From tourism and disability to accessible tourism: a perspective article (original) (raw)
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Accessible tourism: origins, state of the art and future lines of research
European Journal of Tourism Research, 2021
Accessible tourism (AT) is a quite young and evolving research field. This paper provides an original review of the most significant academic literature on AT. Through a narrative method called ‘qualitative systematic review’, this article contextualizes the emergence of AT, identifies the applied methods and theories, the main research lines and the latest advances in the field. Further, we analysed the impact of disability’s change of conception on the evolution of AT studies. The results reveal a considerable increase from 2007 onwards of the themes covered by publications on AT and a greater influence of the biopsychosocial model. Studies implementing experimental methodologies or theoretical approaches are more frequent in the last decade. We also identified shared limitations that are hindering the advance of knowledge on AT, such as the excessive use of qualitative sampling in surveys or the recurrence of similar social circles for the selection of participants. The complexit...
Best Practice in Accessible Tourism: Inclusion, Disability, Ageing Population and Tourism
"Summary This book brings together global expertise in planning, design and management to inform and stimulate providers of travel, transport, accommodation, leisure and tourism services to serve guests with disabilities, seniors and the wider markets that require good accessibility. Selected country reports, detailed case studies and technical guidance from leading experts provide an essential resource for academics and practitioners. Key features - Provides Best Practice in Accessible Tourism from a global pespective - Explores a range of approaches to delivering accessible tourism from the perspectives of policy-making, professional and stakeholder networking, market diversity, destination management and the experience economy; - Contains chapters by leading experts with state-of-the-art guidance for the development of accessible tourism infrastructure, transport and services; - Draws together examples of best practice encompassing policies, projects and partnerships in and between the public, private and NGO sewctors , demonstrating the added value of holistic, evidence-based solutions. Review: In 25 chapters, Best Practice in Accessible Tourism provides a ‘state-of-the-art” assessment of both theory and practice. This book establishes a new field of study and provides the benchmark against which other contributions will be judged. It integrates the work of all the key players and should be read by academics, managers and government policy makers. Noel Scott, University of Queensland, Australia The editors have assembled an excellent compilation of thought provoking, cutting edge international chapters on "Best Practice in Accessible Tourism". The text provides important insights into current practices and policies, but also critically reflects on what more needs to be done. This timely work is a must read for practitioners, policy makers and academics. David J. Telfer, Brock University, Canada Author Biography: Professor Dimitrios Buhalis is a Strategic Management and Marketing expert with specialisation in Technology and Tourism at Bournemouth University. Professor Buhalis is leading eTourism research and he is a Fellow of the International Academy for the Study of Tourism and the President of the International Federation for Information Technologies in Travel and Tourism (IFITT).; Dr Simon Darcy is an Associate Professor in Events, Sport and Tourism at the UTS Business School - University of Technology, Sydney. Simon’s research and teaching expertise is in sport, tourism and diversity management. He currently holds research grants investigating organisational responses to accessible tourism, sports management practices and protected area visitor management systems.; Ivor Ambrose is the Managing Director and co-founder of ENAT, the European Network for Accessible Tourism. He has worked for over 30 years as a researcher, project manager, development and policy advisor in the fields of building design and evaluation, public housing, accessibility and assistive technologies for disabled and elderly people, accessible tourism and information systems. Readership Level: Postgraduate, Research / Professional, Undergraduate "
Accessible Tourism–The Ignored Opportunity
Annals of Faculty of Economics, 2010
To create a positive visitor experience, a key factor in obtaining economic benefits, the tourism industry must pay attention to all the elements that contribute to it, especially to accessibility. Visitor accessibility encompasses all tourism markets including seniors and people with disabilities, who have been defined through accessible tourism. This article offers a short presentation of the term accessible tourism, the existing research in the field and the main reasons why the worldwide tourism industry is seemly unaware of this particular market.
Evolution of models of disability as a basis for further policy changes in accessible tourism
Journal of Tourism Futures, 2015
PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to present the results of a critical analysis of the disability models developed to date and of how they function in practice. Furthermore, it aims to answer the following question: which model of disability (MD) will provide the most suitable foundation for any course of action undertaken in the process of planning accessible tourism development in the future?Design/methodology/approachIn the first stage of the study a critical analysis of the MDs described in the literature as well as in selected reports and expert opinions relating to people with disability (PwD) was performer. These findings then became the basis for the second stage of the study which focuses on identifying attitudes within society towards the types of tourism on offer connected to the analysed MDs. The applied research methods include an analysis of a survey (2013, 2014) carried out face-to-face and on the SurveyMonkey web site. The study group consisted of 619 people (from ...
