Tourists With Intellectual Disabilities

Abstract

This article analyses the tourism experiences of adults with intellectual disabilities to explore the meanings, motivations and tourism demands of a historically forgotten group, using a qualitative methodological design based on focus groups. The results show that people with intellectual disabilities are highly interested in tourism: to see different places, to have new experiences, and for their hedonic enjoyment. However, this interest is always subject to being accompanied, either by their family or by a group of peers with professional support. The main barriers identified respond to structural issues, such as the lack of cognitive accessibility or the lack of knowledge and training of tourism services staff about their needs, exacerbating prejudices towards this group.