The Pillar of Accessibility in the Spanish Smart Tourism Destinations (DTI) Model

Abstract

Accessibility is a core aspect of the smart tourism destination model, recognizing the need to promote tourism development in the destination pursuant to the principle of universal accessibility, thus improving the tourist experience of all visitors and, at the same time, the quality of life of local residents. This particularly applies to residents who, on account of their age, disability, or other temporary or permanent circumstances, have greater accessibility needs. The chapter begins by offering a review of the concept of tourism accessibility, to then describes how the DTI methodology integrates it into destination management through the pillar of accessibility. This pillar represents a weight of 18% of the model and is articulated through 17 requirements and 43 indicators through which the performance of the destination is evaluated in two areas: Accessibility management and Accessibility implementation. Finally, by areas of action, this chapter details the requirements and indicators of the accessibility pillar together with the main recommendations, linked to each of the areas of the pillar, which are usually made to destinations that are implementing the DTI Model in terms of accessibility.

1 Introduction

This chapter, dedicated to the Accessibility Pillar of the Smart Tourism Destinations (DTI) Model, closes content block II, where the methodology underlying the DTI Model was described (Fig. 1).

Fig. 1

Chapter outline

The following pages provide the reader with an approach to the concept of accessibility in the context of the tourism sector, and how it has gained depth and breadth over time. The concept has evolved to the point where accessibility is now considered from a management point of view, adopting a 360° vision, which consists of considering the diversity of needs—not only those related to mobility but of those who visit the destination. From this approach, the concept of universal accessibility takes the central stage, benefiting all types of people, with and without disabilities, regardless of their age, abilities, or skills. The incorporation of universal accessibility criteria in the planning and management of destinations entails designing tourism products and spaces that are usable for a large majority of people, creating spaces that are accessible to all. When these spaces are designed to be accessible from the outset, they avoid incurring additional costs, or, if additional investment is required, these are kept to a minimum (Darcy et al., 2011). Thus, in this manual the term “accessibility” has a meaning linked to the concept of universal accessibility. In particular, the accessibility pillar of the DTI model refers to its management and implementation in the destination, to streamline designs and simplify life for everyone, enabling anyone to enjoy the tourist experience (Buhalis & Darcy, 2011). In the Spanish model of smart destination management, good accessibility planning makes it possible to meet the expectations of a greater number of tourists (Yau et al., 2004; Darcy, 2010), improve their experiences during their visit (Darcy & Dickson, 2009), and, ultimately, enhance the tourism competitiveness of the destination (Domínguez Vila et al., 2015; Ivars-Baidal et al., 2023; Rucci et al., 2022).

Throughout this chapter, it is explained how destinations that wish to be accredited as DTI can improve accessibility in each of the links that make up the tourism value chain and characterize their tourism attractions, creating value for tourists, as described by Professor Vila in the box below. From this idea of accessibility “at the destination, and of the destination’s resources,” the two areas of action around which the accessibility pillar of the Smart Tourist Destinations strategic management model is organized take on full significance: “Accessibility management in Smart Tourism Destinations” and “Accessibility implementation in Smart Tourism Destinations.”

Challenges for Accessibility Management in Tourism

Accessibility in tourism has traditionally been linked to people with disabilities, and more recently to the elderly, as 35% of people over 65 have a disability (Fuguet, 2008). However, accessibility should be understood as the provision of benefits by all, for all, for between 20 and 30% of the world’s population (Darcy & Dickson, 2009; ESCAP, 2003). Accessibility is a transversal element that should be present throughout the tourism chain, since inaccessibility in any of its links destroys the possibility of tourists enjoying the product or service (UNWTO, 2014a). Adapting many tourist resources is unfeasible, but this limitation can be compensated by the training provided to, and the empathy of, the relevant staff, and by taking simple measures based on specialist advice (UNWTO, 2014a, 2015). Accessibility in tourism represents a quality standards-based market opportunity to access, because of population aging, a continuously growing segment (WHO, 2018). Moreover, the segment stay longer, in the low season, spend more, often travel with companions and are more loyal to destinations (Domínguez et al., 2011, 2013). Nonetheless, account must be taken of the new challenges that the sector faces, based on the virtualisation of services and the ubiquity of the internet, the consequence of which is that disabled people and the elderly disproportionally suffer double discrimination by being deprived of leisure/free time and by having to acquire and adapt to new technologies. The lack of specific data on the internet, and problems with the visibility, accuracy, integrity and currency of online information are major drawbacks (Domínguez et al., 2020).

