Accessible Tourism: A Review of Recent Research Trends and Future Agenda

More than 15% of the world’s population consists of people with disabilities. They have difficulties experiencing tourism due to a lack of accessibility and adaptation of assistive resources. Architectural and communication barriers are obstacles that make it impossible for these people to equally enjoy physical spaces in various public and private spaces. Practices aimed at inclusion that involve concern for accessibility in tourism are a challenge to overcome so that they can have the autonomy and ease of enjoying tourist sites. Providing access to people with disabilities is to favor the inclusion of these individuals in tourism. Tourism was one of the sectors most impacted by COVID-19. There are several studies carried out on various aspects of tourism for people with disabilities in the post-COVID-19 pandemic. However, a detailed review of the perspectives of access for people with disabilities in tourism in the new normal is an open field in the literature, which is an important contribution to tourism. On this basis, the review aims to provide a synthesis of stakeholder perspectives on access to tourism for persons with disabilities, which is an important feature of quality accessible tourism. The further study presents issues, challenges, benefits, advances, and emerging trends that broaden the future accessible tourism research agenda. In doing so, the authors revived the peer-reviewed articles published in the Scopus database from the year 2020 to 2022, as there were a significant number of articles published in the new normal. The work will end with some suggestions for future research agendas for greater tourism accessible to people with disabilities in aspects related to planning, development, and management.