Responsible Tourism—Integrating Families with Disabled Children in Tourist Destinations

Alina Simona Tecău, Gabriel Brătucu, Bianca Tescașiu, Ioana Bianca Chițu, Cristinel Constantin and Diana Foris
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Alina Simona Tecău: Faculty of Economic Sciences and Business Administration, Transylvania University of Braşov, str. Colina Universitatii, nr. 1, Building A, 500068 Braşov, Romania
Gabriel Brătucu: Faculty of Economic Sciences and Business Administration, Transylvania University of Braşov, str. Colina Universitatii, nr. 1, Building A, 500068 Braşov, Romania
Bianca Tescașiu: Faculty of Economic Sciences and Business Administration, Transylvania University of Braşov, str. Colina Universitatii, nr. 1, Building A, 500068 Braşov, Romania
Ioana Bianca Chițu: Faculty of Economic Sciences and Business Administration, Transylvania University of Braşov, str. Colina Universitatii, nr. 1, Building A, 500068 Braşov, Romania
Diana Foris: Faculty of Food and Tourism, Transylvania University of Braşov, str. Castelului, nr.148, 500014 Braşov, Romania
Authors registered in the RePEc Author Service: Bianca Tescasiu

Sustainability, 2019, vol. 11, issue 16, 1-18

Abstract: This article addresses issues regarding the intention of responsible tourism to increase the accessibility of tourist destinations for children with disabilities and their families. The main objective of this research is to identify the barriers that families with disabled children confront during their touristic experiences and to find ways to diminish these barriers. In this respect, qualitative marketing research based on the focus group method was conducted. The research results revealed that the most important barriers faced by such families are attitude barriers, followed by physical barriers and a lack of information. Starting from these results, we proposed the higher involvement of national authorities and other stakeholders in strategies meant to decrease or remove the barriers faced by people with disabilities and their attendants in order to develop responsible tourism. Such strategies could firstly involve the development of a primary school curriculum by including educational programs that are meant to avoid attitude barriers. Secondly, other stakeholders could use new emerging technologies, such as virtual reality, to offer tourists the opportunity to experience some tourism products and places before they travel.

Keywords: responsible tourism; families with disabled children; tourist destinations; tourism stakeholders; virtual reality (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2019
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (3)

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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:11:y:2019:i:16:p:4420-:d:257975

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