4 May
Sydney For All Website Receives 20,000 Hits From 110 Countries in 18 Months
Research which led to the setting up of the Sydney for All website has been described by Simon Darcy of University of Technology Sydney in an article for eTurboNews. The article – and an accompanying video – focus on experiencing Sydney from the point of view of the Access Tourism market. The research looked not simply at what tourists with disabilities ‘can’ or ‘can’t do,’ but at the quality of experience they have when they partake of Sydney’s quintessential tourism attractions. The starting point of the study was to consider what any tourist visiting Sydney would want to experience. The next step involved discovering 20 accessible destination experiences that could be accessed by tourists with disabilities. The Sydney For All website was created to provide quality information for visitors with access needs. The website has received 20,000 hits from 110 countries in the last 18 months. The report arising out of the research – Visitor Accessibility in Urban Centres – points out that tourists with access needs already account for 11% of tourist spending in Australia.
The report also uncovered opportunities for deeper understanding of the experience of tourists with access needs and to improve the service offerings. One bugbear, particularly for mobility-impaired travelers is finding suitable and enjoyable accommodation.
