A HISTORY OF VACATIONS
Are We There Yet?
Volume I Issue 15
The Evolution of the Reason for Vacations
Before going further into the reasons for vacations I want to mention a tip if you or someone in your party has a disability that requires attention. We will call the effort to aid those in need as Accessible Tourism.
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 encompasses publicly and privately owned tourist locations and vacation packages. The term has been defined by Darcy and Dickson) as:
Accessible tourism 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 such as getaways, weekend and/or summer trips, services and environments. This definition is inclusive of all people including those traveling with children in prams, people with disabilities and seniors.
Modern society is increasingly aware of concept of integration of people with disabilities. Issues such accessibility, design for all and universal design are featured in the international symposia of bodies such as the European Commission. Steps have been taken to promote guidelines and best practices, and major resources are now dedicated to this field.
A greater understanding of the accessible tourism market has been promoted through research commissioned by the European Commission where a stakeholder analysis has provided an insight into the complexities of accessible tourism. Similarly, the Australian Sustainable Tourism Cooperative Research Center funded an Accessible Tourism Research Agenda that sought to outline a research base on which to develop the supply, demand and coordination/regulation information required to develop the market segment. The research agenda has now seen three other funded projects contribute towards a sound research base on which the tourism industry and government marketing authorities can now make more informed decisions.
As of 2008, there were more than 50 million persons with disabilities in Europe, and more than 600 million around the world. When expanded to include all beneficiaries of accessible tourism, as defined above, the number grows to some 130 million people affected in Europe alone. In addition to the social benefits, the market represents an opportunity for new investment and new service requirements, rarely provided by key players in the tourism sector.
According to ENAT, the European Network for Accessible Tourism, accessible tourism includes:
- Barrier-free destinations: infrastructure and facilities
- Transport: by air, land and sea, suitable for all users
- High quality services: delivered by trained staff
- Activities, exhibits, attractions: allowing participation in tourism by everyone
- Marketing, booking systems, Web sites and services: information accessible to all
Specific needs and requirements
Specific problems found by travelers or tourists with disabilities include:
- Inaccessible, or only partly accessible, web sites
- Lack of accessible airport transfer
- Lack of wheelchair accessible vehicles
- Lack of well-adapted hotel rooms
- Lack of professional staff capable of dealing with accessibility issues
- Lack of reliable information about a specific attraction’s level of accessibility
- Lack of accessible restaurants, bars, and other facilities
- Lack of adapted toilets in restaurants and public places
- Inaccessible streets and sidewalks
- Lack of technical aids and disability equipment such as wheelchairs, bath chairs and toilet raisers
Brief history
Europe and United States of America destinations are home to the majority of the existing companies in this niche. However, around the world many companies are starting to appear as the result of a growing need, largely driven by senior tourism, due to increasing life expectancy in developed countries. Australian researchers, Portugal, Spain, the United Kingdom, Germany, France and other northern European countries are increasingly prepared to receive tourists in wheelchairs, and to provide disability equipment and wheelchair accessible transport.
The Bottom line is simply this. If you have situations involving mobility or other specific, special needs, as you plan where you are going on whatever type of vacation you want to have, check ahead with your destination accommodations and attractions to make sure that provisions have been made for your complete enjoyment with the appropriate devices and practices in place so that you can enjoy the trip without worrying about problems that might arise.
We will continue next issue on more Educational Reasons for Vacations.
For all of the articles on The History Of Vacations visit
httpss://rooms101.com/vacation/history-of-vacations
