New way to showcase accessible tourism in Scotland
Allied Vehicles Group - the largest British-owned manufacturer of vehicles for disabled people across the UK and beyond, announced partnership with leading German TV broadcaster ZDF to support accessible tourism in Scotland.
Allied has been working with tour operator Schottland fuer Alle (Scotland for All) and ZDF to showcase just how accessible Scotland is for people with people with disabilities. ZDF has carried out filming across Scotland visiting venues that range from Edinburgh Castle and the Royal Yacht Britannia, to Glencoe and Dunrobin Castle. The footage has just been aired on German national television. Allied’s role has been to supply the tour operator Schottland fuer Alle with a specially adapted vehicle. The ZDF crew joined a guest and her companion to show how the right vehicle can make many more things possible for disabled tourists.
Rebecca Bridges, Rentals Manager for Allied, says: “As a company, we are all about getting people to places that they may otherwise not be able to go and see. Tour operators are bringing us in to help because they see the value in having a specialist vehicle supplier that really knows about vehicle adaptations for disability from the consumer’s point of view. We design and manufacture adapted vehicles for leading brands and tailor them around the very different requirements of individuals – so we get all of that, whether we are manufacturing or hiring a vehicle out. Scotland is known all over the world for its hospitality so it’s great to be able to play our part in this.”
As Schottland fuer Alle’s Andreas Schneider says: “Getting around if someone is disabled can be a real challenge when on holiday – both for individuals and families. People on a cruise, for example, can find that the cruise operator has vehicles that don’t meet the needs of their disabled customers when they come ashore for day trips. In the same way that people might need a fully adapted room and bathroom at a hotel, so they will require a particular type of adapted vehicle that is specified to their personal needs. That’s why we have been working with Allied Vehicles who help us get it right for our disabled customers wherever we are working in Scotland. As a German, and a lifelong lover of all things Scottish, I want everyone to come here and have a good time, so ZDF approaching us and with Allied’s support, it has been really great in getting the news out there that Scotland is really open to disabled people.”
Speaking for VisitScotland, Marina Di Duca, VisitScotland Inclusive Tourism Manager, says: “Scotland is renowned for its warm welcome and at VisitScotland we want tourism to be inclusive and accessible for all. It’s fantastic to hear about businesses like Scotland for All and Allied Vehicles offering tours for visitors with access requirements and it’s great that Scotland’s accessibility will be showcased on German television.”