Accessible tourism
What is accessible tourism? Why is it important?
Accessible tourism is a complex of products, processes and services that are designed, promoted, distributed and provided to meet the specific access needs and requirements of visitors regardless of their age or abilities. It means that everyone has an equal opportunity to travel independently, enjoy the experiences, and get service and reliable and understandable information.
The Prezi presentation below introduces the definition and potential of accessible tourism.
Task: Think of an existing nature-based tourism product/service that you have used. Ponder how the communicational, physical and social accessibility were met or could be fulfilled.
Further reading:
Aaltonen, A. & Ihalainen, N. (eds.) 2020. Yhdevertaisuutta luontomatkailuun. Esteettömien ja saavutettavien luontomatkailupalveluiden suunnitteluopas. https://www.businessfinland.fi/4a80bb/globalassets/julkaisut/visit-finland/tutkimukset/2020/yhdenvertaisuutta-luontomatkailuun.pdf.
ELEVATOR Project 2015. Accessible Tourism Guide. Part 2 – Tourism Industry. 2018 OBALKA Accessible Tourism Guide_PART 2_ENGLISH.indd.
ENAT 2020. Accessible Tourism Training. https://www.accessibletourism.org/?i=enat.en.accessible-tourism-training.
EUROPARC Deutschland 2016. Planning accessible experiences of nature. https://webunwto.s3.eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/s3fs-public/2020-04/moduleieng13022017.pdf.
UNWTO 2016. Manual on Accessible Tourism for All: Principles, Tools and Best Practices- Module 1: Accessible Tourism – Definition and Context. https://webunwto.s3.eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/s3fs-public/2020-04/moduleieng13022017.pdf.
Visit Finland 2018. Esteettömyyskriteerit matkailussa. https://www.businessfinland.fi/4aaca2/globalassets/finnish-customers/02-build-your-network/visit-finland/esteettomyyskriteerit_01102018.pdf.
World Travel & Tourism Council 2021. Inclusive & Accessible Travel Guidelines. https://wttc.org/Portals/0/Documents/Reports/2021/Inclusive%20Accessible%20Travel.pdf?ver=2021-05-04-115923-407.