Social media is all the rage in 2010. Almost everyone in the tourism industry is aware of this phenomenon. Unlike many “tech fads”, however, social media is not going away. In fact, social media has always existed, it ‘s just that current technologies (known collectively as Web 2.0) exist to make it easy to reach far and wide almost instantaneously. I get excited about the possibilities this has for access tourism. I’m not just talking about work like I did at 2010 Legacies Now to promote accessible tourism in BC prior to the Winter Games. It takes information collecting and awareness building projects like this and many others and breathes life into them. Conversely, there may be no better vessel than access tourism for the promise of social media to make a substantive impact.

Many businesses have jumped into the fray head first. Who doesn’t have a blog, Twitter feed or facebook group? This is just the first step. Mobile applications for the iPhone and Android that can tap into geo-location features are already flourishing (not for accessibility and inclusion purposes, however). Having a good website, well managed social network site and constantly updating your microblog is nice but can I take it with me when I leave the house? Can it guide me to my next stop? Oh, and if your head isn’t spinning enough, consider how you are going to leverage games-based models to compete.

At the heart of this are dynamic human networks – not the technologies we’re more aware of. In access tourism, these networks become even more important. I think the recent literature on social networks and social capital provides us with the language of discourse.

The close bonds of community influence many of our local decisions. Bridges to weak ties alert us to novel opportunities and provide us access to global resources. It is the flexible bands of tribes that offer the greatest return on investment for access tourism. These tribes are roaming the earth, looking for that special destination that exceeds their expectations to tell others in their tribe and community about. These tribes aren’t just people with disabilities or seniors but heterogeneous packs that defy demographic labels. What it is they’re looking for and how to meet that demand will differentiate winners from losers.  The answers to these questions lie in engaging the tribe in authentic discussion. Great companies will know how to leverage social media as part their emerging strategies.

Tourism South East (TSE) in the UK – which covers eight counties – has over 2000 industry and 70 local authority members.  Tourism in the region is worth in excess of £13 billion and supports over 300,000 jobs.   TSE estimates that the disabled market is worth £40 billion per annum, and that over 2.5 million disabled people travel regularly.  As they often travel with families and carers the number of access tourists increases dramatically.   TSE has funding to deliver a series of subsidised Destination Access Audits, mini audits, bespoke access workshops, and Welcome All courses across the South East over the next four years.  It also used funding from the South East England Development Agency (SEEDA) to undertake some  Accessibility Case Studies to understand how businesses have benefited from making their properties more accessible in the run up to the 2012 Olympics and Paralympics in London.   These include:

• Heath Farm, Lewes.  A four star self- catering property that has achieved the National Accessible Scheme Mobility Grade 2 award, is a TSE member and whose owners have benefited from Welcome All training. 
• The Roald Dahl Museum, Buckinghamshire.  Won the Enjoy England Award for Small Visitor Attraction Of The Year 2008, is a TSE member, has taken significant steps towards welcoming all customers and has benefited from signing up to Hosting The World.
• Holiday Inn, Windsor/Maidenhead. The Holiday Inn Windsor/Maidenhead has achieved the National Accessible Scheme Mobility and Hearing Grade 1. The Holiday Inn Accessibility Manager recently presented at a Tourism South East and Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead accessibility seminar at Legoland.
• Winchester Cathedral, Hampshire. Winchester Cathedral is Winchester’s principal tourist attraction and has dominated the city for nearly a thousand years.  Visitors to the city are largely drawn by its well-preserved historical centre and making its key attractions accessible to everyone is important for the city’s ambition to be a world-class visitor destination. Winchester Cathedral is a Tourism South East member and staff have benefited from Tourism South East’s Welcome to Excellence and e-animation training courses.

Videos of some of these case studies can be found here.

TSE also conducted text case studies to provide an insight into the benefits of businesses becoming more accessible in the run up to 2012.  Continue reading:

Text case studies include:

·         Windsor Castle, Berkshire, a globally recognised landmark close to the London 2012 Olympics and Paralympics host venue Dorney Lakes.  Windsor Castle is fully accessible to wheelchair users. Induction loops, audio transcripts, large print information and audio tours are also available. Windsor Castle is a Tourism South East member and recently attended the Tourism South East accessibility seminar at Legoland. The Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead has completed a Destination Access Audit.

·         High Wray, Hampshire.  A highly accessible self-contained flat at High Wray near Farnham, in Surrey, has long been established as a popular self-catering choice for leisure and business travellers. High Wray has achieved National Accessible Scheme Mobility Awards 1 and 2. The owners have also benefitted from numerous Tourism South East training courses, including Welcoming Walkers and Cyclists, Search Engine Optimisation and Social Media for Tourism. 

