AENOR has awarded its certification in universal accessibility, according to the Standard UNE 170001, to El Soplao cave, the first tourist cave located in Cantabria. This certification guarantees equal opportunities for all people to access, use and enjoy public spaces and services.
El Soplao cave has now become the first accessible underground tourist attraction in Europe. It is hoped that this certification will bring an increase in the number of visitors to the cave.
The certification guarantees equal opportunities for all people to access, use and enjoy public spaces and services, regardless of their age or abilities and thus complies with the social commitment to ensure universal access to the underground installations.
The certificate covers the entire sightseeing tour, including car parks, outdoor access, terrace, viewpoints, gift shop, café and self-service restaurant. The project included the installation of an indoor lift in the cave to cover an uneven section that prevented some visitors from accessing the Opera room, considered to be one of the most spectacular rooms of the cave.
AENOR currently has 50 Universal Accessibility certificates in force in various organisations, covering over 200 environments and services in all types of sectors. The certification is applied to museums, beaches, shopping centres, hotels, work centres, bank branches, service stations, supermarkets, civic centres, hospitals and health centres, insurance companies, tourist information offices, conference centres, universities and transport services, among others.
In the photograph, from left to right, Juan de Miguel, from Turismo del Nansa; Gerardo Pellón, managing director of AENOR in Cantabria; Eva Bartolomé, director general of Tourism; and Francisco Martín, Minister of Innovation, Industry, Tourism and Trade.
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