for the blind, work and training inclusion that responds to the needs identified and experiential activities.
4. “Accessible Sun Bay”: Alassio is the lead Municipality with partners the Municipalities of Albenga, Laigueglia, Garlenda and Villanova d’Albenga. UILDM Italian Union for the Fight against Muscular Dystrophy – Albenga is the third sector body involved.

180 actions have been identified that will be implemented in parallel in different territories in the fields of mobility, experiential paths, digital equipment, communication actions, operator training and internships.