Access Tourism NZ TOURISM FOR PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES, SENIORS, AND AGEING BOOMERS IN NEW ZEALAND AND WORLDWIDE

The European Commission (Directorate-General for Enterprise and Industry, Directorate F: Tourism, CSR, Consumer Goods and International Regulatory Agreements) is seeking tenders for a market research and public opinion poll on the economic impact and travel patterns of accessible tourism in Europe.

Travelling for pleasure (or for business) in Europe is equally relevant for persons with physical disabilities, but the barriers they have to face are far greater.  Tourism accessibility across Europe is still to some extent unchartered territory, with widespread misconceptions and lack of knowledge about the market of tourists with special access needs.  Visitors’ requirements are largely unknown, investment costs are often misunderstood or exaggerated and accessibility is generally perceived by business as a “burden”.  Travelling and having full access to tourist activities, services and facilities is a right enshrined in Article 9 of the UN Convention on the Rights of People with Disabilities, signed by the European Union and its 27 Member States.  Furthermore, making tourism facilities more accessible to people with disabilities, is also a golden opportunity for businesses.

Very few studies have been carried out on the economic impact or patterns of demand and travel of visitors with disabilities.  The most recent has been a research project that in 2011 looked at the tourism, travel, and hospitlaity patterns and needs of people with hearing loss conducted for the new Zealand National Foundation for the Deaf, by the NZ Tourism Research Institute at AUT University, and Access Toruism NZ.   The overall purpose of this EU contract is to collect comprehensive and EU-wide data on the economic impact — both actual and potential — of travellers with special access needs on the EU tourism sector, and to study the demand, travel behaviour, and patterns of travellers with special access needs in Europe.  The final date for tender submissions is 28/06/2012.

The European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights (FRA), the Danish Ministry of Social Affairs and Integration (SM), and the Danish Institute for Human Rights (DIHR) are holding a conference on the autonomy and inclusion of people with disabilities 7-8 June in Copenhagen.  This international conference will bring together disability experts from civil society including disabled people’s organisations, representatives from national human rights institutions, researchers, and policy makers at the EU, national and local level. The conference will allow participants to discuss the disability work of the FRA, DIHR and the Danish Ministry. The FRA’s latest disability reports, which will be presented during the event, will give an overview of the EU situation. There will also be concrete examples from Denmark and other Member States to illustrate the state of affairs nationally. Participants will be able to discuss practical suggestions and network with others working on disability rights.

The Global Disability Rights Library (GDRL) – on which Access Tourism New Zealand has a link – now provides more content than ever. There are now nine information portals which provide materials on topics relevant to the needs of Disabilities Organizations, government officials, professionals, grassroots advocates, and others working to improve the lives of people with disabilities. An on-line version of the library is available. An off-line version is also stored inside eGranary Digital Libraries for delivery to developing countries where Internet access is limited. The GDRL team is now no longer accepting applications to receive an off-line eGranary for 2012. However, organizations interested in receiving notification of future opportunities can submit their full contact information here. The GDRL project is a joint initiative of the U.S. international Council on Disabilities and the University of Iowa WiderNet Project supported by the U.S. Agency for International Development.

The New Zealand National Foundation for the Deaf (NFD) has set up a captioning working group with the aim of establishing equal access to TV and movies for deaf and hearing impaired people in this country.  A 2011 survey, “Captioning in New Zealand”, conducted by members of the group, showed the deaf and hearing impaired community felt a strong sense of injustice and frustration at the way poor TV, home video and cinema captioning denied them the simple pleasures of relaxation, entertainment and access to information and education.  Over the next 12 months the
NFD Captioning Working Group will push for legislation to make the captioning of TV programmes in New Zealand compulsory – a change favoured by 86% of the  Captioning New Zealand survey respondents.  New Zealand TV captioning is among the worst in the western world with even Uganda having a better service. While some captioning is funded by NZ On Air and a high quality captioning service is provided by TV1, TV2 and TV3 it amounts to less than 10% of total TV hours each week across all free to air and subscriber pay channels.  Captioning is about equal access for both hearing and non-hearing people. The United Nations Convention on the Rights of Disabled Persons, ratified by New Zealand, states that all persons with disabilities should enjoy equal access to television programmes, films, theatre and cultural activities in accessible formats.  Many countries,  Australia and the USA included, have mandatory captioning legislation. We are seriously lagging behind the rest of the world and it’s time we caught up.