·         Little Silver Country Hotel, Kent.  Has achieved a 3 star Silver quality rating and has also been awarded the National Accessible Scheme Mobility 1 award. Being able to welcome all guests, including those with accessibility needs, for weddings, special events and functions is a unique selling point for this luxury small hotel. 

More accessibility case studies can be found on the Welcome To Excellence pages at TSE.

At a UN ESCAP meeting held in cooperation with the Asia-Pacific Development Centre on Disability (APCD), Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) and the Ministry of Social Development and Human Security Thailand (MSDHS), Air Asia achieved a first by being represented at a regional conference on facilitating accessibility for people with disabilities (PwDs).  Imtiaz Muqbil, executive editor of Travel Impact Newswire reports that with an estimated 400 million PwDs in Asia Pacific, half of whom women, and 58 million in the ASEAN countries, the market opportunity is clear. As most PwDs also travel along with a care-giver, the prospective revenue stream doubles.  The objective of the meeting was to assess progress made by countries in implementing the projects and programmes under the second UN Asian and Pacific Decade of Disabled Persons, 2003-2012 and to look into the prospects of initiating a Third Decade.  The result was an “inclusive” policy that seeks to boost the human capital development of staff as well as enhance the services and facilities offered to passengers. The airline also decided to “champion the cause of guests with reduced mobility with government authorities, airport management, ministries, etc.”  Kenneth Chan, chief for guest services at Air Asia said that the airline “engages in constant dialogues with organisations representing people with reduced mobility to gauge travel needs and requirements – these may change with the course of time, and we have to be very up to date to render the best services.”  Nanda Krairiksh, director for social development of ESCAP, hailed the contribution of key innovators from the private sector who had been invited to offer their expertise and share their experiences.  “Viewing persons with disabilities as contributors to our region’s economic dynamism as entrepreneurs, employees or an emerging market segment not only helps to change outmoded stereotypes that we are all fighting against but also enhances everyone’s prospects for prosperity,” she said.

A just-released report commissioned by the UK Department for Business, Innovation, and Skills, and the Office for Disability Issues presents arguments for why business should improve access for people with disabilities.   The “2012 Legacy for Disable People: Inclusive and Accessible Business” is the result of work by Atkins Management Consultants who reviewed existing messages and communications to SMEs about people with disabilities, developed more compelling messages, and looked at the case for focusing on the disabled as customers.  In summary, the report found that:

• Disabled consumers in the UK are a significant (10.6 billion people) but poorly addressed market worth £80 billion p.a.
• 83% of disabled people have to take business to more accessible providers
• Disabled customers may account for up to 20% of the customer base at an average business
• The risk of losing business to a more accessible competitor is high as consumer experiences of disabled people affect the choices of family and friends
• Business benefits associated with better accessibility include a rapidly expanding customer base, increases in revenues and profits, loyal customers, improved reputation, and a distinct competitive advantage

 The report notes the strong link between age and the prevalence of disability and that, as the population ages, there will be more disability in future.The main barriers to SMEs improving access include low levels of awareness about the business opportunities of improving access, misconceptions around the cost of improving access and what access means, misconceptions and discomfort about disability and awareness, fear of getting it wrong, dominance of legal compliance issue.

 UK Ministers have urged business to see improving access as a way of becoming more profitable in preparation for the Olympic and Paralympic Games in London in 2010. One million disabled visitors are expected in London for the games bringing with them millions of pounds in business.

The European Disability Forum is an independent European non-government organisation which has played a key role in ensuring that all relevant EU policies and initiatives  take disabled people into account.  It reports that the European Commission has just adopted a communication on tourism which proposes to better include people with disabilities.   The latest communication from the Commission points out that tourism plays an important role in Europe’s economy. It comprises 1.8 million enterprises, many of these being small and medium-sized businesses. It also points out that transport and tourism is a basic right for all citizens, including people with disabilities. The right to travel and to access tourist activities is enshrined in Article 9 of the UN Convention on the Rights of People with Disabilities (CRPD).    The UN CRPD has been signed and ratified by New Zealand, so that these rights exist in this country.  However, we have not done a very good job in implementing this (see for example, this post, and this).   

CRPD has been signed and is in the process of ratification by the European communities and its Member States.  Read more……………

 Equal access to transportation

 European States Parties committed to “take appropriate measures to ensure to persons with disabilities access, on an equal basis with others, to transportation, and facilities and services open or provided to the public.” Developing accessibility of transport and tourism services is necessary in order to achieve an inclusive society, where people with disabilities and their families can enjoy tourist activities together. Accessible services would also benefit other groups, like older persons, families with children, or travellers with heavy luggage.  Incidentally, the UN CRPD has been signed and ratified by New Zealand, so that these rights exist in this country.

