Improving the access of vulnerable groups to the labour market in the sector of tourism and hospitality
The Ministry of Tourism and Sports has contracted 41 projects valued at a total of HRK 61,756,151.93 (85% - European Social Fund, 15% - State budget) as part of the public invitation “Improving the access of vulnerable groups to the labour market in the sector of tourism and hospitality” that has been active since 2018. The activities of the projects focus on implementing educational programmes in the tourism and hospitality sector through which vulnerable groups (younger than 25, older than 54, persons with disabilities, long-term unemployed) are trained to work in the sector, while at the same time the experts from the tourism and hospitality sector are trained to work with vulnerable groups.
A total of 33 projects has been completed, of which 19 were completed in 2021, while 8 more are still under implementation. So far, a total of HRK 52,238,952.74 has been paid to users, of which HRK 5,701,057.10 was paid in 2021. In 2021, three more projects have been extended due to the pandemic caused by COVID-19. Regarding the vulnerable group of persons with disabilities, 189 persons with disabilities are planned to be educated by the end of the contract period, and 148 of them have been educated by the end of 2021.
In March 2021, the second phase of the invitation “Improving the access of vulnerable groups to the labour market in the sector of tourism and hospitality” was announced under the title “Improving the access of vulnerable groups to the labour market in the sector of tourism and hospitality II”. The Invitation is intended exclusively for the target group of persons with disabilities, and the intention is to include at least 1350 unemployed persons with disabilities and at least 18 experts from the tourism and hospitality sector (lecturers and mentors) who will improve their professional and andragogical skills for working with persons with disabilities. The total financial allocation within this Invitation is HRK 27,655,000.00, of which the lowest amount of grants that can be awarded to individual projects is HRK 500,000.00, and the highest is HRK 2,500,000.00. The Invitation envisages the financing of at least 14 projects, and the signing of the grant agreement is expected in the first quarter of 2022.
Even though the Ministry of Tourism and Sports was not able to perform activities related to raising the awareness on social inclusion of persons with disabilities or to promote and present such projects/project promoters due to COVID-19, in April 2021 the Ministry held an online information workshop for the Invitation “Improving the access of vulnerable groups to the labour market in the sector of tourism and hospitality II” and in November, the Ministry made promotional material that will be distributed to future users of the projects that are part of the Invitation.
The Ministry of Tourism and Sports encouraged inclusion through tenders and public invitations by giving extra points, either for employing persons with disabilities on a project, or for accessibility elements realized during the project.
Public tourism infrastructure development programme
Since 2013, The Ministry of Tourism and Sports has been implementing the Public tourism infrastructure development programme (intended for the public sector) so the public invitations in question involved the criterion of adapting projects to persons with disabilities, which brought additional points (where possible - e.g. beaches and bathing areas, visitor centres and interpretation centres). Thus, the accessibility of the project to persons with disabilities was additionally valuated for beach and bathing projects: providing access and mobility to persons with disabilities or with reduced mobility (ramps/lifts for the disabled, toilets for the disabled) and adapting the project to other vulnerable groups.
The accessibility of the project to persons with disability was additionally valuated in visitor and interpretation centres: providing access and mobility to persons with disabilities or with reduced mobility (ramps/lifts for the disabled, toilets for the disabled, Braille markings, tactile guidance strips, project's accessibility to information and communication for the deaf and blind) and adapting the project to other vulnerable groups.
The project Croatian digital tourism - e-Tourism
The Ministry of Tourism and Sports is the leader of the Croatian digital tourism - e-Tourism project. The project partners are the Croatian National Tourist Board, the Split-Dalmatia County Tourist Board and the Split-Dalmatia County, and the project is co-financed by the European Structural and Investment Funds (ERDF and ESF).
The goal of the project is to improve the communication between citizens and the public administration in tourism, as well as to increase the efficiency and transparency of the public administration in providing public services in tourism to citizens by establishing eight quality, fast and user-oriented services on higher informatization level: Central Tourist Register, Administrative proceeding in categorisation of hospitality and tourism objects and issuing decisions to tourism service providers, Non-administrative procedures and grants for tourism development, Check-ins and check-outs, Providing tourist information and promotion of Croatian tourism, Central portal for tourism development, Mobile application for monitoring the processing of requests for administrative and non-administrative procedures and check-ins and check-outs, Mobile application for selected priority forms of tourism for the promotion of Croatian tourism with modules.
The purpose of the tourist-information portal 'croatia.hr', within the competence of the Croatian Tourist Board, is to provide tourist information and data, and the promotion of Croatian tourism in one central place. The tourists will be able to access all information and content relevant to the preparation and planning of their visit and stay in Croatia. The tourist agency system in collaboration with the Croatian Tourist Board will be in charge of entering information on the portal croatia.hr if the service provider offers content and services adapted to persons with disabilities.
The project is based on
the inclusion of persons with disabilities from two aspects, as users: applications adapted to the needs of certain disabilities on one hand, and the information on the accessibility of the destination, objects, tourist services and products on the other. All applied solutions in this project will be adapted in their design to persons with disabilities. The accessibility of all previously mentioned e-services will be ensured before production, through certification procedures (testing and alignment).
Announcements
1. Publication of the public tender Co-financing of projects of associations in 2022
The tender is divided in two programme areas:
- PP1 - projects that encourage choosing a career in tourism
- PP2 - projects on raising awareness on accessible tourism
The publication is expected by the beginning of May.
II. Workshops “
Tourism - accessible to all”
In cooperation with the Office of the Ombudsperson for Persons with Disabilities, the Ministry will organize regional workshops that aim to raise awareness on the needs and opportunities of the development of accessible tourism.
The target groups are:
- accommodation service providers
- tourist boards
- representatives of local and regional self-government units
- representatives of local development agencies
- representatives of persons with disabilities
More coming soon!
