Assessing the Accessibility of Tourist Destination Promotional Information

Abstract

Few studies have analysed the accessibility level of information sources used by persons with disabilities when making tourism-related purchases. Consequently, the main objective of this chapter is to gain insights into whether Destination Management Organisations are actively developing inclusive destination promotion and advertising materials. To accomplish this, an exploratory study was conducted, with a specific focus on the tourism of Portugal. Portugal was chosen as the subject of the study due to its recognition by the World Tourism Organisation as the world's first accessible tourism destination. This recognition encompasses various aspects, including the official promotional tourism website (visitportugal.com), which features digital brochures. It is important to note that the exploratory nature of this study limited the ability to make direct comparisons with previous research. However, for future investigations, it is recommended that the framework employed in this study be applied to assess the accessibility of promotional materials from other DMOs and tourism stakeholders.