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Inclusive Destination Management Strategies

  • Sophie Hayden , Alison McIntosh and Brielle Gillovic
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Tourism Destination Development
This chapter is in the book Tourism Destination Development

Abstract

Destination management strategies with access and inclusion at their core ensure previously marginalised populations, such as people with disabilities, can actively participate in tourism. This chapter puts forward four key interrelated pillars pertinent to the development of an accessible and inclusive destination. The first pillar addresses the significant leadership role tourism destination management organisations have to play in terms of setting an accessible and inclusive vision, garnering buy-in from operators and related sectors, and considering how audits, or accessibility guides, may be used to determine what developments are needed. The second pillar identifies the need to consider who should be involved in planning and decisionmaking, who can coordinate and bring disparate groups and sectors together to share knowledge, and how all stakeholders involved can utilise best practice to work together, mitigate challenges and co-create meaningful outcomes. This means the appropriate people are involved in the development and implementation of strategies, which is critical to ensure all aspects of development are considered. As the people who are directly affected by both inclusive and exclusive decisions, the involvement of people with disabilities is crucial. The third pillar identifies collaboration as an important means of sharing knowledge and enabling progress. Considering the impact and integration of assistive technologies may also enable tourism destinations to reach potential visitors with disabilities in innovative ways. Finally, the fourth pillar highlights how accurate and detailed information is critical for people with disabilities to be able to make informed choices about their travels and the activities they choose to engage in. The lack of appropriate and accurate information is a wellknown barrier to tourism participation for people with disabilities and should thus be prioritised in the marketing and promotion of any accessible and inclusive destination management strategy. Ultimately, it is crucial to recognise that unless the whole tourism system is accessible and inclusive, then individual efforts may not be sufficiently effective.

Abstract

Destination management strategies with access and inclusion at their core ensure previously marginalised populations, such as people with disabilities, can actively participate in tourism. This chapter puts forward four key interrelated pillars pertinent to the development of an accessible and inclusive destination. The first pillar addresses the significant leadership role tourism destination management organisations have to play in terms of setting an accessible and inclusive vision, garnering buy-in from operators and related sectors, and considering how audits, or accessibility guides, may be used to determine what developments are needed. The second pillar identifies the need to consider who should be involved in planning and decisionmaking, who can coordinate and bring disparate groups and sectors together to share knowledge, and how all stakeholders involved can utilise best practice to work together, mitigate challenges and co-create meaningful outcomes. This means the appropriate people are involved in the development and implementation of strategies, which is critical to ensure all aspects of development are considered. As the people who are directly affected by both inclusive and exclusive decisions, the involvement of people with disabilities is crucial. The third pillar identifies collaboration as an important means of sharing knowledge and enabling progress. Considering the impact and integration of assistive technologies may also enable tourism destinations to reach potential visitors with disabilities in innovative ways. Finally, the fourth pillar highlights how accurate and detailed information is critical for people with disabilities to be able to make informed choices about their travels and the activities they choose to engage in. The lack of appropriate and accurate information is a wellknown barrier to tourism participation for people with disabilities and should thus be prioritised in the marketing and promotion of any accessible and inclusive destination management strategy. Ultimately, it is crucial to recognise that unless the whole tourism system is accessible and inclusive, then individual efforts may not be sufficiently effective.

