Active Tourism Accessibility: WCAG, EU Compliance

What is the coalition aiming to achieve?

The group defines Active Tourism as accessible physical activity for mobility, recreation, and leisure, including cycling, walking, hiking, and related experiences. It emphasizes traveling at human scale, with a lower environmental footprint, strong social value, and meaningful engagement with local landscapes and cultures.

The effort is framed as a response to rapid growth in the sector and a current under-representation in official tourism strategies, despite strong economic potential. In 2012, cycling tourism alone was estimated to generate €44 billion in Europe, and today’s adventure travel market is described as a trillion-dollar global segment by 2025.

The coalition argues that active tourism can address regional imbalances, support local economies, and reinforce Europe’s brand through networks such as EuroVelo, long-distance greenways, EPaths, and GR routes.

“Active Tourism should be the cornerstone of the European Sustainable Tourism Strategy. By encouraging travel by bike or on foot, it supports healthier lifestyles, low‑carbon travel, and stronger local economies while showcasing Europe’s competitive products such as EuroVelo.”

— Laurianne Krid, CEO of ECF
(ECF, 2026)

Policy priorities to move from idea to impact

Recognition and integration

Elevate active tourism to a cornerstone of sustainable tourism policy, with explicit inclusion in destination mobility planning, multimodal transport systems, and last‑mile solutions, underpinned by robust monitoring of impact.

Brand Europe leadership

Promote Europe’s natural and cultural heritage through a connected network of routes, supported by open, high‑quality tourism data and recognized certification and training schemes.

Integrated governance

Create a collaborative governance model that brings together communities, destination management organizations, tourism operators, NGOs, land managers, transport providers, media, and outdoor sports groups to ensure tourism benefits residents while protecting landscapes and cultures.

Targeted investment

Seek dedicated funding for active tourism in the EU’s next long‑term budget (2028–2034), including support for cycle routes, hiking trails, and cross‑border offers.

A coalition ready to engage with policy makers

The coalition positions itself as a constructive partner to European institutions, offering expertise and coordination capacity to support policy development and implementation. An open letter to the EU Commissioner for Transport and Tourism signals intent to collaborate on policy design and program delivery.

As Laurianne Krid, CEO of ECF, notes, “Active Tourism should be the cornerstone of the European Sustainable Tourism Strategy. By encouraging travel by bike or on foot, it supports healthier lifestyles, low‑carbon travel, and stronger local economies while showcasing Europe’s competitive products such as EuroVelo.” (ECF, 2026).

Accessibility in active tourism: beyond trails and routes

Accessibility is central to the coalition’s vision. Active Tourism is inherently about providing equitable access to mobility and outdoor experiences, including for people with varying levels of physical ability, age, and equipment needs. Open data about routes, real‑time accessibility information, and inclusive certifications can help destination managers tailor experiences that are usable by the broadest possible audience.

This aligns with the broader accessibility framework that governs digital information and services in Europe and beyond. For example, WCAG 2.2 defines four principles—perceivable, operable, understandable, and robust—that apply to digital tourism platforms such as booking engines, route maps, and information portals, helping ensure that travellers with disabilities can plan and book experiences with confidence (W3C WCAG 2.2, 2023).

Legal and standards context that underpins the coalition’s ambitions

Europe has a growing body of accessibility regulation that complements active tourism expansion. The European Accessibility Act (Directive 2019/882) requires accessible products and services in key sectors, and its continued implementation creates a stronger baseline for inclusive tourism offers across member states.

In the digital domain, WCAG 2.2 provides concrete success criteria to ensure user‑facing content and services meet consistent accessibility standards, which is increasingly important for online tourism marketplaces, information portals, and transport coordination tools (W3C WCAG 2.2, 2023).

Connecting policy with on‑the‑ground practice

Realizing the coalition’s four priorities will require collaboration across multiple stakeholders:

• Destination management organizations and local authorities can embed active tourism into mobility planning, invest in accessible signage and wayfinding, and ensure that routes accommodate a wider range of mobility devices.
• Tourism operators and transport providers should adopt inclusive design principles, offer accessible booking and information channels, and contribute to open route data that others can reuse.
• NGOs and land managers can support community engagement, balance tourism with conservation, and advocate for fair distribution of investment benefits to residents.
• Accessibility professionals and certification bodies can establish indicators and accreditation schemes to verify that routes, services, and digital interfaces meet recognized accessibility standards.

Practical implications for stakeholders

For businesses:

• Audit and upgrade digital touchpoints (booking engines, maps, destination portals) to WCAG 2.2 standards, ensuring accessible content and navigation across devices.
• Develop inclusive route planning with alternative formats (braille/tactile maps, audio descriptions, high-contrast signage) and provide clear, accessible information about terrain, elevation, and distance.
• Leverage open data on routes and accessibility features to attract a wider audience and enable cross‑border offers.

For developers and platform owners:

• Build accessible interfaces that support screen readers, keyboard navigation, and consistent labeling; publish compatibility with WCAG 2.2 and related accessibility certifications.
• Design data interfaces that enable easy sharing of route accessibility features and real‑time updates for travellers with mobility needs.

For accessibility professionals:

• Create certification and training schemes that validate digital and physical accessibility aspects of active tourism offerings.
• Conduct audits of signage, trail surfaces, rest facilities, and information points to ensure inclusivity and safety for all users.

Strategic opportunities and next steps

The coalition’s call aligns with broader EU priorities around sustainable tourism and regional development. By tying accessibility to a clear policy architecture—recognition in mobility strategies, brand leadership through Europe’s network of routes, coordinated governance, and dedicated funding—the coalition can help accelerate practical improvements in destinations across Europe.

The upcoming EU Multiannual Financial Framework (2028–2034) provides a meaningful window for investment in cycle routes, hiking trails, and cross‑border active tourism initiatives, reinforcing the case for inclusive, resilient travel (EU Council, 2024).

Engaging with the policy process

The coalition presents itself as a resource for policymakers, offering expertise to shape policy design and its implementation. The open letter to the EU Commissioner for Transport and Tourism signals a willingness to translate policy concepts into actionable programs that deliver measurable outcomes for communities, travellers, and industry participants.

Conclusion: accessibility as a driver of sustainable growth

If Europe wants to keep pace with the growing demand for active travel—cycling corridors, hiking routes, and cross‑border itineraries—then accessibility must be built into the DNA of policy, planning, and delivery.

The Active Tourism Coalition’s agenda offers a concrete framework to align economic opportunity with inclusivity, ensuring that people of diverse abilities can enjoy the benefits of active, low‑impact travel while supporting healthier lifestyles, stronger local economies, and a more resilient European tourism sector.

As the EU moves toward its Sustainable Tourism Strategy and deeper integration of mobility across destinations, accessible active tourism offers a practical pathway to Brand Europe and a more inclusive travel future.