Accessible Tourism is the fastest growing, yet most under serviced market in Tourism.
To cater to the needs of the tourism industry, in marketing to this valuable niche, PhotoAbility.net has developed a new multi-level set of categories for tourism images, showcasing travelers with a disability enjoying some of the best accessible destinations the world has to offer. This new resource allows tourism operators quick and convenient access to images to use in their campaigns to attract this rapidly growing market.
The destinations featured in the Photo Library thus far include:
- The United States
- Canada
- South Africa
- Australia
- Austria
- Belize
- Dubai
- India
- Italy
- Nepal
- Spain
- Sweden
- United Kingdom
- France
According to PhotoAbility’s co-founder, Bill Forrester, “Tourism has often been described as selling dreams and indeed that is what the majority of the industry attempts to do by developing products and services that give clients an “experience”. Travelers with a disability are like any other group of people; with their own set of dreams and aspirations. To attract those customers, tourism operators need to start reflecting them in their marketing materials, to send a clear message that “we want your business.”
A recent article by Deborah Davis on the Inclusive Travel, Lifestyle and Leisure site PushLiving.com, is a perfect showcase of how to use Inclusive Imagery in promoting a tourism destination, in this case, Spain.
Accessible Tourism is already a major tourism sector with research by Dr, Simon Darcy putting its value at 11% of the total industry market share. With the ageing population and retiring Baby Boomer generation, it is estimated that Accessible Tourism will represent 25% of the total market by 2020.
The European Commission has recognized the significance of this growing market as a key strategy for the future success of the tourism industry:
“Accessible tourism is not only a matter of ensuring equal opportunities for all, but is also a compelling business case. According to data from EUROSTAT (2005), the general demand for accessible tourism services could be up to 127 million tourists per year, generating potential revenues of more than €160 billion.”
ENAT (European Net for Accessible Tourism) recently launched a new site, Pantou, to service the growing number of businesses actively marketing to the sector. A PhotoAbility image was utilized for their press release and postcard.
In the United States adults with disabilities spend on average $13.6 billion a year on travel.
Dr Scott Rains. a US expert on disability issues and author of the Rolling Rains Report, states:
“Creating accessible cruise ships, accessible ship terminals, accessible ground transportation, and accessible tourist destinations is not charity. It is just good business.”
PhotoAbility’s new Tourism galleries provide the industry with Inclusive Imagery to enable them to attract the growing and valuable Accessible Tourism market.
About PhotoAbility
PhotoAbility was established in March 2012 by Deborah Davis and Bill Forrester with the goal of providing high quality, unique, non-medically oriented imagery of persons with disabilities, for purchase by the advertising, marketing and media sectors. The Commercial Stock Image Library specializes in positive and “Inclusive” images of people with a disability in leisure, lifestyle and travel settings.
The disability inclusive images depicted in the PhotoAbility gallery are designed to impact attitudinal bias, change perception and provide motivation to eliminate social, structural and professional barriers. A wave of change reflected in popular media and advertising can make an impact on laws and attitudes around the globe, and on how many people with differing abilities, view themselves.
Source: Virtual Strategy
