INCLAVI the Took Spotlight in Madrid's FITUR Tourism Fair

The prestigious FITUR tourism exhibition in Madrid became the global stage for the INCLAVI project last week, where aviation accessibility pioneers from IATA and ENAT led high-profile panel discussions on universal design principles and technological innovations that promise to transform travel experiences for passengers with disabilities.

By Martti Asikainen, 31.1.2025

Madrid hosted the annual FITUR global tourism fair last week, where the INCLAVI (INCLusive AVIation) project took center stage for two consecutive days, represented by ambassadors Linda Ristagno from the International Air Transport Association (IATA) and Ivor Ambrose of the European Network for Accessible Tourism (ENAT).

On Thursday morning, Ambrose moderated a panel titled “Promoting #accessible experiences and #inclusive employment: Success stories championed by destinations and the private sector.” This session was part of the UN Tourism and AccessibleEU European Event: “Accessible #Tourism: Harnessing the benefits of inclusive destinations for companies and people,” which included participation from the European Commission and representatives from both private and public sectors.

The diverse panel featured speakers from the UK, Spain, Canada, the US, and Ecuador—the latter represented by Ecuador’s Tourism Minister. Discussions highlighted the necessity for universal design across three key pillars of accessibility: #infrastructure, #transportation, and #technology. Participants debated the importance of applying aviation accessibility standards to hotels and destination management organizations. Training programs and raising awareness about #disability issues were identified as critical priorities for the travel industry.

The following day, during the Fitur4all sessions organized by IMPULSA IGUALDAD, Ristagno moderated a panel on air transport inclusivity featuring representatives from ENAT, Iberia, British Airways, and Fundación ONCE/Inserta—a major sponsor of the previous day’s event. During this session, Iberia highlighted recent initiatives to improve independent travel for passengers, including a newly launched app designed for travelers with less visible disabilities. ENAT also promoted awareness about training programs that INCLAVI will deliver in August.

On the sidelines of the event, the consortium held a follow-up meeting after Helsinki’s Matka Travel Fair to advance the final stages of the project. The INCLAVI team expressed enthusiasm about seeing years of work materialize into contributions for a more accessible #aviation industry and society.

Inclusive Aviation (INCLAVI)
2022-2025