Accessible Tourism: Where to Find Out More

Accessible tourism

If you’re interested in learning more about the concept of designing for accessibility, then there are plenty of resources out there to help. For instance, the Tourism Australia website offers a directory on “Accessible Tourism” that provides a brief description of what accessible tourism means, followed by a selection of useful resources that you can access to find out more.

For instance, one excellent page to visit is the Tourism Research Australia website. This site, in partnership with the visitor, events, and tourism branches of the Victorian government, and Events and Tourism Queensland, covers in-depth insights into accessible tourism. On this site, you can see some excellent research into the accessible environments in, Queensland and Victoria, gathered from research in 2017.

Other Useful Resources on Accessible Tourism

Here are some of the other handy resources you can examine if you’re looking into building your own accessible tourism campaign:

  • Accessible Tourism in Queensland and Victoria: A report covering the experiences of domestic travellers with accessibility requirements in Australia.
  • Push Adventures: A business founded in 2014 that provides insights into how to make tourism businesses more accessible for a wide range of guests.
  • Accessible Victoria: The official site available for Melbourne and Victoria – complete with information on accessible activities, attractions, accommodations and locations in the region.
  • The inclusive Tourism Guide (Queensland): A guide created by the Queensland government to help businesses that want to become more inclusive and accessible for people with disabilities.
  • Sydney for all: An immersive visitors guide to Sydney which uses universal symbols and icons to help travellers figure out which attractions offer the best level of support for those with disabilities.
  • TravAbility: A dedicated resource intended to support companies in learning about inclusive tourism and supporting the development of new, accessible locations in some of the world’s most popular travel destinations.
  • Travellers Aid Australia: A company committed to offering practical support to help visitors from all backgrounds make the most out of their time in Australia. This website is great for those in need of tips for how to travel confidently and independently.
  • Inclusive Tourism: A report on the economic opportunities of inclusive tourism. This research is part of a comprehensive project aiming to improve the information available to people about creating and using accessible and inclusive design. The project is supported by the University of Technology in Sydney, and the Local NSW government.
  • Vision Australia: An organisation aiding people who have vision impairments. There’s a wide range of fact sheets available on supporting and aiding people who are vision-impaired or blind.
  • Cangoeverywhere.com: A website committed to helping people with disabilities, seniors, and anyone else with special requirements who needs to find accommodation, activities and even food locations in Australia.
  • The Good Scout: A travel platform for Australians in need of more accessible travel opportunities. The website aims to help people with access needs to get an amazing holiday experience.

Creating an environment for accessible tourism means making sure that people from all over the world can enjoy the incredible experiences that Australia has to offer. The resources above offer a range of tools that companies and travellers can use to understand accessibility in tourism.