The Contribution of Technology to Develop a More Accessible and Inclusive Tourism
摘要
According to the Tourism Strategy 2027 (Turismo de Portugal.: Turism Strategy 2027, 2017), one of the lines of the key action lines to ensure the competitiveness of tourism companies lies in the innovation of the tourist offer (accommodation, restaurants, entertainment and tourist services). This involves prioritizing, among other elements, differentiation, demand orientation, accessible tourism, energy efficiency, environmental certification, the adoption of international quality standards, and response to new dynamics of supply and demand. To assess the technological needs to promote and enhance accessible and inclusive tourism in the Intermunicipal Community of Beiras and Serra da Estrela (CIMBSE) region, a two-step approach was adopted: documentary research followed by interviews with relevant stakeholders. Based on a diversified list of 64 contacts of economic agents, including hotels, rural accommodations, spas, museums and city halls, meetings/interviews were scheduled to identify the needs from the perspective of tourism economic agents. In general, CIMBSE tourism agents identified accessible and inclusive tourism as an essential path for social responsibility and inclusion. This growing awareness among sector agents reflects their attentiveness to the needs of visitors and their efforts to add value to the tourism products and services offered. From the observation and analysis of the contents of the meetings/interviews, a set of common benefits, concerns and problems among the economic agents of the tourism sector in the CIMBSE region were listed, aiming to understand how to respond with a proposal for solutions at a technological level.