The Sauerland is taking an important step towards inclusion and accessibility: with the official launch of the funding project "The Sauerland - an outdoor region for all (SOFA)", the region is positioning itself as a modern, open and inspiring destination that makes nature, culture and leisure activities accessible to everyone - regardless of age, origin or limitations.
The focus is on the goal of designing existing tourist offers in the Sauerland in such a way that they are equally accessible to people with and without disabilities. In close cooperation with tourism professionals, businesses, local authorities and experts, the aim is to create inclusive packages of offers over the coming years that will make the Sauerland visible throughout Germany as a barrier-free outdoor region.
"The Sauerland is a place to arrive and feel good - and this promise applies to everyone," says Dr. Jürgen Fischbach, Managing Director of Sauerland Tourism. "With the SOFA project, we are creating the basis for ensuring that accessibility is not seen as a special case, but as a matter of course."
After all, demographic change, the growing need for barrier-free leisure facilities and the associated demand for greater participation have long been key issues in German tourism. So far, however, there have only been a few certified offers in the Sauerland in accordance with the nationwide "Travel for All" labeling system. The SOFA project aims to fundamentally change this: Through targeted investments, new lighthouse projects - such as "health resorts for all" or the creation of barrier-free hiking offers as well as comprehensive information processing along the tourism service chain, the Sauerland will be more accessible to all target groups in the future.
Special consideration will be given to:
- People with mobility impairments and wheelchair users
- Blind and visually impaired people
- People with cognitive or hearing impairments
- Deaf people
- Families with young children
- Elderly people
- People with a migration background
"A place is only really worth living in when everyone feels welcome. With SOFA, we are creating places in the Sauerland where participation is a matter of course. In Bad Sassendorf, we want to show that accessibility is not an add-on, but an expression of genuine hospitality," says Malte Dahlhoff, Mayor of the municipality of Bad Sassendorf.
"Inclusion is not a trend, but an attitude," adds Bernd Fuhrmann, Chairman of the Sauerland Rothaargebirge Nature Park. "With the SOFA project, we want to show that outdoor experiences really can be accessible to everyone - from trail guidance to communication."
Heinrich Böckelühr, President of the Arnsberg administrative district, handed over the funding decision and emphasized: "Inclusion and accessibility are key prerequisites for ensuring that everyone can participate equally in life and the activities on offer in our region. The funding shows how important it is to strengthen regional structures and at the same time sustainably improve the quality of life for all generations."
The project volume amounts to around 2.8 million euros. The partners include Sauerland Tourism (€350,000), the Sauerland Rothaargebirge Nature Park (€270,000), the town of Arnsberg (€200,000), Winterberg Tourismus und Wirtschaft GmbH (€345,000) and the municipality of Bad Sassendorf (€1.6 million).
The project is funded by the European Union and the state of North Rhine-Westphalia as part of the ERDF/JTF program NRW 2021-2027.
Download the press release as PDF here.
Contact for the press:
Rouven Soyka, Sauerland-Tourismus e. V.
Johannes-Hummel-Weg 1, 57392 Schmallenberg
Tel.: 02974-969830, e-mail: presse@sauerland.com
