Abstract
Tourism is a first-order social commodity which must be within the reach of all citizens, irrespective of their personal, social, and economic circumstances. In this sense, the accessibility of tourist installations and services helps to guarantee the right of all people to enjoy leisure (Tourism for all). Furthermore, accessibility is a characteristic of a tourist product’s quality which is increasingly more valued by customers. This is why there is a growing interest in accessibility management and understanding its impact on the improvement of the performance and image of tourist organizations. In our work we analyze the key aspects of accessibility management in a sample of hotel establishments, as well as the perception of their managers concerning the benefits of this management. The results show the strong commitment of hotel managers toward accessibility (leadership and strategy), although deficiencies are observed in aspects related to staff training and the involvement of the firm in the networks, forums, and associations which try to strengthen tourism for all. Finally, hotel managers are aware that the bettering of accessibility is a differentiation factor and improves the external image of their hotels. This can have positive economic repercussions for the business in the medium and long term.
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Acknowledgments
The authors acknowledge the financial support from the Excellence’s Proyect of Andalusia’s Government P11-SEJ-7042 “Orientación y Gestión de los MercadosExterioresPorlasPymesAndaluzas. Análisis Estratégico y Propuestas de Mejora.”
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Appendices
Appendix: Questionnaire
Please indicate your post/position in the Hotel: ____________________________________________________
N° stars: _______Age: ______________ N° of rooms: ____________ Number of employees______________ Certificates/Recognition of quality/environment/accessibility it has:
Accessibility Management
7.2.1 Leadership
L1. The management develops the mission, view, and culture of the organization, giving prominence to accessibility |
L2. The management system is defined and focused to offer an accessible service |
L3. The management is committed to disabled people to achieve mutual benefits and, in general, a fairer society |
L4. The management makes an effort to foster innovation |
L5. The management makes an effort to foster equal opportunities |
L6. The management supports the generating of new ideas oriented to offering an accessible service |
L7. The management fosters and motivates change to adjust to the needs of people who are disabled or have reduced mobility |
7.2.2 Strategy
S1. The firm understands the needs of people with disabilities and reduced mobility and integrates them into their strategy to try and satisfy them |
S2. The strategy values the potential impact of new technologies and management systems to offer products/services which are more accessible to all their customers |
S3. The firm integrates the key elements of accessibility into its key processes’ value chain and design |
S4. The firm fixes accessibility objectives, evaluates their being fulfilled, and compares itself with other firms in its environment |
7.2.3 People
P1. The employees are committed and make an effort to guarantee equal opportunities for people with disabilities and reduced mobility |
P2. The employees are trained in accessibility |
P3. The human factor is made aware of the importance of accessibility to fulfill the firm’s objectives |
P4. Team work is promoted and the opinions and improvement proposals of the employees with respect to offering an accessible service are taken into account |
7.2.4 Partnerships and Resources
PR1. The firm belongs to, participates in, and collaborates with networks, forums, and associations which try to strengthen accessible tourism and tourism for all |
PR2. The firm invests in infrastructures and other resources to try and satisfy the needs of people with disabilities and reduced mobility |
PR3. The firm considers and deals with any negative impact resulting from its actions and omissions about the accessibility of its installations and the services which it offers |
PR4. The firm takes into account technologies which speed up accessibility processes and projects |
PR5. The firm uses data and information concerning its performance and its current capacities in accessibility to identify and strengthen innovation |
7.2.5 Processes
PC1. Processes are designed and handled with the aim of optimizing value for all interest groups, including the group of people with disabilities and reduced mobility |
PC2. The products and services are developed and designed to add value for the customers with disabilities and reduced mobility |
PC3. The firm develops marketing strategies to efficiently promote their accessible products and services among people with disabilities and reduced mobility |
PC4. The accessible processes and products/services are efficiently offered and dealt with |
PC5. The firm manages and improves the mechanisms and processes it has in order to relate to its customers, especially those who have some kind of disability |
7.2.6 Impact of Accessibility on the Hotel’s Performance and Image
R1. Having an accessible tourist offer is a right and a factor which favors the social integration of those who have some kind of disability and reduced mobility |
R2. Having accessible installations and services is a business opportunity for the firm |
R3. Having accessible installations and services is a business differentiation factor |
R4. Accessibility is a basic element which strengthens the quality of the establishment’s tourist offer |
R5. Accessibility favors the implementation of the positioning strategy of the tourist destination |
R6. Having accessible installations and services improves the hotel’s exterior image and reputation |
R7. Being an accessible hotel helps to reduce the effects of seasonality and enables making the most out of the tourist installations and facilities |
R8. Being an accessible hotel increases the establishment’s occupation rate and helps to increase operating incomes |
R9. Investment in accessible infrastructures and eliminating barriers is profitable in the medium and long term |
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Calvo-Mora, A., Navarro-García, A., Periañez-Cristóbal, R. (2015). Tourism for All and Performance: An Analysis of Accessibility Management in Hotels. In: Peris-Ortiz, M., Álvarez-García, J., Rueda-Armengot, C. (eds) Achieving Competitive Advantage through Quality Management. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-17251-4_7
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