65 million travelers with disabilities

Accessibility of transport and tourism services is of economic importance for the EU. About 65 million European citizens live with disabilities and are keen to travel and enjoy leisure activities provided they are accessible. In addition, the demographic changes mean that more and more European citizens live longer and healthier and have thus more time at their disposal for benefiting from accessible tourism. Finally, accessible tourism is quality tourism for everyone, with or without disabilities.

What Access Tourism Needs:

• Information in accessible formats;
• Relevant information about accessibility during the journey and on the touristic venues;
• Formal standardization to promote accessible tourism

Background documents on the European Disability Forum website:

  Download EDF Position on Accessibility to Tourist and Transport Services for Disabled People

 Download EDF Input to the European Commission Consultation on the AGENDA FOR A SUSTAINABLE AND COMPETITIVE EUROPEAN TOURISM, 2007

Download EDF Position Paper on Tourism: Framing the Future of European Tourism, 2005

 Read the communication from the Commission: Tourism: Keeping Europe the world’s top destination

Contact EDF: Maria Nyman | maria.nyman@edf-feph.org | T: +32 286 51 84

It is estimated that by the end of 2010, more than 400,000 Americans will use treatment abroad for a variety of health needs (Travel Impact Newswire).   Recently, a health traveller blog was launched which includes forums where consumers of Medical Tourism can have their say.  The Health Traveller website hopes to help consumers make informed choices when they are contemplating medical or health treatment abroad.  It points out that – while not yet mainstream – travelling overseas for medical treatment is not new. In ancient Roman times documented cases of people travelling comparatively vast distances to locations of health were not uncommon. What is new is that the major reason Americans are travelling overseas is that the high cost of elective, non-acute medical procedures is making such procedures inaccessible at home in the US. 

The list of medical travel destinations is growing rapidly. In terms of overseas visitor numbers it is difficult to get a good estimate for each country.  While there are currently more than 130 countries that want to offer options for treatment abroad, the locations currently most sought out by U.S. health travellers include such locales as India, Thailand, Mexico, Costa Rica and Singapore.  Certainly, medical tourism is not as well developed in New Zealand as it could be and we are – to our detriment – trailing our tourism rivals in developing this industry (Access Tourism NZ, 16 August 2010). In its broadest sense, many patients often view treatment abroad as an opportunity to address health conditions while seeing the world (The Health Traveller).  For this reason, it is imperative that Access Tourism be developed alongside medical tourism, as has pointed out on this website many times before.

Tourism South East (England) has commissioned a series of case studies to understand how businesses have benefited from making their properties more accessible in the run up to the London Olympic and Paralympic Games being held in 2012.  The case studies include video and text case studies.  To find out more, continue reading……

 Video case studies (which can be viewed here) include:

 Heath Farm, Lewes

Heath Farm is a 4* self catering property, that has achieved the National Accessible Scheme Mobility Grade 2 award, is a TSE member and its owners have benefited from Welcome All training.  The Welcome All programme gives an insight into how to meet the expectations of customers with disabilities and special needs. Welcome All offers practical advice on how to improve service and welcome to customers with disabilities and special needs, as well as explaining key aspects of the Disability Discrimination Act.

 Roald Dahl Museum, Buckinghamshire 

The Roald Dahl Museum won the Enjoy England Award for Small Visitor Attraction Of The Year 2008, is a TSE member, has taken significant steps towards welcoming all customers and has benefited from signing up to Hosting The World (link to Hosting the World page)

Holiday Inn Windsor/Maidenhead

The Holiday Inn Windsor/Maidenhead has achieved the National Accessible Scheme Mobility and Hearing Grade 1. The Holiday Inn Accessibility Manager recently presented at a Tourism South East and Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead accessibility seminar at Legoland.

 Winchester Cathedral, Hampshire

Winchester Cathedral is Winchester’s principal tourist attraction and has dominated the city for nearly a thousand years.  Visitors to the city are largely drawn by its well-preserved historical centre and making its key attractions accessible to everyone is important for the city’s ambition to be a world-class visitor destination. Winchester Cathedral is a Tourism South East member and staff have benefited from Tourism South East’s Welcome to Excellence and e-animation training courses.

Text Case Studies

The following text case studies (which can be viewed here) provide an insight into the benefits of businesses becoming more accessible in the run up to 2012. 

Windsor Castle, Berkshire

Windsor Castle is a globally recognised landmark close to the London 2012 Olympics and Paralympics host venue Dorney Lakes.  Windsor Castle is fully accessible to wheelchair users. Induction loops, audio transcripts, large print information and audio tours are also available. Windsor Castle is a Tourism South East member and recently attended the Tourism South East accessibility seminar at Legoland. The Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead has completed a Destination Access Audit.