Members of the NFD Captioning Working Group come from t he NFD and Deaf Aotearoa.

Source: NFD press release.

Airlines on opposite sides of the globe are coming under fire again for their handling of people with disabilities. For starters, Jetstar’s refusal in April to carry wheelchair-using journalists between Auckland and  Wellington has made it into the Innes Worst of the Year Awards list. The list is created by Graeme Innes, Australia’s Disability Discrimination Commissioner . Innes hands out brickbats and bouquets once a year to those who do great work (or otherwise) for, by, and on behalf of the disability sector in that country. Innes calls the refusal of Jetstar – and also Virgin and Tiger airlines – to carry more than two people using wheelchairs on each aircraft “airline apartheid”.  Meanwhile,  Australian Sheila King has taken action against Jetstar in the federal Court over its “two-wheelchair-only” policy.

In the northern hemisphere, Easyjet unleashed a Twitter storm of indignation when it refused to board a woman with her service dog.  Joanna Jones was trying to board a flight at Gatwick for Belfast and had her dog Orla with her.  She had a week before had no issues with boarding with Orla for the flight from Belfast to Gatwick.  Staff at Easyjet admitted that they could see Orla was a guide dog, but said that Jones needed to provide the paperwork to “make her flight more  ‘comfortable’”.  Easyjet booked Jones on another flight after she received paperwork. Easyjet has been criticised in the past for its policies concerning customers with disabilities.

According to Enterprise and Industry of the European Commission, not only is making tourism more accessible a social responsibility, but there is also a compelling business case to boost the competitiveness of tourism in Europe.   Why? The population in Europe is aging: by 2050 the number of people aged over 65 will triple that of 2003 and the over-80 will be 5 times more numerous that they are at the moment.  This represents a huge market potential which today remains vastly under-served. Worldwide the number of people with impairments accounts for 600-900 million, representing a significant potential market for Europe.   Many examples show that by implementing basic adjustments to a facility, providing accurate information, and understanding the needs of disabled people, an increased number of visitors has resulted.  Also, improving the accessibility of tourism services increases the  quality and enjoyment for all tourists.  The European Commission is committed to mainstream accessibility in tourism by:

• raising awareness, sensitizing stakeholders and economic operators in the tourism sector
• gathering knowledge about demand from travellers with special access needs
• identifying options to improve the offer of accessible tourism services

The Commission has a publication on improving information on accessible tourism for people with disabilities.  It also has a programme called Calypso which aims to facilitate tourism access for groups for which going on holiday represents a difficult or even impossible undertaking.

Two new text books on accessible tourism are available through the European Network for Accessible Tourism (ENAT) from Channel View Publications. The first is “Concepts and Issues” (eds: Dimitrios Buhalis and Simon Darcy), which sets out to  explore and document the current theoretical approaches, foundations and issues  in the study of accessible tourism.  Professor Nigel Morgan, The Welsh Centre for Tourism Research states that this volume harnesses “the best conceptual  developments on the topic” and that it will “take accessible tourism and universal design debates into the mainstream of academic enquiryand industry practice“

