텍스트마이닝 기법을 활용한 무장애 관광정보 접근성 연구

Abstract

In developed countries such as Europe, the United States, and Australia, barrier-free tourism has emerged as an important policy agenda. The trend aims to enhance the competitiveness of sustainable tourism by promoting tourism for all. Since 2015, the Korea Tourism Organization has launched the ‘Accessible Tourism for All’ initiative, contributing significantly to tourism activities and services for tourists with disabilities. The effort has gained global recognition, with the project nominated by the UNWTO as an exemplary case of accessibility and inclusive tourism. This study examines the current status of barrier-free tourism information accessibility using text mining techniques. In particular, it analyzes the texts offered by 92 barrier-free tourism destinations from the ‘Accessible Tourism for All’ website. The analysis revealed that barrier-free information mostly pertained to orthopedic or visual impairment. However, information for individuals with hearing impairment was extremely limited. It turned out that hearing-impaired individuals had constraints on mobility within so-called accessible tourism destinations. From the CONCOR analysis, barrier-free information for tourists in need of wheeled vehicles was identified. The research expanded the target of text mining techniques which had primarily focused on academic articles, blogs, or news. It also enhanced academic understanding of information accessibility among people with disabilities who can travel but face information constraints. This study offers a series of practical implications to improve the operation of accessible tourism sites as well as a barrier-free tourism city project.