Accessibility, inclusion, sustainability and ICTs go hand in hand in the tourism field (Buhalis et al., 2023). The problem is that, while at first glance it seems that global goodwill exists to address these elements (Agenda 2030, CRPD), the reality is different, a lack of accessibility-focused governmental planning and legislation and limited budgets result in a paucity of relevant policies and insufficient resources. It’s time for change.

—Trinidad Dominguez-Vila, PhD.

Associated Professor, University of Vigo, Spain.

Like the rest of the chapters dedicated to the other pillars, this one follows a similar structure (Fig. 1). Thus, after outlining the concept of accessibility that underpins the methodological framework of the DTI Model, each of the areas of action in terms of accessibility in which the DTI must work is presented, with their corresponding requirements and indicators. This chapter also illustrates some of the common recommendations made to destinations to help them meet the requirements and indicators defined for each policy area.

Finally, the chapter concludes with a reflection by the SEGITTUR team on the main lessons learned during the 10-year period in which the DTI Model has been implemented with the destinations. As in the case of the other chapters, readers can also find the references cited in the text at the end of the chapter, offering them the opportunity to explore the topics covered in greater detail if they wish.

2 The Concept of Universal Accessibility in Tourism

As mentioned earlier, this chapter is about Accessible Tourism, specifically how proper management of universal accessibility can make it easier for anyone, especially those with accessibility needs, to enjoy the tourism experience (Cockburn-Wootten & McIntosh, 2020; Connell & Page, 2019; Lam et al., 2020). UNWTO (2014) defines Accessible Tourism as tourism that is planned and developed considering the set of requirements and accessibility needs of tourists, so that all tourists can enjoy their experience in comfort and safety, and on equal terms. From this concept of tourism accessibility, its management includes all the initiatives implemented in the destination to make it more inclusive, responsible, and, in short, universally accessible (Fennell, 2022). Therefore, good accessibility management at the destination promotes tourists’ enjoyment of its attractions under equal conditions, in line with the principles of social responsibility set out in the SDGs (OMT, 2019). Universal accessibility is a fundamental human right, as stated in the Global Code of Ethics for Tourism, approved by the UNWTO in 1999, and should therefore be a priority to incorporate in destination management. Internalizing these values in tourism management means that destinations are managed with more social and commercial intelligence, contributing to tourism activity acting as a tool for social integration (Abascal et al., 2016; Scheyvens & Biddulph, 2018). Therefore, the development of the concept of accessibility in tourism fosters improved quality in a destination’s tourism attractions, adapted to the needs of all people (Gillovic & McIntosh, 2018).

In accordance with the above, it is up to the Destination Management Organization (DMO) to work on improving the management and implementation of accessibility, in order to remove those barriers that hinder tourist access and interaction at the destination (McKercher & Darcy, 2018). At the same time, a destination should adopt the principles of universal accessibility when planning its tourism attractions, developing marketing and promotional activities, communicating with tourists, designing channels and ways of interaction between tourists, service providers, and the destination’s host population, and so forth. To these ends, information and communication technology becomes an important ally, as it provides very effective tools to promote the improvement of universal tourism accessibility, through innovative technological solutions that incorporate accessibility among their criteria, in order to facilitate access for all people to the digital content that the destination offers (Casais & Castro, 2021; Fernández-Díaz et al., 2022; Tlili et al., 2021). Therefore, the accessibility pillar of the DTI Model also relies on the innovation and technology pillars to achieve its objectives. In addition, making tourism more accessible results in greater social sustainability for the destination (Rodrigues et al., 2023), so these two pillars are also closely related. Finally, DMOs will play a leading role in reinforcing the values behind the principle of universal accessibility among destination stakeholders, both public and private, ensuring that it is always considered as a cross-cutting element when designing the destination’s tourism services and attractions. Thus, the governance pillar is connected to the accessibility pillar, closing the virtuous management circle that drives the DTI Model.

