Tourism and accessibility: the municipality of Lisbon

Abstract

Nowadays cities face an evident need to adapt their functional and tourism infrastructures to new segments of the tourism market. As a result, it is essential to gain knowledge of real needs in order to promote the development of accessible tourism, a concept which must be understood from a broad perspective since it not only benefits people with special needs but also includes a set of desired and integrated facilities. This paper aims to explain how ‘Handbook of Recommendations for Assistance to Tourists with Special Needs’ and ‘Accessible Tourism Guide – Lisbon for All’ were developed, allowing the improvement of accessibility, autonomy, comfort and safety requirements to all tourists who visit the city, as well as to the local community.