Accessible and inclusive tourism
Accessible tourism is the ongoing endeavour to ensure tourist destinations, products and services are accessible to all people, regardless of their physical limitations, disabilities, or age.
The accessible tourism community can include people with a disability, long-term health condition, or mobility needs, along with their accompanying companions. This can include individuals with, limited mobility, including the use of wheelchairs and scooters, low vision, low hearing, cognitive impairment, autism, allergies, and intolerances. Other visitors can also benefit from improved access including, the elderly, those with temporary needs, mobility issues or medical conditions, parents with prams, multi-generational family groups.
Research shows the substantial economic impact to tourism of this segment. Tourism Research Australia’s National Visitor Survey shows that in 2021, travel groups including people with a disability or a long-term health condition in Australia accounted for $13.5 billion (17% of total) of domestic day and overnight trip spend. Tourism Australia’s Future of Demand Research (2022) also showed that around a quarter (24%) of international travellers considering Australia have an accessibility need and many more (86%) indicated that accessibility influences their choice of destination.
What is the difference between accessible and inclusive tourism?
- Accessible Tourism
Accessible tourism refers to making travel and tourism destinations, products, and services available to all, regardless of their physical limitations, age, or cognitive abilities. It’s about removing physical barriers.
- Inclusive Tourism
Inclusive tourism goes a step further by not only making travel accessible but also creating an environment that welcomes and accommodates people from all backgrounds and abilities. It's about ensuring that travellers feel comfortable and included during their travels.
Remarkable Rocks, Kangaroo Island, South Australia © Tourism Australia
Tourism Australia's commitment
Tourism Australia have a strategic focus on accessible and inclusive tourism. The organisation aims to raise awareness of and capability for accessible and inclusive tourism, to better deliver on the accessibility needs of visitors to Australia. It focuses on advocacy, thought leadership and education across it’s owned marketing channels and engagement with industry.
Tourism Australia is a proud foundation partner of the Shift 20 Initiative launched by the Dylan Alcott Foundation in 2023. The initiative, founded by Friend of Australia Dylan Alcott AO, focuses on increasing disability representation, inclusion, and accessibility in Australian advertising. Alongside some of Australia’s well-known brands our focus is on improving the representation of accessibility and inclusivity in our tourism industry.
Accredited access consultants and architects can assist you with accessibility design in the built environment. Visit the Association of Consultants in Access Australia to find a consultant, or Australian Institute of Architects to find an architect for your project. Below is a range of consultancies specialising in tourism and travel.
Australia is for everyone. Get tips on travelling in Australia with a disability and learn how to make your trip unforgettable. Find out more about Accessible Travel Around Australia on Australia.com or find a range of further resources below.