3 The Management of Tourism Accessibility in Spain

As explained in the previous section, accessible tourism promotes inclusive tourism, characterized by an array of products and services whose conditions of accessibility allow any person to enjoy tourism in an autonomous manner and under equal conditions.

The UNWTO (2014a, 2014b) explains in its Accessible Tourism Handbook how accessibility management refers not only to regulating physical environments—eliminating architectural barriers that hinder access to a given place—but to all measures taken at the destination in order to improve inclusion and standardization.

Since the publication of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (United Nations, 2006), several countries have enacted laws, policies, and action plans to improve the universal accessibility of environments, promoting the inclusion and social participation of all citizens (European Commission, 2010). In Spain, the General Law on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and their Social Inclusion defines universal accessibility as “a condition that must be met by environments, processes, goods, products and services, as well as objects, instruments, tools and devices, in order to be understandable, usable and practicable by all people in conditions of safety and comfort and in the most autonomous and natural way possible. It presupposes the strategy of ‘universal design or design for all persons’, and is without prejudice to the reasonable adjustments to be adopted” (Royal Legislative Decree 1/2013, p. 11). Recently, Law 6/2022 of 31 March, article 2.k, explicitly incorporates cognitive accessibility into the definition of universal accessibility contained in the Royal Decree of 2013. According to this law, cognitive accessibility enables easy understanding, communication, and interaction for all people (Ministerio de Sanidad, Servicios Sociales e Igualdad. Gobierno de España, 2013). Cognitive accessibility is implemented and made effective through easy reading, alternative and augmentative communication systems, pictograms, and other human and technological means available for this purpose. When applied to the tourism sector, the implications of current legislation are specified in the need to promote inclusive tourism or “tourism for all people” which, based on the concept and principles of Universal Design, seeks to design tourism destinations whose spaces, products, and services are not only adapted to disabled people, but can also be enjoyed on equal terms by all tourists. It is therefore necessary to consider the set of accessibility requirements and needs of any person, taking into account all the circumstances that, from a physical, sensory, or cognitive point of view, whether temporarily or permanently, condition the relationship between people and the environment in which they live.

When designing the accessibility of a tourism destination, it will be important to be clear that its tourism attractions are aimed at people with different needs, the variety of which will determine the requirements necessary to universalize the enjoyment of a tourist experience in a destination. To establish the accessibility criteria or requirements of the destination, it is advisable to consider human diversity, the different situations of the traveler (alone, in a group, etc.) and their different needs (AlKahtani et al., 2015). These needs are conditioned by factors such as the aging of the population, mobility, sensory or cognitive difficulties, as well as reduced functionality in one or more body systems which, in some cases, have consequences that are not very noticeable (Portales, 2015). Considering all these factors, it will be possible to promote quality tourism, where accessibility is a tool that does not segregate or separate, developing tourism attractions that are accessible to all, without distinction (Darcy et al., 2020). This inclusive tourism concerns and benefits everyone, it is essential for a growing part of the population (Santana-Santana et al., 2021), and it means adding value for all people, as not only citizens with disabilities need accessible environments (European Commission, 2014). The increasing average age of the population means that more and more people are experiencing mobility, sensory, and cognitive difficulties related to their advanced age (Lee & King, 2019). Circumstances that progress at the same speed as life expectancy does. In Spain, it is expected that the population over 64 years of age will make up 26% of the population by 2037 (INE, 2022), so the challenge of designing accessible spaces is not a minor or isolated challenge, but rather, it affects the entire population.

Universal design also offers an opportunity for the tourism industry (Dominguez et al., 2013; Lyu, 2017) since it makes it possible to provide higher-quality services that are attractive to a broader, growing market that is not being fully attended to. However, beyond a commercial opportunity, improving accessibility to tourism resources is a social responsibility recognized by the UNWTO (1999) in the Global Code of Ethics for Tourism.

