AD ALTA
JOURNAL OF INTERDISCIPLINARY RESEARCH
TOURISM FACILITIES ACCESSIBILITY
IN CONTEXT OF SOCIAL TOURISM SUPPORT:
EVIDENCE FROM THE CZECH REPUBLIC
a
IVICA LINDEROVÁ,
b
PETR SCHOLZ
College of Polytechnics Jihlava, Tolstého 16, 586 01 Jihlava,
Czech Republic
email:
a
ivica.linderova@vspj.cz,
b
petr.scholz@vspj.cz
Acknowledgements: This research was supported by the College of Polytechnics
Jihlava.
Abstract: Accessible tourism is one of the important discussed topics. It is a part of
social tourism and it means equality for all tourism visitors. A town of Carlsbad as a
famous spa destination should also be oriented on accessible tourism. That means to
offer services also for disabled people or people with special needs. The article focuses
on accessible tourism services in the town of Carlsbad in the context of access to
cultural and natural heritage. It also deals with accommodation and catering facilities.
The primary survey was conducted in 2017 and 2018. We used the methods of
scientific work; and, i.e., the analysis method, a generalization method, mathematical,
and statistical methods. Based on research results, we have to state that 15% accessible
accommodation facilities in the town of Carlsbad with at least one available room.
Almost one-quarter of catering facilities (23%) is accessible.
Keywords: Accessibility. Disability. Social Tourism. Travel.
1 Introduction
Tourism is not only an economic phenomenon but also includes
social, cultural, political, and environmental dimensions.
Therefore, in addition to the visible economic effects of tourism,
such as income and foreign exchange input, non-economic and
invisible social and cultural aspects should be given importance
(Pizam & Milman, 1986, In Polat, 2018).
Globally, it is estimated that there are over 1 billion persons with
disabilities, as well as more than 2 billion people, such as
spouses, children, and caregivers of persons with disabilities,
representing almost a third of the world’s population, are directly
affected by disability. While this signifies a huge potential
market for travel and tourism, it remains vastly under-served due
to inaccessible travel and tourism facilities and services, as well
as discriminatory policies and practices (UN).
Social tourism is a term used to describe a wide variety of
holiday types, destinations, and target groups: social tourism
initiatives can be commercial and non-commercial,
governmental and private. They range from small charities
organizing holidays for children from low-income backgrounds,
over government plans improving accessibility in hotels, to
private tour operators offering ecological holidays. What all of
these initiatives have in common, is that they bring a moral
dimension to tourism, and that their primary aim is to include
people in tourism who would otherwise be excluded from it
(Minnaert et al., 2009).
The evolutionary concept of social tourism describes how
socially excluded groups will benefit from the opportunity to
experience holidays through financial support (McCabe, 2009).
The International Social Tourism Organization defines social
tourism as the connections and phenomena related to the
participation of both the host population of the countries of
destination and the holidaymakers, of disadvantaged layers of
society or of those unable to participate in tourism. This
participation is made possible or facilitated by a combination of
policies, clear social measures, and the commitment of social
players (OITS, 2015).
Social tourism is a high ideal in the face of discrimination and
the challenge of integration (OITS, 2015).
The core value behind the social tourism concept is the idea that
that ‘having a break’ from daily life (and problems) contributes
to the social, mental, and physical wellbeing of all individuals
and subsequently contributes to ‘good’ health (Diekmann et al.,
2018).
In the context of people with physical disability traveling is a
part of social tourism, a phenomenon called accessible tourism.
Accessible tourism enables all people to participate in and enjoy
tourism experiences. More people have access needs, whether or
not related to a physical condition. For example, older and less
mobile people have access needs, which can become a
considerable obstacle when traveling or touring. Thus, accessible
tourism is the ongoing endeavor to ensure tourist destinations,
products, and services are accessible to all people, regardless of
their physical limitations, disabilities, or age. It includes publicly
and privately owned tourist locations, facilities, and services
(UN).
In the context of accessibility for people with physical
disabilities, it is preferable to speak about accessible tourism for
all. It is a form of tourism that involves a collaborative process
among stakeholders that enables people with access
requirements, including mobility, vision, hearing and cognitive
dimensions of access, to function independently and with equity
and dignity through the delivery of universally designed tourism
products, services and environments (Linderová, 2015, In
Linderová &
Janeček, 2017).
Accessible tourism for all is not about creating separate services
for disabled people. It aims at full integration, or rather the
inclusion of people with special needs, in particular, disabled
and aged people, in the tourism sector. Viewed from the
perspective of accessible tourism for all, the tourism policy in
the European Union can be said to unite accessibility targets that
are part of the otherwise commerce-related aspects of the
tourism policy and a disability policy that, based on the UN’s
Standard Rules, support goals and specific measures at various
levels that are designed to enhance accessibility in connection
with tourism policy (Leidner, 2008).
For people with disabilities, traveling can be a challenge, as
finding the information on accessible services, checking luggage
on a plane, booking a room to fulfill access needs, often prove to
be difficult, costly and time-consuming (UN).
Challenges for persons with disabilities include (UN):
untrained professional staff capable of informing and
advising about accessibility issues,
inaccessible booking services and related websites,
lack of accessible airports and transfer facilities and
services,
unavailability of adapted and accessible hotel rooms,
restaurants, shops, toilets, and public places,
inaccessible streets and transport services,
unavailable information on accessible facilities, services,
equipment rentals, and tourist attractions.
Accessibility is a significant part of social tourism support.
Darcy (1998, In Darcy & Buhalis, 2011) divides the term access
into three dimensions: physical access, sensory access, and
communication access. Darcy (1998) views these three
dimensions as an inclusive marketing process, which allows
tourism players to realize the potential of accessibility for the
marketing of tourism products and services to the widest
possible client base (Linderová & Janeček, 2019).
Usability and universal design are also related to the term access
and accessibility. The design for all is defined as the design for
human diversity, social inclusion, and equality (EIDD, 2004, In
Mosca et al., 2019). The purpose is to provide the same
experience of the space, even with various solutions, to different
people, regardless of their abilities, disabilities, age, sex, and
culture. The application of design for all concerns the
involvement of a plurality of stakeholders (both experts and final
users) from the beginning of the design process (Buti, 2018; In
Mosca et al., 2019).
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