The second volume is “Best Practice in Accessible Tourism” (eds: Buhalis, Darcy, and Ivor Ambrose).  It focuses on policy and best practice in accessible tourism, reflecting the ”state-of -the-art” as expressed in a selection of international chapters. It brings together global expertise in planning, design and management to inform and stimulate providers of travel, transport, accommodation, leisure and tourism services to serve guests with disabilities, seniors and the wider markets that require good accessibility. Chapter 8, written by Sandra Rhodda of Access Tourism New Zealand, describes the state of accessible tourism in this country.  Overall, the book gives ample evidence that accessible tourism organisations and destinations can expand their target markets as well as improve the quality of their service offering, leading to greater customer satisfaction, loyalty and expansion of business.  Accessible tourism is not only about providing access to people with disabilities but also it addresses the creation of universally designed environments that can support people that may have temporary disabilities, families with young children, the ever increasing ageing population as well as creating a safer environment for employees to work. Noel Scott, of the University of Queensland, Australia says that the volume “provides a ‘state-of-the-art” assessment of both theory and practice. This book establishes a new field of study and provides the benchmark against which other contributions will be judged. It integrates the work of all the key players and should be read by academics, managers and government policy makers.”

The Italian Ministry of Tourism has created a Manifesto promoting Accessible Tourism (English and Italian versions).   It is part of its commitment to put into effect Article 30 of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.  Article 30 – Participation in cultural life, recreation, leisure and sport – includes that States Parties recognize the right of persons with disabilities to take part on an equal basis with others in cultural life, including enjoying films, theatre and other cultural activities, in accessible formats;  access to places for cultural performances or services, such as theatres, museums, cinemas, libraries and tourism services, and, as far as possible, enjoy access to monuments and sites of national cultural importance; and access tourism venues.

Chairman of the Italian Agency for Tourism (ENIT), Matteo Marzotto said that accessibility means lack of architectural, cultural and sensory barriers.  “It relates to people with particular needs, not only regarding movement but also chronic health issues (people with food and environment allergies, the blind, the deaf or mentally disabled people, small children and the elderly, etc.). The involvement of all these visitors and their families in tourism has a great numerical as well as psychological, impact”.

Following the signing in Vicenza, in May 2011, the new Italian National Tourism Code (Decree 79 of 5/23/2011) was passed into law, to be in force from 21 June.  This marks a major step forward in the Italian legislation on Accessible Tourism.  The Minister of Tourism, Michela Vittoria Brambilla is Chair of the Executive Council Board of the UN World Tourism Organisation and in that role in Nairobi in July 2011 has proposed to 154 countries and 400 other WTO member organizations to sign up to the Manifesto. The first interested countries can sign the document already from the next UNWTO meeting which should take place in Cambodia in October.

The first international NGO to support the Manifesto is the European Network for Accessible Tourism (ENAT).  ENAT Board Member, Dr. Angelika Laburda signed the Manifesto on behalf of ENAT at the Gitando 2011 Feira da Vicenza trade fair on 25th March 2011, along with the Minister. Laburda said that the document raises awareness of the importance of providing accessibility for all tourists.

The final conference-workshop of the central European project CrossCulTour addresses “CrossCulTour achievements, European cultural tourism and best practice in heritage management and cultural tourism management”.  Based on the Romanesque heritage – TRANSROMANICA The European Routes of Romanesque Heritage – CrossCulTour embraces further stylistic periods and cultural elements of the regions, establishes collaboration with marketing partners linked to cultural heritage and promotes cross-sector cooperation. The workshop – co-financed by the European Commission EU Regional Development Fund – will present achievements of the project “CrossCulTour – Cross Marketing Strategies for Culture and Tourism”, as well as European cultural tourism networks and best practice examples within heritage management and cultural tourism marketing.  It includes a session on “Access for All to Cultural Tourism” by Mieke Broeders, Executive Secretary, European Network for Accessible Tourism (ENAT).  Mieke is the Director of Toegankelijkheidsbureau, which is the major accessibility advisory and consultancy organization in Flanders, Belgium. She is also director of the Flemish Expert Centre on Accessibility. The workshop takes place in Brussels, Belgium on 7 September 2011.

