Benchmarking of Technological Platforms for Accessible Tourism: A Study Resulting in an Innovative Solution—<i>Access@tour</i>

Abstract

Tourism information systems are becoming crucial tools to ensure access to tourism for all people, especially for those with special needs. The aim of this paper is to propose an innovative web platform to increase knowledge transfer among all stakeholders involved in accessible tourism. To achieve this aim, a content analysis of a sample of web platforms responsible for promoting accessible tourism was conducted. With the limitations of the existing platforms as a reference and using a triangulation of methods to identify the requirements that a web platform for accessible tourism should include, a new platform is presented. It is characterized by being innovative and by promoting the collaboration and sharing of information between all the actors involved in accessible tourism—access@tour by action. The analysis revealed that there is a lack of this type of platform: only 10 platforms promoting accessible tourism were identified. Moreover, these platforms are limited in scope. Therefore, new tools should be developed to increase the participation of people with special needs in tourism activities, especially people with disabilities.

Keywords

• tourism information systems
• accessible tourism
• people with special needs (PwSN)
• people with disabilities (PwD)
• web platforms