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Energetic Village 4 all, an Italian platform

The Accessible Travel Foundation raises awareness on the importance of accessible travel. Every other year the Awards of Excellence are given to companies, non-profits, travelers and others who stand out from the crowd when it comes to raising awareness or contributing to the world of accessible travel.

Through the V4A® Network, we personally visit and assess accommodations to collect objective and transparent accessibility information. We support destinations, hotels and outdoor hospitality facilities in improving their services and communication, so that everyone can choose where to go on holiday based on their own needs, wishes and expectations.

Roberto Vitali Village 4 all

Meet Roberto and Silvia

My name is Roberto Vitali. I am the CEO and co-founder, together with Silvia Bonoli, of Village for all – V4A®, an international network specialized in accessible hospitality. We are pleased to have won a second place in the category accessible travel product for the Accessible Travel Foundation Awards of Excellence 2025.

For more than 17 years, we have been working to transform the idea of “accessible tourism” into the broader concept of accessible hospitality, where people with accessibility needs (including mobility, sensory, cognitive and relational disabilities) are recognized as guests and consumers, not as “problems to be managed” or “regulations to comply with.”

Know more about Village 4 all, founded in 2008.

When did you start your work and why?

I started working in the field of accessibility and tourism in the early 1990s, when I realized how difficult it was, even for an experienced traveller, to find reliable and detailed information about accessibility.
Too often, the word “accessible” was just a label in a brochure, with no clear standards and no real attention to people’s needs. As a person who uses a wheelchair, I knew that accessibility is not only about ramps and adapted bathrooms, but also about feeling welcomed, respected and treated as a consumer like everyone else.

That is why, in 2008, Silvia and I created Village for all – V4A®: to build a replicable methodology (we developed V4AInside, a patented professional software for Accessibility Audits) that helps businesses improve their accessibility and, at the same time, provides travellers from any country with clear, verified and honest information to plan their holidays with confidence.

Tell us a little about your city and how you experience it from an accessibility point of view.

I live in Ferrara, Italy, a city with a strong historical and cultural identity. Like many Italian cities, it is a mix of beauty and complexity when we talk about accessibility.
On one hand, there are pedestrian areas, some accessible museums and cultural sites, and a growing awareness of the importance of inclusion. On the other hand, historic buildings, uneven paving and the lack of updated and consistent accessibility information still create barriers, especially for people with mobility, sensory or cognitive accessibility needs.
My daily experience is that accessibility is improving, but often in a fragmented way. What is still missing is a systemic approach, where urban planning, public transport, culture, tourism and communication work together to build the necessary responses for people with disabilities and their organizations.

Energetic Village 4 all, an Italian platform

What is your favorite accessible destination?

It is difficult to choose just one, because we work with many destinations that are truly committed to accessible hospitality.
A place that is particularly close to my heart is Bibione, on the Adriatic coast. Over the years, the destination has invested in accessible beaches, outdoor hospitality facilities, services for families and older people, and has worked with us to provide detailed accessibility information for many accommodations.

I would also like to mention Cortina d’Ampezzo, which is working to become an Olympic and Paralympic Destination4All destination in view of Milano Cortina 2026. Seeing a famous mountain destination take accessibility seriously not only for the Games, but as a long-term legacy, is truly inspiring. I also have to mention Peccioli, a small town in Tuscany with a strong focus on Land Art and culture, which has made inclusion a flag.

If you could spend 1 million to improve accessibility in your country, what would you do?

With 1 million euros, I would focus on three strategic areas:

  1. Objective and transparent information
  • Create or strengthen national and regional platforms where accessibility data is collected through our V4AInside methodology, making accessibility information available openly, easy to consult and in multiple languages.
  • Support destinations and businesses in learning how to describe their accessibility honestly, without fear and without resorting to “cosmetic” or, worse, “defensive” communication.
  1. Training and skills development
  • Invest in training for tourism professionals, from top management to front-office staff, so that they understand accessibility not only as a legal obligation, but as the meeting point between ethics and business.

In summary, I would use that budget to build reliable information and knowledge capable of changing the system, not just individual places. This can generate a cascade effect across the national tourism ecosystem.

What would you like to share with our followers?

I would like to share a simple message: Accessibility is not a measure, but a way of seeing the world.
Accessibility needs are a new way of responding to many needs that today limit the possibility of travelling for many people. Disability does not go on holiday, people do.

Everyone wants the same thing: to feel free to choose, to travel safely and to enjoy their time without stress. And wherever we can deliver accessible tourism, we will also have a city that is usable for residents, job opportunities for people with disabilities, and a better quality of life for everyone.

To make all this possible, we do not only need more ramps: we need the right words, trained staff and objective information. If we shift from “declaring accessibility for disabled people” to providing objective data that allows people to assess whether a facility, destination or service can meet their needs, we build trust. And when we build trust, we generate both social impact and economic value.

My invitation to your followers is:

  • If you are a traveller, ask questions and share your experience and remember that you are a consumer: your feedback can help many other people.
  • If you are a professional or a destination, start by listening to your guests: you will discover that you already have people with accessibility needs among your customers. Accessibility is a journey, a horizon we can aim for to improve together and together we are on this path.
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