Yoon Hyeyoung, Gwangsan District Council Member, Holds Meeting to Create a Discrimination-Free Tourism Environment

[Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Lee Gwan-woo] The Gwangsan District Council of Gwangju Metropolitan City announced on the 23rd that it held a meeting on the 22nd in the council's 3rd-floor conference room to enact the "Ordinance for Creating and Supporting a Barrier-Free Tourism Environment for Tourism Vulnerable Groups."

The meeting, chaired by Councilor Yoon Hye-young (Democratic Party, Sinheung-dong, Usan-dong, Wolgok 1·2-dong, Unnam-dong), was attended by members of the Gwangsan District Council, Hwang Hyun-chul, director of the Gwangsan-gu Disabled Welfare Center, Baek Soon-young, head of the Gwangju Intellectual Developmental Disability Welfare Association Center, and related officials.

Before enacting the ordinance, the attendees agreed on the necessity of creating a barrier-free tourism environment where tourism vulnerable groups such as persons with disabilities, the elderly, and guardians with infants can travel comfortably.

They also unanimously agreed that to expand travel opportunities and encourage tourism activities for vulnerable groups, it is essential to establish non-discriminatory public facilities such as expanding convenience facilities and improving walkways, and to strengthen accessibility to barrier-free tourism information so that there are no restrictions when using tourism products or services.

Experts from disability-related organizations emphasized that practical tourism activities for persons with disabilities should be realized through the training and education of specialized personnel. Along with this, they suggested that awareness improvement education for tourism industry workers should accompany efforts to ensure that tourism products or services can be enjoyed without discrimination.

The ordinance bill is scheduled to be submitted to the next extraordinary session, fully reflecting the opinions from this meeting.

Councilor Yoon Hye-young said, “We will strive to promote various barrier-free tourism projects that can increase the participation of marginalized groups in tourism activities and to create an environment where tourism can be enjoyed without discrimination.”