Scandic invited to be keynote speaker at international congress on tourism for people with disabilities

Magnus Berglund, Director of Accessibility, has been invited to be keynote speaker at the first international congress on tourism focused on travel for people with different types of disabilities – The World Summit Destinations for All – which is being held in Montreal, Canada from October 19 to 22, 2014.

The conference aims to be a forum for sharing best practice and experiences from countries, cities and companies with the aim of establishing international standards for accessible tourism. The United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) is one of the organizers of the event.

Magnus Berglund will speak about how the Scandic hotel chain has been a pioneer in accessible travel and how the company has become world leading in the area. At Scandic, everyone, with or without disabilities and regardless of type of disability, should be offered a positive hotel experience. For this reason, Scandic has developed an accessibility standard that covers all aspects of its hotel offering and that is an integrated part of all of its products and services. The chain has also included the accessibility perspective from the early stages of the building process, which means that accessibility for all is considered from the start in renovations, additions and new hotel projects. The result is stylish and smart design that functions for everyone.

“For us at Scandic, it is only natural that people who travel on business or for pleasure should be able to enjoy a hotel environment adapted to many different needs and specific requirements. This is a fundamental part of the way we work. Naturally we are happy when our accessibility our work in this area is highlighted in different situations – by our guests or by international organizations. It is with great pleasure that I will speak at an international congress, organized by UNWTO, that focuses on tourism for people with disabilities,” says Magnus Berglund, Director of Accessibility, Scandic.

According to UNWTO, approximately one billion people live with some kind of disability today. This corresponds to 15 percent of the world’s population. And the numbers are rising because we are living longer and travelling more frequently at higher ages. As recently as at the end of September, Scandic was nominated for the internationally recognized European Diversity Awards.

For more information, please contact:

Magnus Berglund, Director of Accessibility, Scandic, +46 709 73 50 77
Martina Tengvall, PR & Communications Director, Scandic, +46 709 73 50 70, martina.tengvall@scandichotels.com

See also www.destinationsforall2014.com and www.scandichotels.com/specialneeds

About the Nordic hotel chain Scandic

Scandic is the marketleading hotel operator in the Nordic countries with 41,912 rooms at 226 hotels. We operate within the middle-class hotel segment through our industryleading and well-loved Scandic brand as well as our new brand, HTL. Since its founding in 1963, Scandic has been a pioneer, driving development within the hotel industry which has also resulted in today’s high guest frequency rates and the biggest loyalty program in the Nordic hotel industry, Scandic Friends, with more than 1.3 million members. Responsibility has always been a part of our DNA and for the fourth year running, we have been designated the most sustainable hotel operator according to a Sustainable Brands survey.. www.scandichotels.com