The National Geographic Travel Magazine next issue will feature an article on Access Travel.  The magazine interviewed American accessible tourism guru and author of the Rolling Rains Report Scott Rains for the piece. Rains has noticed something interesting lately. Other folks his age—the 76 million Americans born between 1946 and 1964 and referred to as the baby boom generation—have begun to understand the need for accessible tourism.  Boomers are joining forces with disability and senior groups to add muscle to the cause of increased accessibility in travel. “They don’t intend to let hip replacements and insulin shots stop them from traveling,” says Rains. “Nor will they be pandered to, stigmatized, or written off.”  Rains and his generation are part of a growing movement. Retiring 60-somethings have more time to travel, which has increased demand for accessible accommodations. The nonprofit Society for Accessible Travel and Hospitality (SATH), made up mostly of travel agencies catering to those with mobility issues, saw members’ hotel bookings more than double last year, a remarkable feat in a recession.

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The Association of British Travel Agents (ABTA) has a free Accessible Travel Made Easy online training course aimed at travel agents, tour operators and other front-line travel industry staff. The course is run in conjunction with the UK Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC).  This interactive course provides an overview
of the importance of accessible travel and why it makes good business sense
to meet the diverse needs of customers. The first module was launched at ABTA’s first Travel Matters conference, attended by high level stakeholders from Government, media and the travel industry.

The second advanced module ‘Inclusive travel – making business sense’
was launched recently, and aims to help those working in the travel industry to understand good business practice in relation to accessibility. It shows them how to:

• communicate this effectively with colleagues and customers
• understand customers’ expectations and needs
• tackle barriers that restrict choice and autonomy for disabled people and for those whose mobility is temporarily impaired
• improve and change business practice as appropriate, so that the best service is offered to all.

This project links in with the Commission’s work on Air Travel Accessibility. Under European law (EC1107), disabled passengers and those with limited mobility, have a right to assistance when they fly to, from and within Europe.

A National Dialogue of key stakeholders in inclusive and accessible tourism was opened in Australia on Monday by Senator the Hon Jan McLucas, Parliamentary Secretary for Disabilities and Carers at Parliament House, Canberra. In her opening address, McLucas said that the Australian government wants to see improved access to airlines, resorts, hotels, tour operations, restaurants and cafes.  People with disability should be able to enjoy their holidays without barriers. The National Dialogue brings together peak providers of tourism focused information and referral services for people with disabilities to share evidence and research on tourism and disability and to identify ways to raise awareness of the value and need among the industry as well as government and the general community of improved accessibility for people with disability (McLucas).

The Dialogue, hosted by NICAN and chaired by Annette Ellis, National Patron and former Shadow Minister for Disability and Carers, has agreed on a call to action for the tourism industry, government and the Australian community.  A joint communiqué notes amongst other things that:

• Accessible tourism for people who have a disability or who are ageing is seen as an opportunity for Australian Tourism to seize the competitive advantage in a tight market.  The time is right for action as Australia’s baby boomers retire.
• Key stakeholders including researchers, tourism operators and referral providers have joined forces, with the support of the Australian Government, to build awareness about the opportunities and to address barriers to tourism by these groups.  
• There is growing understanding of the potential of accessible tourism to boost visitor numbers and strengthening Australia as a top draw international tourism destination
• Access to leisure and recreation, including holidaying, is an important part of living an ordinary life and helps realise the United Nations Convention on the Rights of People with a Disability and the Australian National Disability Strategy.
• Accessible tourism will help build a more welcoming and inclusive society, where individuals and families with a disability have choices and no longer feel shut out
• Accessible tourism makes good business sense and is also consistent with rights, access and corporate social responsibility.

