The official definition for "accessible tourism" refers to "the whole services and structures that allow to "clients with special needs" to enjoy their vacation and to ensure quality and satisfaction to their vacation without obstacles neither difficulties, and therefore under conditions of autonomy, safety and comfort."

Several companies and associations in Matera are already dealing with accessible tourism. One of their main goals is to make easily accessible the historical center of Matera to tourists with disabilities and most of all to allow them to visit some of Matera “Sassi” areas in total autonomy and under conditions of safety and comfort.

Active tourist experiences are mostly provided for visitors with sensory disabilities.

Visitor centers located in the Park of the Murgia near the Jazzo Gattini Matera and near the abbey of Montescaglioso provide their visitors video guides in LIS and olfactory sensations tours of the wild herbs and of the different botanic species.

The Church of St. Pietro Barisano located in the central part of Matera “Sassi” is managed by a local company “Oltrelarte” and is endowed with a video-guide LIS and with tablets in Braille language. The church is also located on the ground level and is accessible to wheelchairs.

The Museum of Medieval and Modern Art of the Basilicata of Palazzo Lanfranchi is also accessible to wheelchairs, but unfortunately it is not yet endowed with audio supports for sensory disabilities.

The cultural association Sassi and Murgia (http://www.sassiemurgia.com/), very active on the territory of Matera, organizes guides and personalized tours and excursions of Matera “Sassi” for disabled tourists. The association aims to create the proper facilities in the “Sassi” area so that every person with disabilities can visit his own the “Sassi” of Matera. The association Sassi e Murgia provides also information and suggestions about the services and structures for disabled tourists who visit Matera.

If on one side there are some associations that try to make the “Sassi” area of Matera enjoyable to disabled tourists from the other side it is also necessary that the hotels, restaurants and any other accommodation facility located in particular areas of the “Sassi” do any kind of effort in order to ensure to any disabled visitor a safe access to those structures.

Palazzo Gattini it is one of the few hotels in the historical center of Matera that can provide a special room furnished with any facility and comfort for disabled tourists.