In Spain, the right to universal accessibility, set out in Royal Legislative Decree 1/2013, is being recognized and applied more and more, also thanks to the work of the Spanish associative movement, representing disabled people, enabling notable progress in society’s awareness, arbitrating a basic social consensus on accessibility as a right. Thus, there are currently more and more tools and participatory mechanisms for the design and assessment of the solutions proposed by the tourism industry. It is worth noting the publication of the non-binding standard UNE-ISO 21902:2021 Tourism and related services. Accessible tourism for all. Requirements and recommendations, drawn up by the Technical Committee 170 Universal Accessibility and Design for All, which sets out the specific adaptations that must be met when designing accessible tourism products, services, and spaces. However, in order to advance in this area, it is necessary to continue promoting and stimulating the dialogue between the supply and demand of accessible tourism services, in order to adjust the supply to the demand, procuring the services that are needed and that must also be legally provided.

4 The Pillar of Accessibility in the Strategic Smart Destination Management Model

In view of the above, smart destinations should have accessibility conditions that are appropriate to the needs of all people, facilitating access to all types of products, services and cultural, nature, or leisure activities, regardless of the characteristics, abilities or conditions of the potential visitor (Michopoulou et al., 2015). Smart Tourism Destinations will encourage the development of tourism that allows access, use, and enjoyment for all people, without exclusions, guaranteeing the right to equal opportunities to enjoy the environments, goods, services, products, technologies, etc. in the safest, most comfortable and most autonomous and natural way possible (Gretzel et al., 2015).

The application of universal accessibility in DTI Model presupposes the application of the “universal design or design for all people” strategy in the tourism products and services offered.

As mentioned, universal accessibility is not only a response to a fundamental human right, but also a basic element in the perception of the quality of a destination, representing a business opportunity for the entire sector, fostering deseasonalization and improving the image of the destination by positioning itself as socially responsible, in line with some of the objectives pursued in the sustainability pillar of the DTI Model. The accessibility pillar of the Smart DTI Model is also related to the innovation and technology pillars in the sense that innovative technological development makes possible solutions that can be useful for improving accessibility in information and communication aimed at tourists, in mobility and, in general, in the tourist experience at the destination. Finally, the accessibility pillar will be promoted by the governance pillar of the Smart Tourism Destinations model, which promotes the participation of all agents interested in tourism development, involving citizens with accessibility needs in the co-creation of value with companies, designing tourism services under the premises of universal design.

The following section develops the Accessibility pillar, within the framework of the DTI methodology, which covers two areas of action, integrating 17 requirements and 43 indicators, with the accessibility pillar weighing 18% of the total model.

5 Areas of Action, Requirements, and Indicators as Part of the Smart Destination Accessibility Pillar

As in the case of the other chapters dedicated to the pillars of the strategic smart destination management model, below, detailed tables are provided containing the requirements and their corresponding compliance indicators by work areas.

5.1 Area of Action 1: Management of Accessibility in the Smart Destination

The area of Accessibility Management is responsible for assessing the policies and plans that are developed in the destination and the way in which the different actions are coordinated and planned. To this end, this area identifies four aspects of the destinations to be assessed: Regulations and Planning; Management Capacity; Mechanisms and Management Tools; and Actions to Promote Accessibility.

Within the definition of policies and plans, the Destination Policy is evaluated, in accordance with the requirements established by the Standard UNE 178501, “Smart Tourism Destination Management System,” and the legislation and regulations in force, which provide the basis for developing programs and plans for any visitor to access the services and products that the destination offers.

In terms of management capacity, the information provided by the destination is used to judge whether the destination has the effective capacity to carry out the approaches and strategies set out in the planning, with the aim of effectively implementing the short-, medium-, and long-term measures established to improve accessibility.

In relation to management mechanisms, the existence of a real coordination between the main stakeholders in the sector, including all agents in the public and private sectors and the citizenry, and whose main function is to transfer the needs of the interested parties to the management plans and mechanisms, is valuable. Using management tools, clear and measurable objectives must be set to improve accessibility in the destination, incorporating measures that provide the necessary resources for the implementation of the actions.

