Presentation of the Event

Tourism is usually discussed through numbers. Visitors. Nights. Revenue.

This conference begins somewhere else.

Open Destinations | Tourism for All 2026 explores how inclusive design can reshape the way destinations are conceived, experienced and developed.

Across Europe, cities are rethinking tourism. Cultural experiences are becoming central to how places define themselves, yet many environments are still designed around a narrow idea of the visitor.

The conference brings together designers, policymakers, tourism professionals, cultural organisations and researchers to discuss how destinations can become more welcoming, accessible and meaningful for everyone.

As Europe faces demographic change, growing expectations around accessibility and ESG, and increasing diversity in travel needs, destinations that design for human diversity will be the ones that thrive.

The event creates a space for dialogue between design, tourism, culture and public policy, presenting international perspectives and practical examples of how inclusive design can become a strategic driver for destination development.

Inclusive design is a methodology that helps create mainstream products, services, and environments usable by the widest possible range of people, naturally leading to better solutions, happier customers, and more sales.

Who is this for

This conference is for people who shape how places are experienced:

• Designers across disciplines: learn how to design better for more people, and why that’s what gets recognised today.
• Architects and urban planners: see how small design decisions shape how people move, enter, and use spaces, often in ways you’ve never been taught.
• Tourism professionals and destination managers: understand where visitors struggle, drop off, or feel excluded, and how to fix it across the whole journey.
• Cultural organisations and experience creators: learn why people don’t engage, even when they show up, and how to design experiences they can follow and enjoy.
• Public sector representatives and policymakers: see where policies break down in real life, and how to connect strategy with what people experience on the ground.
• Hospitality and travel businesses: identify where you’re losing customers, and how small changes improve satisfaction and reviews.
• NGOs and organisations working in accessibility and inclusion: discover new ways to turn knowledge into visible, real-world change.

Full Programme

The day unfolds across three connected topics: The strategic and economic frame – Opening keynotes position inclusive tourism as a significant and still underutilised opportunity. Design in practice – Sessions explore how design decisions directly shape access, participation, and quality of experience. Cities and regions as inclusive ecosystems – Real examples from cities and regions implementing inclusion through policy, infrastructure, and community-focused approaches.

28 May 2026 

09:00 – 09:30 | Registration & Arrival 09:30 – 10:00 | Official Welcome 10:00 – 10:20 | Tourism for All: The Untapped Billion-Euro Opportunity – Pete Kercher (Italy) 10:30 – 11:00 | EIDD – Design for All: From Method to Movement – Rama Gheerawo (UK) 11:00 – 11:20 | Coffee Break 11:20 – 11:45 | The Importance of Responsible Interior Design: Transforming Spaces for Inclusive Tourism – Antonio de Antonis (Italy) 12:00 – 13:15 | Design for All Practice Panel – Klaus Höckner (Austria), Jannicke Hølen (Norway), Gregor Strutz (Germany). Moderator: Rama Gheerawo

13:15 – 14:30 | Lunch

14:30 – 15:45 | City & Region Panel – Inclusion policies and community well-being • Alberto Zanobini, Regione Toscana (Italy) • Destination Burgas – “It is easy to be here” – Manol Todorov (Bulgaria) • Visit Sofia | Sofia Tourism Administration Moderator: arch. Elitsa Panayotova

15:45 – 16:00 | Vision Ireland Wayfinding Centre – Reshaping the World of Transport and Mobility – TBD (Ireland) 15:30 – 15:45 | Feel the music | Music for all – Ani Doncheva & Ralitsa Merdjanova (Bulgaria) 15:45 – 16:15 | Coffee Break 16:15 – 16:30 | Using AI to enhance visitor experience – Houssem Boudaya (Tunisia) 16:30 – 16:45 | Revitalise – Sustainable Cultural & Nature Destinations – Petya Koleva (Bulgaria) 16:45 – 17:00 | Immersive Tourism: Designing Experiences that Shape Destination Identity – Gergana Kabaivanova (Bulgaria) 17:15 – 17:25 | AYA Estate Vineyards Wine & Destination Presentation

(Note: The afternoon schedule includes some closely timed or overlapping slots as provided; the exact final timetable will be confirmed closer to the event.)

Partners

The event is organised by the Design for All Bulgaria Foundation and EIDD – Design for All, with the support of: Visit Sofia | Sofia Tourism Administration Istituto Italiano di Cultura a Sofia Best Western Plus Lozenetz Hotel DABOV Speciality Coffee AYA Estate Vineyards UNITED MASTER ARCHITECTS