Surprisingly few studies have examined the motivations of people with disability to travel. The Shi, Cole and Chancellor (2012) newly published article applies Crompton’s (1979) push pull model of travel motivations to examine people with acquired mobility disability’s motivation to travel. The qualitative study undertook two focus groups at the 13th Congress of The Society for Accessible Travel and Hospitality in 2009. Transcripts of the focus groups were analysed based on Crompton's model. The results identified nine push factors with five being consistent with Crompton (1979): escape from a perceived mundane environment; exploration and evaluation of self; relaxation; enhancement of relationship with family and friends; and facilitation of social interaction. However, four other factors are unique to people with acquired mobility disabilities: independence; the desire of being in a natural environment; adventure/risk; and do it today. With respect to Crompton (1979) pull factors, novelty and education were consistent with previous work but not surprisingly the accessibility of the destination was a dominant factor. This study suggests that a broader study examining motivations of people across the spectrum of disabilities and support needs would add a level of sophistication to what is currently known about motivations to travel for this group.
Photo 1 shows two gnarly South African surfers who just happen to have disabilities. They espouse a series of motivations identified in this study - independence, desire of being a natural environment, adventure/risk and do it today. However, they haven’t waited for perfect access to a beach for wheelchair users and have instead used "Quad bikes" to assist their quest for the perfect wave. Go for it boys!
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| Photo 1: Dries Millard and Glenn Ward Paraplegic body boarders trekked from Saldanha to Cape Town and had many adventures along the way - photo with permission http://www.saldanhatocapetown.co.za/the-event/ |
Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd All rights reserved.
Understanding leisure travel motivations of travelers with acquired mobility impairments
Department of Recreation, Park, and Tourism Studies, Indiana University, HPER 133, 1025 E 7th Street, Bloomington, IN 47405, USA
Abstract
The purpose of the study was to understand what motivated people with mobility impairments to travel frequently. Two focus groups were conducted and results were analyzed in light of Crompton’s (1979) push/pull conceptual framework exploring pleasure travel motivation...(shortened due to copyright restrictions).
Keywords: Mobility impairments; Motivation; Leisure travel
References
Crompton, J. L. (1979). Motivations for pleasure vacation. Annals of Tourism Research, 6(4), 408-424.
Shi, L., Cole, S., & Chancellor, H. C. (2012). Understanding leisure travel motivations of travelers with acquired mobility impairments. Tourism Management, 33(1), 228-231. doi: 10.1016/j.tourman.2011.02.007
Managing is really the only long term option in the travel and tourism industries. Solutions need to be developed through collaboration and understanding stakeholder perspectives.
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This is a very welcome message to hear. Disabled people always find it difficult to travel overseas because some countries do not have a disable friendly roads and other basic infrastructure facilities. I hope all countries do have a consistent policies regarding these so that we can have more of these beautiful souls travel and explorer different locations. Kashmir, one of the charming states in India, is fondly called the paradise on earth for its pristine beauty, lush valleys and the rugged mountainous terrain. Srinagar is the capital of the state Jammu and Kashmir and it is one of the most attractive places in the Kashmir state with its serene environment and peaceful climate. Srinagar is considered to be one of the best honeymoon destinations for young married couples. Thousands of people from across the world travel to Kashmir during the peak season and Kashmir tour packages from Kerala are both attractive and affordable from Fortune Tours, one of India’s top holiday tour operators.
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