Title:

JOURNEYS WITHOUT BARRIERS – A CASE STUDY OF ACCESSIBLE TOURISM IN INDIA

Authors names, affiliations and contact details:

Ms Gouthami

Ms Vidhya Kalyani

Travel Another India

+91 9940 559 513

AB 50, Anna Nagar, Chennai – 600 040, India

Purpose of the Abstract:

The paper will focus on our framework for setting up Journeys without Barriers and our experiences in the process

Abstract:

Journey without Barriers (JwB) is an initiative that provides the experience of barrier-free travel for an emerging global market - that of persons with disabilities and senior citizens. The basic premise behind this is that:

People with disabilities and their caregivers/friends constitute a huge potential consumer market of the tourism industry. This potential still remains untapped in India.

People with disabilities, world over, world have the same needs to travel as others. Lack of accessibility is a major reason for restricting their travel.

Older people from around the world enjoy travel and would like some basic facilities that will help make their travel easier.

JwB enables a process, whereby persons with disabilities enjoy the benefits of leisure and travel, while contributing to the growth of the tourism industry and the economy at large. The focus is on developing accessible tourism opportunities in India, while tapping on the global market of persons with disabilities and senior citizens.

JwB is being set up as a wing of Travel Another India (TAI), a Responsible Tourism Venture (RTV), in India.

We operate on the premise that it makes good business sense to promote inclusive tourism and therefore all the stakeholders will stand to gain economically. The primary affiliate and service providers are from local communities and hence incomes flow back into local economies.

Each venture is unique in the way it is developed, depending on location, the tourism potential, the stakeholders and accessibility of the environment.

The Stakeholders

1. The primary affiliate: We especially encourage individuals with disabilities/ disability groups to promote these ventures but work with any individual or group who are willing to take the responsibility of such a venture.

2. Service Providers

3. All places on a tourist itinerary

4. Ministry / Department of Tourism:

The process

Identify the primary affiliate

Tourism Potential and Needs Assessment (TPNA) of the place

Develop the work to be done with the primary affiliate

Conduct access audits

Develop a business plan

Lobby for and train on accessibility with the various stakeholders

Build the capacities of the primary affiliate on accessibility and business management

Marketing

Formal support is provided for three years by JwB.

HoW! it all started and who are all involved

The People’s Action Group on Inclusion and Rights (PAGIR) is a rights movement working to create a society that is inclusive and sees economic contribution as the first step to social inclusion. Towards this, PAGIR recently set up Himalaya on Wheels (HoW!), an enterprise to promote tourism for all.

PAGIR has tied up with Travel Another India (TAI) to set up this enterprise and develop tour packages in Ladakh for guests who use wheel chairs. This has further inspired TAI to set up JwB.

Results or Expected Results:

We hope to provide a wide range of holiday experiences for persons with disabilities while at the same time encouraging entrepreneurship amongst persons with disabilities.

493 words

Topic Code:

C. Accessible Tourism

Or

B. Best Practices and Innovation