(Originally published in TOURISM)
An International Conference on Accessible Tourism to be held in Bangkok in November will highlight the need for improved facilities and services for a growing but still largely neglected market segment - people with disabilities. According to a report in Travel Impact Newswire (October 17, 2007), Scott Rains, one of the conference organisers and publisher of the Rolling Rains Report (a newsletter on travel for people with disabilities) says, "With a generation of permanently disabled people having experienced increasing degrees of employment, education, and leisure, those of us with the means to travel belong to a consumer group that is only starting to be noticed."
Rains says the conference will contribute to processes of change and development lines of tourism businesses to ensure a favorable environment for attracting tourists and travelers with disabilities and retired, ageing people, including access to built environments and public transport as well as training and employment.
In the Travel Impact Newswire article, Rains cited research information including the following:
* American adults with disabilities or reduced mobility currently spend an average of US$ 13.6 billion a year on tourism. In 2002, these individuals made 32 million trips and spent US$ 4.2 billion on hotels, US$ 3.3 billion on airline tickets, US$ 2.7 billion on food and beverages, and US$ 3.4 billion on trade, transportation, and other activities.
* Out of a total of 21 million persons, 69% had travelled at least once in the previous two years, including 3.9 million business trips, 20 million tourist trips, and 4.4 million business/tourist trips. In the previous 2 years, out of a total of 2 million adults with disabilities or reduced mobility, 7% had spent more than US$ 1,600 outside the continental United States. In addition, 20% had travelled at least 6 times every 2 years.
* In the United Kingdom, the Employers' Forum on Disability estimated 10 million adults with disabilities or reduced mobility in the UK, with an annual purchasing power of 80 billion pounds sterling.
* The Canadian Conference Board reported that in 2001, the combined annual disposable income of economically active Canadians with disabilities or reduced mobility was 25 billion Canadian dollars.
The conference website is at http://www.dpiap.org
An International Conference on Accessible Tourism to be held in Bangkok in November will highlight the need for improved facilities and services for a growing but still largely neglected market segment - people with disabilities. According to a report in Travel Impact Newswire (October 17, 2007), Scott Rains, one of the conference organisers and publisher of the Rolling Rains Report (a newsletter on travel for people with disabilities) says, "With a generation of permanently disabled people having experienced increasing degrees of employment, education, and leisure, those of us with the means to travel belong to a consumer group that is only starting to be noticed."
Rains says the conference will contribute to processes of change and development lines of tourism businesses to ensure a favorable environment for attracting tourists and travelers with disabilities and retired, ageing people, including access to built environments and public transport as well as training and employment.
In the Travel Impact Newswire article, Rains cited research information including the following:
* American adults with disabilities or reduced mobility currently spend an average of US$ 13.6 billion a year on tourism. In 2002, these individuals made 32 million trips and spent US$ 4.2 billion on hotels, US$ 3.3 billion on airline tickets, US$ 2.7 billion on food and beverages, and US$ 3.4 billion on trade, transportation, and other activities.
* Out of a total of 21 million persons, 69% had travelled at least once in the previous two years, including 3.9 million business trips, 20 million tourist trips, and 4.4 million business/tourist trips. In the previous 2 years, out of a total of 2 million adults with disabilities or reduced mobility, 7% had spent more than US$ 1,600 outside the continental United States. In addition, 20% had travelled at least 6 times every 2 years.
* In the United Kingdom, the Employers' Forum on Disability estimated 10 million adults with disabilities or reduced mobility in the UK, with an annual purchasing power of 80 billion pounds sterling.
* The Canadian Conference Board reported that in 2001, the combined annual disposable income of economically active Canadians with disabilities or reduced mobility was 25 billion Canadian dollars.
The conference website is at http://www.dpiap.org
Comments
As news of your blog post on November 22-24 conference in Bangkok conference on Inclusive Tourism came my way I also received word that attendees from France, Germany, Greece, Turkey, and the US will be joining delegations from Mongolia, Pakistan, Malaysia, Vietnam,and elsewhere. If nothing else, conference travel for people with disabilities is on the rise!
Thank you for picking up the story.
All the best with the event!
C-J