Co-designing Equitable Accessible Travel Chains.

The tourism industry's focus on economic growth has often overlooked accessible tourism, limiting travel opportunities for individuals with disabilities. People with disabilities are frequently misunderstood and underserved. Operators often meet only minimal legislative requirements, and governments are largely reactive.
Despite advocacy efforts since the 1980s, the tourism sector has failed to create resilient accessible travel chains. Companies and NGOs often prioritize more visible disabilities, leaving many individuals underserved. This gap means a large number of people miss out on travel opportunities. To better serve people with disabilities, the tourism sector must collaborate to create seamless accessible travel chains.
The PD-pathway aims to collaboratively design and test practical interventions using a systemic co-design approach to improve accessible travel chains and expand inclusive tourism opportunities for people with disabilities of all ages, along with their families and support networks.
Advocacy by people with disabilities has influenced demands for rights and quality of life, including the right to participate in tourism. This has prompted regulations at various levels, spurring academic research and initiatives. However, strategies developed by Destination Management Organizations (DMOs) and City Marketing Organizations (CMOs) are often too generic and do not recognize the actual needs within the tourism value chain. The EU's 'Access City Award' has recognized cities' efforts to improve accessibility for 14 years, but these awards have not fostered significant collaboration between local governments and stakeholders.
This PD-research will explore the barriers preventing the necessary infrastructure from being in place and identify the stakeholders needed to propose a supportive tourism value chain for accessible tourism. The research will address issues such as dependency, cross-sector collaboration, trustworthy information, and affordability. The accessible tourism value chain encompasses planning, information and booking, transport, accommodation, hospitality, and public administration.