Tourism: Past Achievements, Future Challenges A METHODOLOGY FOR TESTING ACCESSIBLE ACCOMMODATION INFORMATION PROVISION FORMATS

The combined effects of the increased ageing of the population, the relationship between ageing and disability rates and the proportion of the population who have a disability have significant implications for global tourism. Numerous studies have identified that the foundation of any tourism experience for people with mobility disabilities is locating appropriate accommodation. Such studies have identified serious issues with the way that accommodation information is documented, promoted and marketed by the accommodation sector. Other studies have identified that there is a considerable difference between the accommodation sector’s understanding of access and that of people with disabilities. This research seeks to understand the 'discourse of access ’ between the demand and supply of accessible accommodation. To this point in time, no research has sought to assess the preferred accessible accommodation information formats for this group. This exploratory study presents a methodology for market testing four information formats for the mobility dimension of accessible accommodation. The information formats are based on current practice and proposed information formats. They are: AAA Tourism access icons; Spinal Cord Injury Australia’s representation of AS1428; floorplan representation; and virtual tours/OSSATE. It is believed that the outcomes of this methodology will provide a suitable foundation for including access considerations as part of the broader Australian Tourism Data Warehouse; developing a business case for this class of accommodation through improved occupancy rates; and satisfaction with the presented information formats