Colleagues, fellow administrators, let’s be frank with one another, as people who tackle concrete problems every single day. How many times, when reviewing your municipal budget, has your gaze fallen on the line item “removal of architectural barriers” with a mix of resignation and frustration? You see it as a tedious legal requirement, don’t you? A cost to be borne, a bureaucratic box to be ticked to ensure compliance, perhaps a small intervention to quell a few legitimate complaints. It’s a common feeling, I know. The mind immediately goes to the ramp that needs building or the lift that needs installing, and you sigh, thinking of the limited funds that, in an ideal world, would be allocated to the local festival, to urban beautification, or to resurfacing a crumbling road.
This viewpoint, while humanly understandable, is the biggest handbrake on the most extraordinary development opportunity our territories face in the 21st century. It is a legacy of 20th-century thinking, forcing us to see inclusivity as a burden and not as what it truly is: a powerful and undervalued strategic asset. What if I told you that this very “mandatory expense” on accessibility could be transformed into the greatest engine for economic growth and differentiation for your municipality? What if I told you there is a way to go beyond making a place merely “visitable” and instead turn it into a unique destination with no market competitors, capable of attracting a new, wealthier, more loyal, and, crucially, year-round tourism?
It may sound like magic, a word we love to use at the usual neXt. But as I always say, our “magic” is never abstract; it is always tied to measurable results, tangible economic impact, and growing political consensus. I am not talking about utopias or academic theories, but about a concrete strategy, already tested with world-renowned success, right here in a small town in Southern Europe. A story that proves, once again, that lasting success comes not from marginally improving the existing game, but from completely changing the rules. Let’s learn how the inclusive Tourism can be as an Economic Driver.
Table of Contents
The Case Study (The Inspiration)
For a moment, picture a small town in the green, beating heart of Italy’s Irpinia region, called Monteverde. A beautiful place, certainly, but on paper, just one of the many wonderful European towns at risk of depopulation, with just 740 inhabitants. Its story, before this transformation, was similar to hundreds of others. Now, imagine that this same town, almost invisible on traditional tourist maps, becomes a beacon of innovation studied across Europe, a global case study. This place is Monteverde, and the architect of this revolution is a visionary mayor, Antonio Vella.
His journey, friends, did not begin with the pragmatic idea of “adding a ramp.” It began with a much more powerful, design-thinking question: “How can I make my town an unforgettable and fully autonomous experience for people who, today, cannot even dream of visiting it?”. The answer to this question transformed Monteverde into the “most accessible town in Europe.”
What did Vella do in practice? He turned a legal obligation into an obsession with excellence. Instead of settling for the bare minimum, he aimed for the absolute maximum. He implemented 5 km of tactile paving based on the advanced LVE (Loges-Vet-Evolution) system, “intelligent” pathways integrated with nearly 8,000 information points using fibre optics and wireless technologies to communicate with visitors. His masterpiece, however, is the medieval castle. Thanks to an ingenious and pervasive system of RFID (Radio-Frequency Identification) sensors that communicate via Bluetooth with special canes equipped with antennas, Vella created the world’s only castle that can be fully experienced in complete autonomy by people with visual and hearing disabilities. Not a “facilitated” tour, but a truly independent exploration.
The result? Unprecedented international recognition. In 2019, Monteverde won the Access City Award, the highest and most prestigious prize awarded by the European Commission for urban accessibility. But awards, as prestigious as they are, are only part of the story. The real, grand victory was the transformation of the town’s economic and social fabric. Monteverde stopped being one of Italy’s many “hidden gems” and became a unique destination in the world, a “category of one.” It began to attract a specific tourist segment with high spending power and a desperate need for places designed like this. It proved to the world that inclusivity is not charity. It’s business. And what a business it is. This is a prime example of inclusive tourism as an economic driver.
From Case Study to Strategic Principle (The Lesson)
The story of Monteverde is not an isolated, romantic, and unrepeatable episode. It is the practical, measurable, and replicable demonstration of a universal strategic principle that every public administrator, every DMO manager, should have emblazoned on their desk: transforming diversity into a strategic economic resource.