High Wray, Hampshire

The highly accessible self-contained flat at High Wray near Farnham, in Surrey, has long been established as a popular self-catering choice for leisure and business travellers. High Wray has achieved National Accessible Scheme Mobility Awards 1 and 2. The owners have also benefitted from numerous Tourism South East training courses, including Welcoming Walkers and Cyclists, Search Engine Optimisation and Social Media for Tourism.

Little Silver Country Hotel, Kent

Little Silver Country Hotel has achieved a 3* Silver quality rating and has also been awarded the National Accessible Scheme Mobility 1 award. Being able to welcome all guests, including those with accessibility needs, for weddings, special events and functions is a unique selling point for this luxury small hotel. 

For more accessibility case studies, please visit our Welcome To Excellence pages.

Michael McClelland of The Best of New Zealand Fly Fishing  told New Zealand’s Inside Tourism magazine this week that social media isn’t all it is sexed up to be, at least in some North American markets.  The Best of New Zealand Fly Fishing is a travel agency started by McClelland in 1981, and – as the name suggests – the American company concentrates solely on trips to this country.  And because most of his up-market clients are retired or approaching retirement, they are not users of these social media forums.  He says his clients won’t be enticed to NZ just because they receive a message to do so via Twitter, Facebook or YouTube. So he is appealing to Tourism New Zealand to take a balanced approach when it comes to destination marketing. “I do not want see all the traditional ways forgotten. Most of the social media are great for our kids but they are not the market that is coming to NZ. If they do travel then most will probably fall into the backpacker market.”  He adds: “I have looked at every YouTube clip on fishing in NZ and most of the videos are young people that are fishing on their own. Very few are using a guide and even fewer are staying in fishing lodges.  It is great exposure for New Zealand, but it is not the market that really helps sustains the lodges or spends anywhere near the money that our up-market clients spend” (Inside Tourism Issue 800, 26/8/2010).

As the Asian and Pacific region struggles to sustain its dynamism in the aftermath of the global financial crisis, the estimated 400 million disabled persons living in the region are emerging as a force for change, including for their still mostly untapped consumer power.   The potential for the business sector to embrace the rights and concerns of persons with disabilities was a key focus of a regional meeting on South-to-South Cooperation on Disability held on 19 and 20 August at the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP).  Over 60 participants, including senior officials from 10 ASEAN countries, representatives of the business sector and disabled people’s organizations explored ways in which business development plans and employment practices could become more inclusive, recognizing that persons with disabilities are generally an untapped consumer market.

The Meeting was organized by ESCAP and the Asia-Pacific Development Centre on Disability (APCD), in collaboration with the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA).
It reviewed the implementation of the Biwako Millennium Framework for Action — a regional plan for a barrier-free and rights-based society for persons with disabilities, in particular concerning community-based inclusive development. It discussed the feasibility of an ASEAN mechanism to facilitate the movement of persons with disabilities. “We are focusing on the ASEAN subregion to develop a mechanism to enhance legislation and policies related to equal opportunities and inclusive development for persons with disabilities”, commented Tanin Kraivixien, President, APDC Foundation. He continued: “But this Meeting is epoch-making since the business sector has also been invited to promote socially inclusive business development”.

UNESCAP press release 20 August 2010

Happily, more and more tourism professionals are “discovering” accessible tourism and why it is important to so many people. One of the most Frequently Asked Questions posed by business owners and tourist agencies is: “How many disabled tourists are there”?   And then there is the more probing question: “So, if it is not just about disabled people, how many people actually need better access, and what kind of things do they need?”.  Answering these questions accurately requires all sorts of qualifications. (I am tempted to say it is like asking: How long is a piece of string….?). We have websites such as the ENAT website, the Quality Accessible Tourism website, and this website (ATNZ) just to illuminate these issues! 
Happily there ARE a few people who have done the necessary research and have some answers about the numbers of people requiring accessible tourism. One of these is Dr. Simon Darcy, Associate Professor at the University of Technology, School of Leisure, Sport and Tourism, Sydney, Australia (and QAT). He himself is disabled and has worked with the tourism industry, NGOs and government agencies for many years. He recently opened a blog called Accessible Tourism Research.   Visit his blog and read his article on accessible tourism statistics. I think you will find out why the answers to the above questions are not so simple (!) but also you’ll get some evidence about how the market is adapting in some parts of the world in order to deliver better access for all tourists.

With updates and  with permission from Competitiveness for European Tourism for All (CETA).