Perspectives on experiences of tourists with disabilities: implications for their daily lives and for the tourist industry

ABSTRACT

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.

KEYWORDS:

• Accessibility
• disability
• tourism experience
• independence
• barriers
• social model

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Lucía Rubio-Escuderos

Lucía Rubio-Escuderos, is a Sociologist with a Master's degree in Tourism Planning and Management. She is currently a Ph.D. candidate in Tourism at the University of Alicante, having done a research stay at the University of Derby. She follows a line of research in accessible tourism, having analysed implications of tourists with disabilities' experiences, market provision for tourists with disabilities and stakeholder relationships for the development of accessibility in tourist destinations.

Hugo García-Andreu

Hugo García-Andreu is an Associate Professor in sociology and tourism at the University of Alicante, being part of the University Institute for Tourism Research. He has participated in numerous R&D projects, some of them international, in the field of tourism aimed at analysing social impacts and designing reorientation proposals. In the impact assessment, he has applied and developed innovative methodologies that combine causal maps and social network analysis. He has investigated the impact of forms of social organisation on the success of community-based tourism projects (Chile and Brazil). He has experience in technical advice on tourism, highlighting the collaboration with the regional government to improve the management of visits to Natural Parks. He is currently investigating the stimuli and obstacles to accessible tourism in the Costa Blanca (Spain).

Eleni Michopoulou

Eleni Michopoulou is an Associate Professor in Business Management at the University of Derby. Her research interests include technological applications and information systems in tourism, online consumer behaviour and technology acceptance. She is particularly interested in the field of accessible and wellness tourism, which she has actively been researching for over 10 years.

Dimitrios Buhalis

Dimitrios Buhalis is a Strategic Management and Marketing expert with a specialisation in Information Communication Technology, Smart Environments and Accessible Tourism. He is Visiting Professor, School of Hotel and Tourism Management, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University and Established Chair at Bournemouth University Business School. He is the Editor in Chief of Tourism Review and the Encyclopedia of Tourism Management and Marketing. Professor Buhalis' research is referenced widely, being the 2nd most cited for tourism and 1st most cited for hospitality 18th on strategy and 30th in Marketing on Google Scholar with more than 54,000 citations and h-index 100. He has taught in more than 50 universities around the world and delivers more than 30 keynotes per year.