We need to make a mental leap. Let’s stop thinking of accessibility as a problem to be solved. It is, for all intents and purposes, a market to be conquered. And the numbers, which always matter to us as practical administrators, are simply staggering. The accessible tourism market is enormous. In Europe, there are approximately 133 million people with disabilities or chronic health conditions. Of these, a remarkable 50 million are regular travellers who, together with their families and companions, power an industry worth €400 billion a year. The potential in a single large country like Italy is estimated at over €27 billion annually. This isn’t a typo: twenty-seven billion euros of untapped potential.
These are not average tourists. Travellers with specific needs have characteristics that make them the perfect target for any territory aiming for smart, sustainable growth.
First: they have higher spending power. A tourist with a disability spends, on average, two to four times more than a traditional tourist. This isn’t a whim; it’s a structural necessity. They need more spacious hotel rooms and thus higher-category accommodation, they rent larger and better-equipped vehicles, they require specific services (from specialised guides to accessible transport), and they are willing to pay a premium price for the guarantee of a smooth, safe, and seamless experience. And, a crucial economic factor, they almost never travel alone, bringing along family, friends, or companions who multiply the economic impact of every single visit.
Second: they are the most powerful weapon against seasonality. People with disabilities and seniors, for obvious reasons of comfort and health, tend to travel during the off-peak seasons, when there are fewer crowds, the climate is milder, and services are more attentive. This means filling hotels and restaurants in March, April, October, and November. It is the strategic solution to the problem of seasonality, the dream of every tourism councillor. Embracing inclusive tourism as an economic driver directly combats this challenge.
Finally, loyalty. This is a point that traditional marketing often underestimates. When a traveller with specific needs finds a destination that doesn’t just passively “accommodate” them, but makes them feel wanted and enables an autonomous, fulfilling, and memorable experience, they will not only return to that place multiple times, but they will become your most powerful and credible ambassador. The positive word-of-mouth generated within these communities is of incalculable value and creates a competitive advantage that your neighbours can never match simply by lowering their prices. Therefore, designing for inclusivity is not just a social duty. It is the most intelligent and forward-thinking destination marketing strategy.
Technology as an Enabler (The Indirect Solution)
At this point, a question naturally arises: “Dario, the principle is crystal clear, but how did a small town like Monteverde, with limited resources, achieve such a technological marvel?”. The answer, as is often the case in our field, lies in technology, used not as a costly end in itself, but as a powerful and strategic enabler of experiences.
The Monteverde model was made possible by the clever and almost “invisible” integration of immersive and sensory technologies. RFID sensors and tactile paving are just the tip of the iceberg, the physical interface of a much more complex system. What they really did, by applying the principles of design thinking, was to create a constant “dialogue” between the environment and the visitor—a dialogue that, for the first time in the history of cultural tourism, is not based exclusively on the sense of sight, which for centuries has been the undisputed master of every artistic experience.
This, my friends, is the turning point. Today, mature and accessible technologies exist that can create all-encompassing experiences engaging all the senses, breaking down barriers in a much more profound and meaningful way than simply removing a step. Think of 3D spatial audio: imagine being able to guide a visually impaired visitor through an archaeological site by letting them “hear” the majesty of a column that no longer exists, perceiving the sound as if it were coming from a twenty-meter-high object to their right. Imagine letting them hear the voice of an ancient Roman legionary coming from the exact spot where he stood two thousand years ago. This is not a simple audio guide; it’s a sensory time machine.
Think of interactive multi-sensory installations that use vibrating floors, scent dispensers, and variations in temperature and humidity to tell a story or describe a work of art. This is the category of solutions that changes the game. It is no longer about “adapting” the existing to make it usable, but about creating something radically new and richer. This is where our research and development work at the usual neXt finds its highest expression. When we design our immersive experiences in geodesic domes like the THOLUS DOME, we don’t just think about the 360-degree visual impact. We think about how that space can become a complete sensory universe. The integration of enveloping projections, directional sound design, and other sensory technologies allows us to build narratives that anyone can enjoy, regardless of their physical abilities. We follow the principles of Universal Design, an approach that, as I explain in my book “Immersive Events,” aims to create better solutions for everyone by designing for the most complex needs from the very beginning.