The Dialogue welcomed the Government’s commitment in the area of travel and tourism through the National Disability Strategy as well as work on Access to Premises and Transport Standards, access to airlines and cinema access.   It pointed out that more could be done including an inclusive/accessible tourism category within a mainstream tourism award; a marketing strategy; a practical information guide; a national forum with tourism operators and further work to refresh and promote the business case for inclusive and accessible tourism, especially with industry.  The communiqué was issued by Australia For All Alliance Inc, Greatvenue,  Disabled Motorists Association, Disability Information and Resource Centre, NICAN, IDEAS, Travability, and Leadership Plus.

The United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) is a specialized agency of the United ‎Nations and the leading international organization in the field of tourism.   Its membership includes 154 countries, 7 territories and over 400 Affiliate ‎Members representing the private sector, educational institutions, tourism associations ‎and local tourism authorities.‎  It ‎includes tourism and travel by people with disabilities as a vital element of any responsible and sustainable tourism development policy.  In 2005, the Organization’s General Assembly adopted “Accessible Tourism for All”, which features a series of recommendations to the sector, highlights the need to provide clear information on the accessibility of tourism facilities, the availability of support services in destinations for persons with disabilities, and the training of employees on the needs of people with disabilities.  The document was prepared with the help of experts from the ONCE Foundation (a Spanish disabilities organization).    In October 2009, UNWTO again underscored the importance of accessibility with the “Declaration on the Facilitation of Tourist Travel”, approved by its General Assembly.  The declaration calls upon states to ensure the accessibility of tourism establishments and endorses the general principles enshrined in Article 3 of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.  In 2011, UNWTO plans to work with ONCE and the European Network for Accessible Tourism (ENAT) to develop guidelines, indicators, benchmarking and training in Accessible Tourism.  It will also work on policy-making, awareness-raising, and capacity building projects, especially via the UNWTO Themis Foundation, which is responsible for implementing the UNWTO work programme on education and training.

The John F. Kennedy for the Performing Arts and partners are holding a conference on Leadership Exchange in Arts and Disability (LEAD) in August.  LEAD has been engaging cultural administrators from around the world in a conversation on accessibility, disability and inclusion for more than 10 years. Two days of conference are preceded by three days of relevant pre-conference workshops. The conference is aimed at cultural organizations such as museums, galleries, and theatres, and at state and local governments, universities and colleges and anyone involved in the arts with an interest in access for people with disabilities. It will consider a broad range of access topics, such as web accessibility, social media, captioning in theatres, the Americans with Disabilities Act, access evaluations, staff and volunteer training, effective access planning, effective communication for people who are blind/low vision, and/or deaf/hard of hearing, audio description, funding, grants, and much more.  LEAD is a professional network focused on expanding the breadth and scope of accessibility services and programming across the USA and around the world. The network:

• explores practical methods for implementing accessibility in cultural environments;
• communicates information about arts and accessibility, and;
• shares resources and knowledge among professionals in the field of accessibility.

 A variety of helpful tip sheets can be found here.

 Members of the Pacific Disability Forum (PDF), including Governments of countries in the Pacific region, as well as development organizations, non-governmental and civil society organizations and human rights institutions in the region attended the Second Pacific Regional Conference on Disability. The Conference was held from 4 to 7 April in Auckland, New Zealand, under the theme “Promoting Actions on the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) in the Pacific Region”. The outcome document included a list of recommendations to all stakeholders to take significant and tangible steps to further implement the Convention and empower persons with disabilities and their organizations. Members of the Pacific Disability Forum called on all Pacific island Governments and development partners to recognize (amongst other things)  the rights of persons with disabilities in recreational, leisure and sporting activities as mandated in Article 30.5 of the CRPD.