In terms of actions to promote and boost accessibility, valuable initiatives are those referring to the development and introduction of technological and/or innovative solutions that improve the accessibility of the destination, and, therefore, the tourist experience; the implementation of promotional actions of the destination that position it as accessible; or support for the private tourism sector, through aid mechanisms or training initiatives in accessibility for the private tourism sector.

This work area 1 does not prevent destinations from also implementing other tourism planning and marketing certifications such as ISO 9001, ISO 14001, and ISO 45001 standards, as well as being integrated into all the policies, plans, and programs for tourism development of the destination included in the other pillars of the DTI Model.

The different requirements established within the area of action, with their respective indicators, are detailed in Table 1.

Table 1 Pillar of accessibility in the DTI Model: Area 1 requirements and indicators

5.2 Area of Action 2: Implementation of Accessibility in the Smart Destination

According to the theoretical framework described in the first part of the chapter, Smart Tourism Destinations must improve accessibility by adopting a comprehensive approach when designing their strategies, promoting the creation of accessible environments, from a dual perspective—the accessibility of physical environments, but also that of digital environments—and all this respecting and considering the needs of residents and visitors. To achieve this, this area analyses the accessibility of the destination in the following aspects: Information; Transportation; Natural Environments; Urban Public Space; and Other Points of Tourist Interest. All of these make up the tourism accessibility value chain. Failure to comply with the accessibility conditions in any of these links in the chain may lead to an interruption, dissatisfaction, or failure in the provision of the service and impairment of the tourist experience at the destination due to the lack of accessibility. For this reason, it is important to systematize accessibility management so that the destination is accessible, improving the destination’s competitiveness.

In order to perform initial diagnostics and correctly assess accessibility at the destination, it is essential to observe it in situ, where the tourist will enjoy their experience. Therefore, specific elements that make up the tourism attractions of the destination and its accessibility conditions are considered, such as: pedestrian routes, street furniture and signage in built-up areas; natural spaces and beaches, as well as the services present in these areas and aimed at people with accessibility needs; solutions and measures to enable people with mobility, sight, hearing, or comprehension difficulties to visit the main points of tourist interest; tourist offices and other tourist information points; public, regular, and occasional transport service, in terms of infrastructures, vehicles, and information; activities and events of tourist interest and of high attendance, from the point of view of accessibility conditions for the public, as well as for those people who actively participate in them.

For these reasons, the particularities and needs of each category of tourism services have been carefully detailed in order to facilitate a complete diagnostic of the degree of accessibility of the destination, embodied in the different requirements defined for this area. Regarding digital accessibility, the digital components of the Smart Tourism Destinations are analyzed, which include the tourism promotion website of the destination, applications for mobile devices, and any digital tool designed for the use of visitors and tourists, which must comply with accessibility conditions that allow anyone to interact with them. In the case of web pages and mobile apps, it will be verified that they comply with the WCAG 2.1 (Web Content Accessibility Guidelines) for accessible content of the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) and, therefore, satisfy success criteria levels A and AA.

The different requirements established within the area of action, with their respective indicators, are detailed in Table 2.

Table 2 Pillar of accessibility in the DTI Model: Area 2 requirements and indicators

6 The Accessibility Pillar in Practice: Recommendations

With a view to offering an idea of the practical implications of applying the pillar in tourism destinations that aspire to be a smart destination, this section sets out, by area of action, some of the most common recommendations made to destinations after the diagnosis phase. The accessibility pillar contains “standard” recommendations for requirements with zero compliance, some of which are reflected in the following sections.

6.1 Main Recommendations, Area 1

In this area, the destination’s consideration of the technical accessibility regulations is valued, as well as the allocation of technical, human, and economic resources for its application. The strategic planning instruments for accessibility in tourism, the existence of a cross-cutting accessibility management body, the training received by the destination’s management body staff, the destination’s knowledge of the accessibility conditions of its tourism attractions, the tools for citizen participation, the promotion of accessibility through technological or innovative solutions, the promotional actions and support campaigns for the tourism sector in terms of accessibility carried out by the destination are also evaluated (Table 3).