Technology, therefore, becomes the tool to create a tourism offer that literally has no competitors. While everyone else is scrambling to compete on the same, overcrowded playing field of the “most beautiful village,” you can build a completely new one, where you are the only ones playing. And that, my friends, is the definition of an unassailable and lasting strategic advantage, proving that inclusive tourism as an economic driver is the future.
Actionable Takeaways for Administrators (The Action)
I know what you’re thinking: “Very interesting, Dario, but I have a council meeting tomorrow morning and I need to bring concrete proposals to the table. What do I do?”. You’re right. From vision to action. Here are three practical steps, inspired by the Monteverde model, that you can discuss and initiate immediately.
- Launch a “Market Opportunity Audit for Inclusivity,” not a barrier census. The first step is a radical change in perspective. Stop asking “how much will this ramp cost us?” and start asking “how much is it costing us not to be an inclusive destination?”. Task your offices with a simple but powerful market analysis. The goal is not to count steps, but to quantify the opportunity. Answer questions like: “What is the potential market value of accessible tourism for our municipality if we captured just 0.01% of the €400 billion European market?”. “How many of our accommodation facilities are truly ready to welcome this target audience, beyond legal certification?”. “Which funds from the NextGenerationEU recovery plan, dedicated to digitalization and social inclusion, can we secure with such a project?”. Use this data to engage with local operators and to guide future funding applications: you won’t be asking for money to “comply,” but to “invest in a new and profitable market segment.”
- Create a “Unique Experience Lab” instead of a public works plan. Put the traditional barrier removal plan on hold and establish a permanent working group dedicated to innovating the tourist experience. Select your territory’s top 3-4 cultural or natural assets (the castle, the local museum, the nature trail, the main square) and launch a creative challenge: “How can we transform this place into a memorable and autonomous experience for a visually impaired person? Or for a hearing-impaired person? Or for a senior with reduced mobility?”. Involve not only municipal technicians but also artists, sound designers, storytellers, and local tech startups. The goal is not to “patch up” the existing, but to use technology to design new sensory experiences from scratch that, as the philosophy of Universal Design shows, will end up being richer, more exciting, and more engaging for all visitors, with no exceptions.
- Build a certified supply chain network, not just isolated infrastructure. Monteverde’s success is not just technological; it’s a community success. A municipality cannot go it alone. The third and decisive step is to create a territorial alliance for inclusivity. Organize a round table and invite all the stakeholders of the supply chain: disability organizations (they are the real experts, their advice is invaluable), hoteliers, restaurateurs, tour guides, merchants, and local associations. Define quality standards for hospitality together and work towards obtaining a nationally and internationally recognized certification, such as that of Village for All – V4A. This label is not just a piece of paper; it’s a guarantee of quality for the tourist and a powerful marketing tool. When the entire tourism chain moves in a coordinated direction, the impact multiplies exponentially. Public investment in infrastructure is enhanced and amplified by private investment, creating a virtuous cycle that attracts visitors, creates jobs, and generates widespread and lasting prosperity.
The Conclusion (The Vision)
We began this dialogue by talking about a line item in a budget, a legal obligation perceived as a burden. I hope, at the end of this long reflection, to have convinced you that this is not an expense. Today, it is the most important and strategic investment you can make in the future of your municipality.
Inclusivity, fellow administrators, is not the final destination. It is the engine. It is the strategic principle that allows us to stop competing in a saturated and worn-out market and to start creating authentic value where others see only problems. It is the key to unlocking year-round tourism flows, attracting loyal, high-spending visitors, giving vital oxygen to our local economy, and, most importantly of all, building more just, cohesive, and sustainable communities.
The real, great magic of the Monteverde model is not the talking castle; it is having irrefutably demonstrated that empathetic and intelligent design generates an extraordinary economic and social return. The legacy we can leave to our children is not just made of restored squares and beautifully lit monuments. It is, above all, made of living places that speak to everyone, that leave no one behind, and that transform the wonderful human diversity into their greatest and most unforgettable spectacle, achieving true regional innovation.
Accessibility opens a door. Strategic inclusivity, my friends, builds a highway to the future of your territory. It’s time to get started on the journey and embrace inclusive tourism as an economic driver.
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