Compliance of accessibility in tourism websites: a pledge towards disability

Eusébio

Tourism and Hospitality Research

2021

Accessible tourism is a very important growth market that should not be ignored by the tourism industry, not only due to legal obligations and social responsibility but also because of business opportunities. However, people with special needs face various constraints in accessing tourism products. The absence of accessible information is one of the main barriers that people with special needs face when they intend to travel. The Internet represents one of the most important information sources in tourism. However, a limited number of studies examine the use of the Internet in the accessible tourism market, specifically website accessibility. To extend knowledge in this field, this study aims to analyse the website accessibility of hotels and Pousadas de Portugal located in the Central Region of Portugal. A sample of 306 websites was analysed based on Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.0, using automatic web diagnostic tools (AccessMonitor and TAW). This analysis was performed considering the A, AA and AAA conformance levels of WCAG. Findings reveal that the web accessibility level of the hotels analysed is low, with the ‘Perceivable’ and ‘Robust’ guidelines being the most critical. Moreover, there are differences in the web accessibility levels in terms of hotel category. Contrary to what was expected, the higher category hotels present the lowest level of web accessibility. These results can help hotel managers and web designers to improve communication with an important growth market – accessible tourism.

Section: Hotel Web Accessibilitymentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Literature Reviewmentioning

confidence: 99%

How diverse is hotel website accessibility? A study in the central region of Portugal using web diagnostic tools

Eusébio

Tourism and Hospitality Research

2021

“…Accessibility has taken center stage as a tool for inclusion and achieving tourism for all (Buhalis and Darcy, 2010; Darcy and Dickson, 2009; Rucci et al , 2021, 2022). The literature has also seen a shift in focus to digital accessibility in the past few years (Casais and Castro, 2021; Domínguez Vila et al , 2019; Eusébio et al , 2020; Fontanet Nadal and Jaume Mayol, 2011; Lestari et al , 2019; Shi, 2006; Silveiro et al , 2019; Singh et al , 2021; Teixeira et al , 2021; Williams and Rattray, 2005). In addition, accessibility is a complex concept that is still open to debate (Fernández-Díaz et al , 2021; Lestari et al , 2019; Madeira et al , 2021; Nitti, 2018; Ribeiro et al , 2018).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Digital accessibility of smart cities - tourism for all and reducing inequalities: Tourism Agenda 2030

Fernández-Díaz

Jambrino-Maldonado

Iglesias-Sánchez

et al. 2022

Purpose There is widespread agreement that the tourism sector should address the issue of sustainability. The purpose of this study is to analyze the digital accessibility of the cities awarded as European Capitals of Smart Tourism for their innovative, accessible and sustainable practices by the European Commission. Design/methodology/approach An analysis of the digital level of accessibility of 50 uniform resource locator (URL) of European cities was undertaken. The analysis followed the international evaluation requirements of the World Wide Web (W3C). Findings The results show that none of the official Web pages analyzed obtained 100% in relation to the digital accessibility requirements. The main factors that pose barriers to communication and interaction were identified. Practical implications The paper encourages smart tourism destinations to overcome the challenge of matching both dimensions of accessibility to obtain barrier-free information to ensure cities are inclusive and sustainable in line with Agenda 2030 (sustainable development goal [SDG] 11). Originality/value The concept of tourism for all receives special attention in the sector, and this notion is reflected in the UN SDGs. However, accessibility has not been extensively analyzed in relation to the cohesion between the digital and the physical dimension. Tourism research tends to focus on accessible experiences within destinations. This paper introduces a new insight into the key issue of digital accessibility, which can promote destination choice and influence the tourism experience.

“…In international literature, research on tourism for individuals with disabilities mainly focuses on accessibility and travel behaviour. In terms of accessibility issues, research is related to online access to information resources [1][2][3][4][5][6], the limitations of individuals with disabilities in tourism activity [7][8][9][10][11], as well as the barriers that individuals with disabilities face [12,13]. Also, in terms of travel behavior issues, research is related to the analysis of the needs and motivations of people with disabilities [14][15][16][17][18], the evaluation of the behavior of tourists with disabilities [19][20][21][22][23], the evaluation of information sources for accommodation [24][25][26], and the evaluation of hospitality services in specific tourist destinations [27][28][29][30][31].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Innovation for People with Disabilities in Hospitality Industry: A Theoretical Approach

Theocharis

Leligou

Tseles

2022

HighTech. Innov. J.

Hotels are forms of businesses connected to the entire system of production and distribution of tourist products. Essentially, they provide hospitality goods and services to travelers, individuals with different profiles and interests, and thus play a very important role in the tourism sector. Therefore, the purpose of the article is to point out the theoretical approach of innovation in the context of its utilization in hotels for individuals with disabilities. We have reviewed the existing theoretical approaches to innovation and then analysed their applicability in the tourism sector. Based on the findings, we developed theoretical approaches, such as the coupling theory and the innovation diffusion theory, that can be applied to the target sectors and provide valuable insights to the relevant actors. Research shows that innovation, whether it concerns technological applications or processes, affects the enrichment of hotel services provided for people with disabilities and influences the technical-functional and organizational processes of hospitality. On this basis, innovation is a key factor of growth for any hotel, as it increases its competitiveness and sustainability through the utilization of the potential provided by the use of new innovative technological applications or processes for people with disabilities.JEL Classification: L83, O30. Doi: 10.28991/HIJ-2022-03-01-010 Full Text: PDF