Chapters in this book

  1. Frontmatter I
  2. Foreword VII
  3. Preface IX
  4. Contents XI
  5. The Need to Engage with Destination Development 1
  6. Part I: Developing Competitive Destinations
  7. Tourism Destinations: Risk, Management and Communication 11
  8. Destination Competitiveness and AI-based Methods 33
  9. Change Management Approaches to Encounter Rural Overtourism 55
  10. Visitor Management in Tourism Destinations: Current Challenges in Measuring and Managing Visitors’ Spatio-Temporal Behaviour 81
  11. Supporting Economically and Socially Sustainable Destination Development through Branding: Opportunities and Challenges 105
  12. Part II: Developing Sustainable Destinations
  13. From Global Frameworks to Local Meanings: Assessing Resilience for Sustainable Destinations through the Lens of Transdisciplinary Research 127
  14. Destination Resilience in the Context of COVID-19 and Its Hysteretic Impact on the Tourism System of South Tyrol 149
  15. Local Participation for a Higher Commitment to Destination Development 173
  16. Residents’ Attitudes and Sustainable Destination Development: Introducing the Tourism Acceptance Score 197
  17. Dogs, Frogs and Degrowth: Sustainable Development and Arctification as a Destination Development Dilemma in Northern Sweden 219
  18. Part III: Developing Accessible Destinations
  19. Principles and Practices of Effective Inclusive Stakeholder Community Engagement 243
  20. The Role of Universal Design in the Future of Tourism Planning and Development 261
  21. Developing Social Sustainable Tourism for and with People with Hidden Disabilities: Reflections from Fyn, Denmark 287
  22. Tourism Promotional Materials: Examining the Intersections of Accessibility and Inclusion 309
  23. Inclusive Destination Management Strategies 333
  24. Part IV: Developing Future-Proof Destinations
  25. Business as Usual or Completely Different? COVID-19 and Its Influence on the Participation in Tourism of the German Population 361
  26. Beyond Overtourism, Undertourism, the End of Tourism: New Perspectives for Urban Tourism 381
  27. Flight and Migration in the Context of Destinations: Conceptional Approaches and Empirical Insights Based on the Repurposing of Tourist Accommodation as Accommodation for Refugees – Case Study Bavaria 405
  28. The Challenge of Climate Change and Net-Zero Emissions for Destinations 425
  29. Techno-Utopia or Techno-Dystopia: Current and Future Extended Reality and Artificial Intelligence Developments in Destinations 453
  30. The Contribution of Academia to Destination Development 473
  31. List of Figures 483
  32. List of Tables 487
  33. List of Contributors 489
  34. Index 497
https://doi.org/10.1515/9783110794090-016

Chapters in this book

  1. Frontmatter I
  2. Foreword VII
  3. Preface IX
  4. Contents XI
  5. The Need to Engage with Destination Development 1
  6. Part I: Developing Competitive Destinations
  7. Tourism Destinations: Risk, Management and Communication 11
  8. Destination Competitiveness and AI-based Methods 33
  9. Change Management Approaches to Encounter Rural Overtourism 55
  10. Visitor Management in Tourism Destinations: Current Challenges in Measuring and Managing Visitors’ Spatio-Temporal Behaviour 81
  11. Supporting Economically and Socially Sustainable Destination Development through Branding: Opportunities and Challenges 105
  12. Part II: Developing Sustainable Destinations
  13. From Global Frameworks to Local Meanings: Assessing Resilience for Sustainable Destinations through the Lens of Transdisciplinary Research 127
  14. Destination Resilience in the Context of COVID-19 and Its Hysteretic Impact on the Tourism System of South Tyrol 149
  15. Local Participation for a Higher Commitment to Destination Development 173
  16. Residents’ Attitudes and Sustainable Destination Development: Introducing the Tourism Acceptance Score 197
  17. Dogs, Frogs and Degrowth: Sustainable Development and Arctification as a Destination Development Dilemma in Northern Sweden 219
  18. Part III: Developing Accessible Destinations
  19. Principles and Practices of Effective Inclusive Stakeholder Community Engagement 243
  20. The Role of Universal Design in the Future of Tourism Planning and Development 261
  21. Developing Social Sustainable Tourism for and with People with Hidden Disabilities: Reflections from Fyn, Denmark 287
  22. Tourism Promotional Materials: Examining the Intersections of Accessibility and Inclusion 309
  23. Inclusive Destination Management Strategies 333
  24. Part IV: Developing Future-Proof Destinations
  25. Business as Usual or Completely Different? COVID-19 and Its Influence on the Participation in Tourism of the German Population 361
  26. Beyond Overtourism, Undertourism, the End of Tourism: New Perspectives for Urban Tourism 381
  27. Flight and Migration in the Context of Destinations: Conceptional Approaches and Empirical Insights Based on the Repurposing of Tourist Accommodation as Accommodation for Refugees – Case Study Bavaria 405
  28. The Challenge of Climate Change and Net-Zero Emissions for Destinations 425
  29. Techno-Utopia or Techno-Dystopia: Current and Future Extended Reality and Artificial Intelligence Developments in Destinations 453
  30. The Contribution of Academia to Destination Development 473
  31. List of Figures 483
  32. List of Tables 487
  33. List of Contributors 489
  34. Index 497
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