Table 3 Examples of recommendations of accessibility pillar in the area of action 1

6.2 Main Recommendations, Area 2

In area 2, the recommendations revolve around the implementation of accessibility from two perspectives: the accessibility conditions of the information of interest to tourists, provided by the destination both through digital tools and physical media, and the accessibility of the environments and resources of the destination’s tourism attractions.

Therefore, this area includes recommendations relating, firstly, to the accessibility of public sector websites and apps for mobile devices, as well as the information provided by the destination through other digital and more conventional tools capable of being used by visitors. Secondly, accessibility conditions are considered in the main areas of interest to visitors: urban itineraries, tourist offices, resources of tourist interest, local transport, activities, and events organized by the destination (Table 4).

Table 4 Examples of recommendations of accessibility pillar in the area of action 2

7 Lessons Learned in the Field of Accessibility in Smart Tourism Destinations: Challenges

The implementation of the DTI Model in different tourism destinations has highlighted a series of aspects to be taken into account in each of the five pillars on which the methodology is based.

Specifically, in the area of accessibility, certain shared trends have been observed in many of the destinations, as reflected in the results obtained after carrying out diagnostics. These trends represent opportunities and, at the same time, challenges to be faced in the short, medium, and long term.

The purpose is, therefore, to set out below some of the main lessons learned throughout the process of accompanying destinations toward the implementation of the DTI Model in terms of universal accessibility.

The current methodology considers two areas within this pillar: the management and implementation of accessibility in a destination.

In the area of accessibility management, one of the most significant lessons learned has undoubtedly been to note the importance of collaboration between different bodies and administrative levels of the public sector, between the public and private sectors and, in general, of the synergies between all the stakeholders that contribute to generating the tourism attractions and services of a destination.

Although destinations are increasingly aware that improving accessibility can only be achieved through a joint and coordinated effort between all the stakeholders involved and contributing to each of the links in the chain that make up the travel experience, in practice this harmonization of actions is one of the most complex challenges they face.

Consolidating it may be achieved through different mechanisms. Notable among these is the creation of stable spaces for debate and monitoring of the initiatives carried out: commissions or working groups with the participation of the different representatives of the players involved, of both a technical and political nature—from the different areas of the public administration that acts as the destination’s Management Body to the private tourism sector—supported by the collaboration and contributions of the associative movement that represents citizens with greater accessibility needs.

Another common aspect for improvement identified in the field of management is the generalized lack of means and resources—technical, human, economic—dedicated to accessibility and, consequently, of a management and coordination body for the actions carried out at the destination by different areas or departments. Despite this, it has been observed that in recent years some destinations—mainly those of larger size—have been encouraging the creation of municipal accessibility offices, although not always with the cross-cutting vision required by universal accessibility, often limiting their scope of application to the urban environment and the actions implemented by the areas responsible for urban planning and infrastructures.

Even when there is a technical accessibility office, it is considered advisable for the destination’s tourism area to have at least one person responsible for ensuring the inclusion of accessibility in the tourism strategy, coordinating and monitoring all actions carried out, always with the aim of facilitating and guaranteeing that everyone can enjoy their experience at the destination.

According to the results obtained by the Observatory of Universal Accessibility in Tourism in Spain, “destinations where there is involvement by the tourism area in the application of accessibility have a better result in implementing it in resources and environments, mainly public management” (Fundación ONCE, 2017, p. 173).

However, the application of the diagnostic of this pillar reveals a certain reluctance to consider accessibility as an issue that also falls within the scope of the tourism area, with a common perception still prevalent today that considers it to be linked only to areas such as social services or city planning.

Universal accessibility benefits both tourists and the local population of a destination, since it improves the tourist experience of any visitor and, at the same time, the quality of life of residents, especially if reference is made to that part of the population which, due to age, disability or other temporary or permanent conditions, has greater accessibility needs.

Yet, one of the lessons learned from the work of implementing the DTI Model still reveals a certain difficulty in terms of destinations—and the tourism sector as a whole—assimilating this concept: although over the last few years it has been possible to observe a change in how the concept of accessibility is perceived by society—and, therefore, by the tourism sector—the vision that is still most often received by destinations is that which represents accessibility as an aspect of exclusive interest to people with disabilities and, consequently, accessible tourism as a segment aimed solely at this part of the population.

