Traveling with special needs: investigating constraints and negotiation strategies for engaging in tourism activities

Abstract

PurposeThe aim of this study is to identify the travel constraints of people with special needs (PwSN) and the strategies used to overcome them. The article also intends to analyze the differences in travel constraints and negotiation strategies according to the type of disability and/or special need.Design/methodology/approachA qualitative study was conducted in which a sample of PwSN (people with disabilities – mobility, sensory and cognitive – seniors and people with food allergies) were interviewed in depth.FindingsPwSN face a wide range of constraints when engaging in tourism activities. These constraints are very diverse and influence people with different intensity and have to be overcome using different negotiation strategies. However, differences in the constraints were observed according to the type of special needs.Practical implicationsOne of the most significant practical implications of this research is the need for raising awareness regarding human diversity among tourism stakeholders. It is critical to link sectoral policies that are reflected in the social and business reality, creating public–private partnerships to raise the sharing of knowledge, equipment and services. By addressing the constraints that prevent PwSN from traveling, the tourism sector can create more opportunities for them to participate in social activities, improving their quality of life and contributing to a more sustainable and inclusive industry.Originality/valueTraveling can present significant challenges for people with special needs, which affect the quality of their tourism experience. Despite growing academic attention to this issue in recent years, research in this field has primarily focused on specific aspects of disability. This study seeks not only to identify the barriers to travel faced by people with different special needs but also to explore the negotiation strategies used to overcome these barriers and the differences according to the type of special need.

Delivering the European Skills Agenda: the importance of social skills for a sustainable tourism and hospitality industry

“…Managers of the different functional areas were then surveyed, and the findings revealed that "the most essential competencies for hospitality graduates to possess are in the soft category" (p.143) and they concluded that educational "programs should stress teaching hospitality students' soft competencies in favour of hard competencies" (p.131). These soft skills present unique opportunities to capture inter-personal, communication and diversity skills to enhance sustainable tourism indicators (Baum 2018) and hospitality practices that can help provide the missing link to achieve "socially sustainable tourism" (Devile et al, 2023;Habimana et al, 2023;Mínguez et al, 2021).…”

“…In these circumstances "it has become increasingly important that students enter the workforce prepared to deal with diversity and multicultural issues" (Rivera & Lee, 2016, p. 156). Social skills are therefore critically important to support this end and comprise a key social element of sustainable tourism (Baum 2018;Carlisle et al, 2021;Devile et al, 2023;Habimana et al, 2023;Mooney et al, 2022;Mínguez et al, 2021).…”

“…The tourism literature notably reflects the importance of soft skills over hard skills for the service industry (Haven-Tang & Jones 2008;Marneros et al, 2023;Sisson & Adams, 2013). Soft skills are considered of vital importance for entrepreneurship (Lamineet al, 2014;Daniel et al, 2017;Koc, 2020), innovation (Cobo, 2013), multicultural competence (Chrobot-Mason & Leslie, 2012), diversity awareness (Devile et al, 2023), emotional intelligence (Chrobot-Mason & Leslie, 2012;Emmerling & Boyatzis, 2012), employability (Chan, 2011;Taylor, 2005;Wang & Tsai, 2014;Zwane et al, 2014) or sustainability (Kiryakova-Dineva et al, 2019;Mooney et al, 2022). working against discrimination and for gender equality and equal opportunities.…”

For Accessible Tourism Experience: Exploring The Blog Sphere of People with Disabilities

“…Behavioral strategies include schedule arrangements and skill development, while cognitive strategies involve balancing rewards and costs, increasing engagement, and how to deal with stress (Chen et al, 2020). Devile et al (2023) noted that the negotiation of travel constraints refers to the adoption of creative strategies that may overcome these constraints. Devile et al (2023) added that the analysis of travel constraints and negotiation strategies should be conducted concurrently due to their inescapable reciprocity.…”

“…Therefore, providing high-quality travel experiences to people with disabilities (PwDs) still poses significant difficulties (Rubio-Escuderos et al, 2021). Service providers and tourism agents must better understand travel constraints to offer more accessible tourism products and services and improve the tourism experience of PwDs (Devile et al, 2023;Załuska et al, 2022). Despite the importance of the participation of PwDs in tourism activities, in-depth studies from their own perspectives are limited (Rubio-Escuderos et al, 2021).…”