Paving the Way to Accessible Tourism
2010
People do not normally get interested in the problems of limited mobility, unless they experience the problem themselves or they personally know someone who does. In my case, it took 28 years of my life until the second possibility occurred. Craig Grimes was that person. But in his case, he not only suffered the lack of access in travel, he also decided to do something about it and created his own company. This was very inspiring. Soon I realised that not being disabled was nor precisely an advantage to carry out this research. Many 'ableist' misconceptions and misrepresentations were allocated in my imaginary. Moreover, I had to overcome a complete lack of knowledge about disability, impairment and accessible tourism. At the same time, it was so easy to say the wrong word or to make unjustified assumptions. Although I have not suffered the problem, I started to empathise with those who did and I learn to see with their eyes. I did not like what I saw. For some people, every time they want to travel by public transport, go to the pub, stay in a hotel or enjoy a tour they must ask themselves: is it accessible? And worst of all, most of times the answer is "No" or "I don't know". Even when it's "yes" they cannot really be sure! According to what I heard from people who suffered the lack of access, despite some advances, there is still a lot of frustration. I felt the gratitude of many when they knew about this research. To them it is dedicated. TABLE OF CONTENTS 1. INTRODUCTION TO THE REPORT 5 2. AIMS AND OBJECTIVES 5 3. GLOSSARY AND TERMINOLOGY 6 4. BACKGROUND 8 4.1 DISABILITIES 8 4.2. DISABILITIES AND TOURISM 9 4.3 BENEFICIARIES OF ACCESSIBILITY 5. RATIONALE 6. LITERATURE REVIEW 6.1 CONCEPT OF UNIVERSAL DESIGN 6.2 ACCESSIBLE TOURISM RESEARCH 6.3 SOCIAL AND INCLUSIVE TOURISM 6.4 BUILDING THE BUSINESS CASE 6.5 LEGISLATION 6.6 CONCLUSION 7. RESEARCH METHODS 7.1 METHODOLOGY 7.2 METHODS 8 ANALYSIS OF RESULTS 8.1 QUESTIONNAIRE 8.2 CASE STUDIES 9 DISCUSSION 9.1 PwLM TRAVEL 9.2 OPPORTUNITIES FOR DESTINATION 9.3 ENGAGING BUSINESSES 10. RECOMMENDATIONS 11. CONCLUSION BIBLIOGRAPHY AND REFERENCES ANNEX 1 ANNEX 2
Sustainability
The purpose of this study is to examine the challenges and deficits faced by people with disabilities and the implications for the development of accessible tourism in the case of North Cyprus. Although this destination market represents a significant portion of tourism in the Mediterranean, it is still poorly understood. In this study, 250 questionnaires were distributed to people with disabilities. Linear regressions, ANOVA, and t-tests were used for data analysis. The results show that despite the destination’s great potential in terms of attractions and recreational facilities, there are measurable deficits in accessible tourism. If tourism operators want to take advantage of the rising tide of accessible tourism to attract more tourists and have a competitive advantage in this growing niche market, they should improve infrastructure facilities to meet the needs of disabled tourists. In particular, this includes providing information for disabled tourists, improving the existing...
Tourism Recreation Research,, 2021
Rubio-Escuderos, L., García-Andreu, H., Michopoulou, Buhalis, 2021, Perspectives on experiences of tourists with disabilities: implications for their daily lives and for the tourist industry, Tourism Recreation Research, https://doi.org/10.1080/02508281.2021.1981071 This study attempts to understand how people with disabilities (PwDs) interpret the dimensions that they consider important when on holiday. By understanding these dimensions, it becomes possible to identify and remove barriers to holiday-making and improve customer satisfaction. In particular, the study focuses on (a) what having a holiday means for PwDs and how travelling affects their lives; (b) the process of decision-making when PwDs organise a tourist experience; and (c) the roles played by travelling companions, associations and tourism companies. To that end, rich qualitative data were collected through 25 in-depth interviews with people with reduced mobility. Findings suggest that tourist experiences had a decisive impact on the perspective that PwDs have of their disability in their daily lives, with the feeling of independence being a crucial aspect. Factors such as limited negotiating scope, necessity of a care assistant, knowledge of the destination language or availability of state aid influence the decision-making process. Due to a particular service provided at Spanish stations, It is found that the train is the most valued transport for PwDs within Spain. This study contributes to accessible tourism theory by providing insights into the complexity of travelling with a disability and its impact on people's daily lives.
People with Disabilities: Accessible Tourism Introduction to the Special Thematic Session
Lecture Notes in Computer Science, 2006
The Special Thematic Session is organized to provide a forum to discuss major issues related to Accessible Tourism, to identify existing barriers as well as technologies, strategies and approaches to promote Accessible Tourism. The more Information Communication Technologies and Assistive Technologies increase the potential to enable people with disabilities to take part in almost any area of life, the more eInclusion and eAccessibility become a common responsibility of the mainstream tourism industry. The European Commission appreciates this fact and therefore supports different activities to raise the awareness of the impact and the business opportunities that Accessible Tourism introduces. The forthcoming process of demographic ageing will lead to a growing number of tourists with needs for more accessibility and higher service quality also in tourism.
2020
Purpose -Accessible tourism is evolving as field of academic research and industry practice, set within a dynamic social context. The field is interdisciplinary, multidisciplinary and transdisciplinary. The paper examines key concepts and global initiatives that will shape accessible tourism futures. Design/Methodology/Approach -three of the authors have extensive academic experience in the area and the fourth author is the Managing Director of the pre-eminent European Network for Accessible Tourism. In taking a limited Delphi approach to canvassing key areas likely to shape accessible tourism futures, the following concepts and policy initiatives were examined: motivations, dreams and aspirations of people with disability; demography; UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities; destination competitiveness; universal design; and the UN Sustainable Development Goals for 2030. Findings -a discussion of each of the above areas was placed in context to accessible tourism f...