Are Portuguese Travel Agencies prepared to satisfy the accessible tourism market?

  • André Silveiro Universidade de Aveiro
  • Celeste Eusébio Universidade de Aveiro; Unidade de Investigação `Governança, Competitividade e Políticas Públicas (GOVCOPP)
  • Leonor Teixeira Universidade de Aveiro; Unidade de Investigação em Governança, Competitividade e Políticas Públicas (GOVCOPP); Instituto de Engenharia Eletrónica e Telemática de Aveiro (IEETA)
DOI: https://doi.org/10.34624/rtd.v0i33.20420
Keywords: Travel Agencies (TAs), Accessible Tourism (AT), People with Disabilities (PwD), Complaints, Barriers

Abstract

In the context of accessible tourism, Travel Agencies (TAs), as intermediaries, can play an important role as facilitators of access to tourism products if they meet accessibility requirements. This study aims to analyze complaints about TAs in Portugal carried by people who belong to accessible tourism market and identify what kind of constraints/barriers they encounter during the acquisition and enjoyment of tourism services acquired through TAs. The results show that TAs in Portugal are not fully prepared to meet the needs of the accessible tourism market. Most of the complaints are related to the lack of accessibility of the tourism products that they sell and the attitudes of the professionals of the tourism companies. The article ends with some suggestions for increasing the accessibility of products offered by travel agencies.

Published
2020-01-01
How to Cite
Silveiro, A., Eusébio, C., & Teixeira, L. (2020). Are Portuguese Travel Agencies prepared to satisfy the accessible tourism market?. Journal of Tourism & Development, (33), 151-168. https://doi.org/10.34624/rtd.v0i33.20420
Issue
No 33 (2020)
Section
Articles
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