Exploring the Challenges When Implementing Universal Accessibility in White Water-based Adventure Tourism

Abstract

Implementing the universal accessibility concept in white water adventure tourism requires more in low-resource settings than in destinations in developed countries. The literature points to misconceptions of access-need population groups and concern for safety among water-based sports. A case study of Victoria Falls-Zimbabwe was employed to explore the challenges when implementing universal accessibility in white water-based adventure tourism. Snowball and convenience sampling techniques were employed. In-depth interviews were administered among adventure tourism operators and guides who are informants whose views have been missing in existing debates. Data was analysed using the thematic analysis framework. The key findings revealed eight challenges which include limited universal accessibility equipment, costs of adapting the facilities, challenges of hiking up and down the gorges, an absence of a harmonised policy framework for facilitating universal access, exclusively priced adventure products, an over-emphasis on the perception of risk and the under marketing of white water-based adventure tourism services to access-need market segments.

Keywords

• universal accessibility
• people with disabilities (pwds)
• white water based adventure (wwba)
• challenges
• zimbabwe