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UNESCAP/ CDPF Regional Workshop on Promotion of Barrier-free Tourism |
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Programme :Speech on the Opening CeremonyMs. Zheng Peiqi, Vice Mayor of SanyaDistinguished guests, Dear Friends, Ladies and Gentlemen, Good Morning! In the pleasant season of Autumn and at the picturesque city of Sanya, we feel privileged to welcome our distinguished guests from Asia-Pacific Region as well as experts and friends participating in the UN ESCAP/CDPF Regional Workshop on Accessible Tourism. On behalf of the Municipal Government and people of Sanya, I wish to extend warmest welcome to our respected guests and experts and congratulations on the convening of the workshop. Sanya, as a seaside resort enjoying domestic and international fame, covers an urban area of 25 square kilometers with 250,000 residents. The city is blessed with white beach, year-long spring-like weather, rich farm produce and honest folk culture. This workshop is an important meeting in the promotion of accessibility in the world. It will pass a Sanya Declaration. It will give guidance to accessible construction, raise awareness towards accessibility and greatly promote healthy development of barrier-free tourism in Sanya. It also provides a good opportunity for us to demonstrate the image of Sanya as an international tourist resort. Accessibility is an important factor in the construction of modern metropolis, as accessibility is a basic condition that ensures mobility and participation of special groups, like the disabled, the elderly, children and patients. Promotion of accessibility is also a concrete action of implementing the concept of “people first” and scientific development and building a harmonious society. In the recent years, the accessibility construction in Sanya has achieved important breakthroughs. The design and construction of new urban road and public building have taken full account of the needs of special groups. The municipal government has incorporated accessibility into the general city plan and made it one of the factors considered during the inspections of buildings upon completion. In the past few years, the Sanya Municipal government has input around 1 million US dollars building a total of 63.6 kilometres of sidewalks for blind persons and 320 curves on the road. Accessibility has been consciously taken into design and building of many tourist spots and hotel, like Nanshan Tourist Resort, Dadonghai Bay, Sheron and Marriot, etc. which are models of accessible construction. However, we are still faced with many problems and challenges. The current situation still cannot meet the requirement of modern tourist city and the actual needs of the society, particularly disabled people and senior citizens. The next five years will be a crucial period in China’s historical process of building a well-off society in an all-around way. It is also important for infrastructure construction and urbanization of countryside in Sanya. It presents us with both rare opportunities and higher requirement. Recently, the Sanya government approved and circulated A Sanya Work Program on Disability during the 11th five-year plan period, in which accessibility construction was high on the agenda. The convening of the meeting in Sanya will add impetus to the city’s accessibility construction through sharing advanced experience and philosophies. We believe that through our efforts the accessibility construction in Sanya will achieve even greater progress. |