Recently, PLATMA (Affiliate Members of the United Nations World Tourism Organisation) met with and interviewed Ivor Ambrose of the European Network for Accessible Tourism (ENAT).  Ambrose outlined to PLATMA the growing importance of accessible tourism for people with disabilities.  This is a constantly growing market, estimated to represent around 130 million people in Europe alone with annual potential spending of around 68 billion Euros. These figures cannot be ignored by the tourism industry, since the lack of adequate facilities for disabled travellers means that many people cannot travel and this can have a huge negative impact on businesses and communities.  Ambrose discussed how to meet the needs of the access market:

• Information for customers, (on-line, printed and at the venue) should be accessible, e.g. Web sites conforming to Accessibility Guidelines by W3C-WAI.
• Transport and transfers must be accessible for all travellers throughout the journey; this should include the provision of wheelchair accessible transport.
• Infrastructure – all buildings and outdoor environments should be designed and maintained in a way that makes them accessible and usable by all visitors.
• Services – including activities and excursions offered at destinations and venues, should be accessible; e.g. tourist guides, waiter service, cultural tours, festivals and events, also very important -emergency evacuation procedures.

Ambrose further pointed out that the ageing population demographic in developed economies has drawn attention to the growing market of older tourists. This market segment typically spends more than average and also includes a higher number of persons with impairments or health conditions, which need to be considered by tourism providers.   Major sporting events such as the Olympic and Paralympic Games have obliged host countries to improve accessibility for tourists. Social Tourism has also played a role in widening the availability of tourism to marginalized groups, and includes holidays for disabled people.

As well as that Accessible Tourism is a right under Article 30 of the UN Convention on Rights of Persons with Disabilities. The Convention was signed by 140 countries (including New Zealand), but there is still a considerable gap between access needs and the solutions offered by destinations.

The Annals of Leisure Research is seeking papers for a special issue that examines the inclusion and citizenship of people with disability in “cultural life” (recreation, leisure, the arts, sport, or tourism).  The purpose is to:

a)      clarify what the terms inclusion and citizenship mean in different cultures;

b)      to place inclusion and citizenship to ‘cultural life ‘(recreation, leisure, the arts, sport or tourism) across discourses relating to economic, social and environmental contexts that affect people with disabilities participation; and

c)       to discuss the terms inclusion and citizenship from the ideological frameworks of government, researchers, providers of service or disability advocacy groups.

Submissions are sought from the consumer (demand), providers (supply) and coordination/regulation (government) sector perspectives. The guest editors invite interested researchers to contribute theoretical, methodological or empirical papers related to the theme of this Special Issue. The topics of potential papers include but are not limited to:

• The role of inclusion and citizenship in the construction of ‘cultural life’(recreation, leisure, the arts, sport or tourism) environments and experiences;
• What is the impact of inclusion/exclusion on the person and their experiences?;
• The social and/or cultural construction of inclusion in ‘cultural life’(recreation, leisure, the arts, sport or tourism) activities and experiences;
• The role of inclusion in the construction of cultural, sub cultural and personal identities of different societies;
• The role of inclusion in the construction and/or deconstruction of the intersection with gendered, ethnic and sexual identities within the experience of ‘cultural life’(recreation, leisure, the arts, sport or tourism);
• How experiences of inclusion compare and contrast between different dimensions of disability (e.g. mobility, vision, hearing, cognitive, sensitivities etc.);
• The impact of inclusion and citizenship within space and place making

Important Dates:

• Abstract deadline: 30 June 2011 to Jerome(at)dal.ca
• Notification of acceptance of abstracts deadline: 1 August 2011
• Submission for double-blind reviewing process: 30 November2011
• Review Process Notification: 30 January  2012
• Special issue publication: June or December 2012

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The U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) assessed a civil penalty of $2 million against Delta Air Lines for violating rules protecting air travellers with disabilities. The DOT said this civil penalty is the largest penalty ever assessed against an airline in a non-safety-related case. “Ensuring that passengers with disabilities receive fair treatment when they fly is a priority for the Department of Transportation,” said U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood. “We take our aviation disability rules seriously and will continue to enforce them vigorously.”   The DOT requires airlines to provide assistance to passengers with disabilities while boarding and deplaning aircraft, including the use of wheelchairs, ramps, mechanical lifts and service personnel where needed. Carriers also must respond within 30 days to written complaints about their treatment of disabled passengers, and specifically address the issues raised in the complaints. In addition, airlines must properly code and record their disability-related complaints in connection with required reporting to the DOT.

