Contributions of tourism to social inclusion of persons with disability

Abstract

Tourism, although a relevant part of the modern lifestyle in economically more developed countries, is even in these countries not accessible to all, with particular barriers existing for persons with disabilities. These barriers are not only physical, but also internal, cultural and social. Tourism and leisure have revealed many benefits for individuals with a disability, enhancing personal development, quality of life, recovery and contribution to social inclusion. This article discusses the potential of tourism for people with disability and presents the results of an exploratory study undertaken in Portugal aiming at a better understanding of this market and its profile, desires and constraints experienced when participating in holidays and leisure activities. This information should contribute to the debate on the potential contributions of tourism to improving social inclusion of persons with disability, while simultaneously permitting tourism providers to better integrate this group in their clientele.

Keywords:

• accessible leisure tourism
• consumer behaviour
• tourists with a disability
• social inclusion

Acknowledgements

The authors would like to express gratitude to Associação para a Recuperação de Cidadãos Inadaptados da Lousã and the Municipality of Lousã, who involved us in this most interesting field of research and financed the study, with the objective of assisting in developing the first accessible tourism destination in Portugal. They are most thankful to Joana Lima and Andreia Moura, two most engaged and professional research assistants who were crucial for data collection and analysis. The authors must also thank Dave Tucker, our extraordinary proof-reader, who generously refused payment for his high-quality work, since he wanted to share the intentions of our article. Finally, the authors are most grateful to all of the institutions and individuals that helped implement the survey, in a snowball approach, and to each disabled person willing to respond to a lengthy questionnaire in the hope of improved travelling conditions.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Notes

1. As Fontes, Martins, and Hespanha (2014) point out, the level of protection of the Portuguese welfare state is below the European average. Moreover, unlike most EU states, Portugal has only developed the welfare state after the Portuguese revolution of 1974, which represented the collapse of 48 years of dictatorship. The weak welfare state is partly compensated by a strong ‘welfare society’, based on family and neighbourhood bonds and assistance, which however shows signs of exhaustion (Fontes 2009), particularly in the current economic crisis.