Unmet needs of tourists with disability: The role of public intervention

Abstract

Since leisure tourism is both a social need as well as a human right, its accessibility is essential for full social integration, especially for people with disabilities who often struggle against exclusion. Accessibility, in the sense considered here, refers to the design of products, amenities, services in a tourism destination that meet the access needs of individuals with disabilities so as to make tourism not risky and usable by them. These individuals, however, are often not adequately served by tourism suppliers, with their unmet needs constituting a crucial issue that deserve special attention by policy makers. As suggested by UNWTO, accessibility should be a central part of any responsible and sustainable tourist policy. The aim of the study is evaluate (both conceptually and empirically) the role of public intervention in enhancing accessibility in the tourism context.