Profiling Disabled People as Unrealised Potentially Lucrative Tourism Market Segment in South Africa

Abstract

The study aimed at (profiling) determining sampled individuals with impairments’ likelihood to participate in tourism. The quantitative-descriptive approach used online forum/group discussions as augmented by questionnaire survey which was conducted from August 2018 to March 2019. The study fostered a theoretical view as intending to give background information using academic journal articles and books. The study snowballed a total of 372 participants. The results from the demographic profiling were skewed towards the idea that access-need market (individuals with temporary and permanent impairments) as unrealised and untapped potential lucrative tourism business. The study concluded socio-demographic information may enhance further exploration into the access-needs tourism market in South Africa. This is because, the lack of such information poses development, management and marketing challenges when it comes to accessible tourism. To this effect, tourism service providers are challenged to consider the needs of this largely unserved market, through planning towards strategic preparatory approaches which may enhance channelling the potential into tourism business. The value of the study is centred on self-representation of persons with impairments, which addresses a major gap in literature, in that it focuses on individuals with impairments as an untapped tourism market segment in South Africa.

Keywords

• demographic profiling
• physically impaired persons
• tourism participation