IV International Congress on Tourism for All Research Papers And Videos of Keynote Sessions

In a follow-up to my previous post on the IV International Congress on Tourism for All, the organisers Fundacion ONCE have produced a wonderful legacy of the Congress by providing access to the program resources.

The main legacy page can be found at IV International Congress on Tourism for All, which provides a host of resources including the overall organisational structure, program, videos and interviews with key presenters.

However, what is really impressive is the exceptional job that the organisers did on producing video sessions on the conference, which also are subtitled in a variety of languages. 

The video resources can be found at Videos and include the following titles:

• Opening session (00:33:22)
• Opening ceremony (01:01:20)
• Key Notes Lecture 1 Policies and strategies for Accessible Tourism (01:06:55)
• Key Notes Lecture 2 The economic opportunity of Accessible Tourism worldwide (01:36:15)
• Key Notes Lecture 3 Labour integration of people with disabilities in tourism (01:32:45)
• Round Table: Good practices in Accessible Tourism (01:49:05)
• Round Table: Accessibility in Historical Heritage sites (02:05:25)
• Round Table: Networks (01:26:35)
• Workshop 1 21st Century museums, the evolution towards accessibility (01:40:35)
• Workshop 2 The benefits of certification in accessible tourism (01:41:12)
• Workshop 3 Leisure activities: Natural areas and parks (01:48:15)
• Workshop 4 Welcome to accessible tourism destinations (01:49:36)
• Workshop 5 New technologies at the service of accessible tourism (01:34:50)
• Workshop 6 The point of view of users on Accessible Tourism (01:56:10)
• Closing ceremony (00:21:20)

Congratulations to Fundacion ONCE on the production of such a wonderful resource to disseminate cutting-edge research on accessible tourism.

Photo: A chance to improve destination management for accessible tourism - republished from http://buhalis.blogspot.com.au/2013/02/accessible-tourism-congress-in-avila.html 

New Published Research from Spain on the Travel Patterns and Economics of Accessible Tourism

A new article that contributes further comparative understandings of the travel patterns and economics of accessible tourism this time through a case study in Spain.

Copyright © 2013 IP Publishing Ltd All rights reserved.

Economic profitability of accessible tourism for the tourism sector in Spain

Domínguez, Trinidad;

Fraiz, Jose A.;

Alén, Elisa

Abstract

This study analyses different beneficiaries of accessibility, who play important roles in the tourist sector by generating business opportunities. Taking Spanish tourists with disabilities as a point of departure, the paper examines tourists' habits, their representational potential for the Spanish tourist sector and their spending patterns according to socio-demographic variables (gender, age, origin and disability typology). Through an empirical analysis, the authors demonstrate the representation and importance of such segments of the population for the tourism industry, as well as the need for the tourism industry to recognize the importance of designing products, services, and destination points that are accessible to everyone.

Keywords: Accessible Tourism; Disability; Economic Profitability; Market Opportunity; Spain


Full reference:

Domínguez, T., Fraiz, J. A., & Alén, E. (2013). Economic profitability of accessible tourism for the tourism sector in Spain. Tourism Economics, 19(6), 1385-1399. http://www.ingentaconnect.com/content/ip/tec/2013/00000019/00000006/art00009

For a copy of the paper please contact:

Trinidad Domínguez Vila
Faculty of Business Sciences and Tourism
As Lagoas s/n,
32004 Ourense, Spain
trinidad@uvigo.es

Compounding Constraints to International Air Travel: the case of Simon Darcy's non-attendance at the IV International Congress on Tourism for All, ONCE Foundation/UN WTO - Avila Spain

One of the truths in the lives of people with disability is that the personal is political. I am a Professor at the UTS Business School, University of Technology Sydney where I research, teach and collaboratively engage with our stakeholder communities on critical business, not-for-profit and government issues. However, I am also a power wheelchair using person with a high-level spinal cord injury where my professional persona quite often collides with the reality of living with a disability. As such, my research activities that are reported on the blog involving accessible tourism are also very instrumental in that I have an "insider's perspective" on what it means to be treated differently, discriminated against and marginalised in the travel process.

The video presentation "Understanding the Economic Challenges and Opportunities through the Travel Chain and Value Creation" was to be presented in person at the IV International Congress on Tourism for All hosted by the ONCE Foundation sponsored by the United Nations' World Tourism Organisation held in Avila, Spain 25-29 June 2013. However, as the video outlines a series of international travel constraints involving airline schedules, archaic airline policy, destination policy regarding medication and availability of disability equipment hire in destinations meant that I was not able to attend the Conference. What is incredible is that I am an experienced traveller, research and consult in the area, am aware of my rights, articulate in both written and verbal communication, and I still had these issues.

What I didn't want reinforced was that it was my disability that led to my nonparticipation at this conference. As outlined above and in the video, clearly it is a series of structural constraints involving government policy, airline practice, destination coordination and attitudes of those in management across these areas that make travel so much more difficult for people with disability than the nondisabled general public. This video was my technological solution to participation by distance at the conference but should in no way be considered a substitute for the benefits with disability participating in all aspects of social life. In the video I deliver these messages to an audience with high-ranking government officials, CEOs across the tourism sector, international and National non-government organisations and other people with disability that attended the conference. While my messages may have been surprising to the nondisabled in the audience, I have had many e-mails of support from those people with disability who attended the conference offering their stories of support and anecdotes of similar constraints that they have been subjected to in their efforts to travel.

The video itself presents a way forward for accessible tourism through understanding the concepts of the travel chain, the economics of the sector, the importance to move from focusing on accessibility to experience development, how this can add to the value chain and the importance of mainstream economic data sources as a starting point to document return on investment in this important area.

References

Darcy, S. (2013). Understanding the economic challenges and opportunities through the travel chain and value creation. Keynote presented at the IV International Congress on Tourism for All, Avila, Spain - ONCE Foundation & United Nations World Tourism Organisation.