Inés Escobar Castañ, a graduate of the Double Degree in Business Administration and Management + Tourism and the Master’s Degree in Tourism Intelligence offered at Campus Gandia of the Universitat Politècnica de València, has been awarded €500 for her Final Degree Project (TFG) titled “Assessment of the Accessibility of Gandia as a Tourist Destination and the Social Return on Investment (SROI) of DTI Plan Initiatives“. The award was granted by the Prosperity Chair of the Miguel Hernández University (UMH) as part of its efforts to promote the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
“The award not only recognizes the dedication invested in each final degree project, but more importantly, underscores a vital message: research focused on social well-being, inclusion, and sustainability is more relevant than ever. Initiatives like these encourage research into social responsibility from higher education. That’s why we see this award not only as recognition, but also as a commitment to all that still needs to be accomplished,” Inés said on behalf of all the award recipients during the 2nd Meeting of the Network of Chairs for Cooperation and Sustainable Development.
Universal accessibility goes far beyond addressing disability; it represents a vision of well-being and inclusion that offers profound benefits to all of society. This context gave rise to the “Accessible Tourism” model, which later grew into the broader concept of “Inclusive Tourism,” capturing a more extensive array of social aspects. If technology, innovation, and sustainability together determine how “smart” a tourist destination is, then sustainability must go further — embracing social responsibility through accessibility and inclusion.
The study “Assessment of the Accessibility of Gandia as a Tourist Destination and the Social Return on Investment (SROI) of DTI Plan Initiatives,” co-directed by Professor Bernat Roig Merino, examines the current state of Gandia as a smart tourist destination from the perspective of universal accessibility. Using the Mental Models methodology, it compares the viewpoints and opinions of three key stakeholder groups in the city: the private tourism sector, the public sector, and organizations focused on accessibility. Furthermore, it “uses the SROI (Social Return on Investment) tool to calculate the social profitability of the actions implemented by Gandia City Council to enhance the municipality’s accessibility within the framework of the Smart Tourism Destination Plan 2020-2025.”
As part of the 2nd Meeting of the Network of Chairs for Cooperation and Sustainable Development, awards were presented to the best undergraduate, master’s, and doctoral theses with an impact on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The prizes were granted by the five Valencian Chairs for Cooperation and Sustainable Development. The awards aim to highlight the importance of the university community’s commitment to the SDGs set out in the UN 2030 Agenda.
