Are tourist entertainment companies prepared to work with people with disabilities? The case of Portugal

Abstract

Providing tourist entertainment services to people with disabilities should be a reality not only because it is a right of the demand and a responsibility of the purveyor but also because the activity provides important personal, social and economic benefits. Tourist entertainment services at destinations are increasingly valued and strategically designed to integrate tourism product as a whole. However, a very limited number of studies assess the level of accessibility of tourism products, especially the entertainment activities developed and marketed by tourist entertainment companies. In this context, this study aims to analyze the level of accessibility of entertainment companies in Portugal. To meet this objective, a questionnaire survey was conducted to the entertainment companies located in the mainland of Portugal. The results show that in most cases the entertainment companies are not prepared to work with PwD. However, it is also noted that there are already some companies, still in very small number, specialized in this market. Based on the results, we define some strategies that can be used by the entertainment companies to increase the level of accessibility of their products.