How Information Can Help Establish a More Accessible Tourism: The View of Supply Agents
摘要
Information plays a crucial role in tourism travel planning, especially when travelers have special needs that require more rigorous planning based on updated information about the accessibility of tourism destinations and products. The literature highlights that one of the main barriers faced by people with special needs (PwSN) when planning tourism activities is the lack of information about the accessibility of products and the provision of information in inaccessible formats. To overcome these barriers, it is essential, not only to assess whether tourism supply agents (TSA) provide information about the accessibility level of their spaces and products but also to verify if the channels to disseminate this information are accessible to everyone. To address these challenges, this study analyzes the Portuguese reality from the perspective of tourism supply. A questionnaire was administered to a sample of TSA agents (n = 654). The results reveal that few agents provide information about the accessibility of their products, and the communication channels they use most frequently (websites) are not accessible (do not meet many of the criteria required by the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines—WCAG 2.0). However, some statistically significant differences were observed among supply agents. Based on the problems identified, some strategies to overcome these problems should be implemented to transform tourism into a more accessible and inclusive industry.