The completion day of the project entitled "Accessible Nature and Culture - Sustainable Tourism" and acronym In-Heritage was held on Wednesday, June 28, 2023, at the Sotiras Municipality Social Services Center, implemented as a partner by the Sotiras Municipality.
The Municipality of Sotiras participated in the corporate structure of the Action entitled "Accessible Nature and Culture - Sustainable Tourism" led by the Municipality of Rethymno and partners the Municipality of Agia Napa, the Municipality of Sotiras and the National Confederation of Persons with Disabilities.
The project concerns the upgrading of the cultural and other event spaces of the three Municipalities to make them accessible to people with disabilities and with the ultimate goal of developing common strategies and tools with the exchange of best practices to improve the quality of life and the cohesion of the social fabric of the cities.
Specifically, as part of the action, the Municipality of Sotiras implemented several actions, such as the drafting of a study for accessibility to the Municipality's event spaces, the installation of three elevators for the disabled, which includes the purchase of a mobile elevator for use at the events at the Municipality's locations, the upgrading of the entrances of the Municipal Garden Theatre, Municipal Theater and Sotiras Municipal Hall, the creation of parking areas and external accesses around the Municipal Hall with the installation of plaques on the sidewalks around the perimeter with guides for the blind, the installation of signs for the disabled at the Municipal Theater, the Municipal Garden Theater and the Municipal Building, with warning signs and the legally prescribed signaling and the renovation of existing toilets with all the necessary equipment, so that they become usable and accessible for the disabled.
At the same time, the Municipality of Sotiras has already completed the construction of a shelter and seats for the disabled at the Sotiras Municipal Stadium, which includes the installation of a ramp and a platform for the disabled with the installation of metal beams, decks and railings, while it has carried out training for its office and labor staff as well as its staff A community kindergarten that is on the front line of service for the public with disabilities.
Mayor Sotiras: "The need for accessibility is imperative"
As the Mayor of Sotiras, Mr. George Takkas, said in his greeting, the Municipality of Sotiras invests a lot in culture and the provision of all forms of entertainment and educational activities to its citizens and the residents of the wider Famagusta District, organizing every year a multitude of cultural and other events, which are held in the cultural event spaces of the Municipality.
With the consolidation, as he mentioned, of the cultural events that take place in Sotira, it had become imperative to establish a modern communications network and develop structures that provide services to vulnerable population groups such as people with disabilities with the aim of improving the quality of life and strengthening social policy of the Municipality.
He pointed out, at the same time, that accessibility for everyone in event spaces, products and services is everyone's obligation while he emphasized that it must be an integral part of every responsible and sustainable policy of a Municipality and that the emphasis on accessibility issues and the focus on attracting disabled tourism brings a new model of economic development in the Municipality, with unique prospects for development and business activity.
In closing, he thanked for the perfect atmosphere of cooperation that prevailed, prevails and will prevail, as he said, between the three Municipalities and ESAMEA, the cordial cooperation between the officials of the Municipality and the other partners, but also the great success that the action has experienced , as well as all contributors for the many hours of effort they have put into planning and implementing the project.
Accessible Nature and Culture – Sustainable Tourism
The Municipality of Rethymno with the National Confederation of Persons with Disabilities (E.S.A.me.), on behalf of the Greek side, and the Municipality of Agia Napa with the Municipality of Sotiras, on behalf of the Cypriot side, are implementing the Action "Accessible Nature and Culture - Sustainable Tourism", with the acronym "IN-HERITAGE" (MIS:5050132), which has been approved and is financed within the framework of the Cross-Border Cooperation Program Interreg Greece-Cyprus 2014-2020, with co-financing from the European Regional Development Fund and from national resources of the countries participating in the Program.
Details of the Act
The IN-HERITAGE Action concerns the improvement of accessibility to natural and cultural sites in the three municipalities, the highlighting and promotion of these sites and the development of common strategies and tools aimed at tourism for all.
The cross-border region, and especially the three municipalities of Rethymnon, Ayia Napa and Sotiras, are popular tourist destinations with exceptional natural and cultural features. Given the need to improve the quality of the tourist product, the extension of the tourist season and the expansion of the share of the tourist market they hold, the three municipalities are systematically engaged in an effort to attract new categories of visitors, such as, for example, people aged XNUMX and those with disabilities and/or reduced mobility.
Project Website: https://in-heritage.eu/el
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