Of the of $2 million penalty, $750,000 must be paid by the carrier and up to $1,250,000 may be used to improve its service to passengers with disabilities beyond what is required by law. Delta may target up to $834,000 of the civil penalty amount toward the development and implementation of an automated wheelchair tracking system at the carrier’s major hub airports. Up to $236,000 may be used toward developing and distributing customer service surveys for passengers with disabilities to rate Delta’s accommodation services and provide specific feedback to the carrier on how it can improve.  In addition, up to $150,000 may be used to expand audits of the carrier’s compliance with Air Carrier Access Act rules and for consultation to help improve the quality of Delta’s services to passengers with disabilities at airports and up to $30,000 to enhance its website to improve air travel accessibility.

On the official Rugby World Cup 2011 website (RWC2011), it states on a page headed “Accessible Information” that the cup “will be an event for everyone to enjoy and as such we want to make it as easy as possible for fans to find the information they need on this website.”  However, there is no facility on the RWC2011 site to search for information about access, and there are other problems with access information on the site and with access to the games.  Now to make matters worse, taxis and private vehicles will be banned from Wellington’s Westpac Stadium during the games because they are considered a security threat. Wellington Combined Taxis GM Kevin Braid says the company is concerned for elderly and disabled people trying to get to the stadium.  New Zealand Taxi Federation secretary George Tyler has said the decision is ridiculous and bad news for the elderly.  ”On a cold and wet day when you’re 83 like me, it’s a bloody long way to walk [to the stadium].  I don’t think it is a best image for New Zealand or for Wellington.”   Information about this ban has already appeared on international websites.  Taxis and private vehicles are already also banned during some other events, such as the AC/DC Black Ice Tour later this month.  Wellington buses are not accessible for mobility scooters and not all bus stops are wheelchair accessible.  There is as yet no information on the NZ Tourism Guide website on how mobility scooter users, or wheelchair users near inaccessible bus stops are to get to the games.   In fact, the NZTG site states that “most urban transport buses are not equipped to cater for the disabled.”  Hopefully, this will change before RWC2011 so that people with disabilities can partake of the games as is guaranteed in NZ’s disability legislation and in international instruments that we have signed, such as the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Person with Disabilities (CRPD).  CRPD specifies that States Parties shall “ensure that persons with disabilities have access to sporting, recreational and tourism venues”, amongst other things (Article 30).  Clearly, this is not happening yet.

In a first for New Zealand, The New Zealand Tourism Research Institute at Auckland University of Technology has created a Research Programme Area in Access Tourism headed by Sandra Rhodda. 

 NZTRI’s Access Tourism programme aims to research and develop Access Tourism in NZ.  Access Tourism is tourism, travel, and hospitality for people with permanent or temporary disabilities, seniors, parents with strollers, and any person with a need for improved access.  This is an interdisciplinary research area that addresses the challenges and opportunities presented by Access Tourism.

The Access Tourist already represents a sizeable proportion of our tourism markets.  Between 17 and 20% of the population in our main markets already report a disability, and this percentage is bound to grow because the large Baby Boomer cohort is ageing and disability increases with age.  Those aged 45 or older already comprise almost half of our domestic and international visitors (and over 70% of our cruise ship visitors).

Areas of interest include:

• Research and policy development
• Understanding the Access Tourism market
• Awareness promotion and education of government and industry to the potential of Access Tourism
• Access Tourism product development and marketing in NZ
• Promotion of cooperation in a developing Access Tourism sector, including in the public and private sector
• Access Tourist satisfaction and motivation
• Economic and social benefits of Access Tourism
• Access Tourism as an important factor in tourism sustainability
• Relationship of Access tourism to Health, Wellness, and Medical Tourism
• Opportunities for Access Tourism legacy development around major events such as RWC2011