A destination that wants to work on improving all the aspects included in the accessibility pillar of the DTI Model should first of all be clear about what the work to be carried out consists of, who it is aimed at and what its objectives are. In order to have this knowledge available, training and awareness-raising activities aimed at professionals in the public and private tourism sectors should be reinforced, which is one of the most important challenges in managing the accessibility of a smart destination.

These training initiatives will also improve knowledge of the needs of tourists and visitors with disabilities and thus enable them to be properly attended to.

It has also been observed on numerous occasions, especially in the case of smaller destinations, that there is a lack of appropriate accessibility planning tools, which would allow a comprehensive perspective and a cross-cutting vision to be achieved.

Moreover, for correct planning of actions, these tools should have a diagnostic of accessibility status, especially in relation to their tourism attractions. In the development of the diagnostics, it has been detected that destinations, as a general rule, tend to direct greater efforts and investment toward improving the accessibility conditions of the physical environment, which, in the DTI Model, coincides with many of the requirements of area B—that is, with the implementation of accessibility. In turn, within the actions to improve the accessibility conditions of destinations, there is a more consistent weighting of those focused on improving the physical accessibility conditions of tourism services and attractions, with numerically fewer measures focused on reinforcing accessibility from a sensory or cognitive point of view.

This need to carry out actions aimed at improving aspects related to sensory or cognitive accessibility—not only physical—has also been detected in the area of implementation and, specifically, in the requirements relating to information support and channels, tourism resources and tourist information points, nature areas, public transport, urban environments, and events organized by the destination.

Within the area of accessibility implementation, the requirements with the greatest room for improvement, according to the information gathered in the diagnostics carried out so far, are those related to technology and digital tools. The low level of compliance with these requirements is mainly due to the limited implementation of accessible technological solutions, the scarcity of solutions to improve the accessibility of the tourist experience or the widespread non-compliance with accessibility standards on websites and in mobile apps promoting tourism at destinations.

These same digital media, often not very accessible, are frequently the main sources of information for tourists. The experience in the diagnostics of the accessibility pillar shows another challenge that many destinations will have to face: improving the quality of the information provided on the accessibility conditions of their tourism attractions and of all those spaces, products, and services that form part of the tourist experience.

This type of information, in many cases absent, insufficient, or imprecise, is useful for any tourist, but essential for many people with accessibility needs who do not usually know the conditions of the tourist attractions of the destination they want to visit.

Currently, few destinations provide detailed, reliable, and up-to-date information, which are essential qualities for information to be truly useful, allowing for autonomous decision-making and trip planning without unpleasant surprises that make it difficult or even impossible.

In short, it can be deduced that the road ahead for destinations in terms of accessibility still poses many challenges to be faced, which are not always easy to overcome. However, it is reassuring to note that more and more government administrations are committing to values such as inclusion and equal opportunities, including in the field of tourism.

Perhaps one of the most striking features of the analysis and diagnostics of the accessibility pillar is the predominance of the actions carried out in the area of accessibility implementation over those related to planning and management. In other words, and with due exceptions, the prevailing tendency is still to implement actions without having adequately planned them and without the existence of figures or entities to coordinate them in a harmonized and cross-cutting manner.

Another conclusion drawn from the analysis is that tourism policies promoted by destinations committed to the Smart Tourism Destinations model, in parallel to the advances that have taken place in society in recent decades in terms of human rights, in a twenty-first century characterized by greater sensitivity toward issues such as sustainability, and after traumatic events such as the recent experience of a global pandemic, seem more inclined to consider universal accessibility as an unavoidable necessity, an essential premise to allow any person to enjoy a tourism experience with equal opportunities.

Appendix

Trinidad Dominguez-Vila, Ph.D., Professor of the Department of Business Management and Marketing in the Faculty of Business Sciences and Tourism and Faculty of Computing Science, University of Vigo (Spain). Her research activity is focused on the area of tourism marketing for people with disabilities and elderly people, the relationship between both, and their relationship with the new technologies and events through the legacy.