Opplevelser for alle

VISITORS WITH DISABILITIES FACE BARRIERS IN NORWEGIAN TOURISM The aim of the project has been to develop knowledge to create a more accessible tourism industry in Norway, and thus reach larger parts of the market and contribute to increased value creation in the industry. The theoretical framework in the project is Innovation Norway's model for the customer journey. The gap-model is the basis for the understanding of disability. The gap describes a mismatch between the individual's preconditions, and the environment's requirements for functional ability, where the gap can be reduced through various measures. In order to identify and understand barriers that people with disabilities encounter in tourism several activities were carried through; 1) 35 interviews were conducted with people with disabilities about their experiences with travelling, from planning and decision-making phase, to post travel, 2) two pilot projects were undertaken; one in collaboration with Skien Fritidspark, focusing on creating and testing digital information aimed at guests with disabilities, and one in collaboration with USUS and Agder County Council where a design of cultural experiences for people with impaired vision was tested, 3) a workshop with actors from tourism, disabled people's organizations, public authorities and researchers in tourism and disability, as well as ENAT: European Network for Accessible Tourism, promoting accessible tourism in Europe was arranged. The study shows that travellers with disabilities face barriers in tourism, even though as a nation we have a political strategy for ?a society for all? . Although many want more accessible experiences, their main concern as travellers deal with the infrastructure , and that accessibility has mostly been focused on those in need of wheelchairs. The informants state that information is important to plan a holiday, but there is a lack of relevant and reliable information about destinations. This relays to transport, accommodation, restaurants, experience products, etc. Inadequate information means that some people do not travel at all, or that bucket list destinations are disregarded. Reliable information is vital for disabled travellers to feel safe and secure enough to travel and get ?value for money. Lack of trust in available information causes that a lot of time is spent on quality-assuring information, and many put more faith in other disabled people's experiences than destination homepages, and such. Therefore, to a greater extent than for other travellers, information on accessible destinations are shared on disabled travellers forum and likewise. Public transport represents barriers for many due to a lack of universal design and competence among employees. Airplanes and cars are the preferred means of transportation rather than trains or buses. Change in means of transport during the travel, is perceived as a major barrier to many people with disabilities. Digital solutions represent several barriers. One example is booking systems that are not adapted to people with extra needs, which often end up in time-consuming manual bookings. The study has revealed great variations in levels of knowledge and competence related to disabilities within the tourism industry in general, and this highly affects the level of facilitation and service provided. For example, there is a variety in HC- rooms and many with furnishings and solutions not well planned. The study also shows that people with disabilities prefer urban areas, as the chance of finding accessible facilities and infrastructure is greater than in rural areas. However, the study shows that travellers with disabilities tend to return to the same well-known accessible destinations. The pilot project 1 developed and tested a design of cultural experiences suitable for people with visual impairments. A tactile map was developed to give increased spatial understanding of Ny Hellesund, and an application for smartphones etc. was developed to narrate history from the area, to enrich the walk in the landscape. Members from FFO/SAFO have contributed with important knowledge in the pilot. The location of the tactile map was affected by the Nature Diversity Act and the Cultural Heritage Act. Public administration, landowners and other stakeholders were therefore involved. Skien Fritidspark is accessible for all but their website lacked relevant information. In the pilot project a mapping tool was designed and tested to provide a basis for information on accessibility. The mapping of facilities was time-consuming but contributed to greater awareness and understanding in the company about the accessible design of the place. By using their existing website the company developed a separate area for information related to their accessibility. The information was tested by various people with disabilities. The pilot shows that companies can create a basis for information with a relevant mapping tool.

Accessible Tourism (tilgjengelig reiseliv) er et relativt ungt forskningsfelt, hovedsakelig preget av internasjonale forskningsmiljø. Prosjektet har bidratt til å åpne feltet for norske forskningsmiljø, og satt accessible tourism inn i en særegen norsk kontekst. Dette har gitt nye innsikter i feltet som har reist nye problemstillinger, blant annet relatert til relasjonen mellom lokalsamfunnsutvikling og tilgjengelig reiseliv, og forholdet mellom tilgjengelighet og sosial, miljømessig og økonomisk bærekraft. Resultater fra prosjektet har allerede dannet et kunnskapsgrunnlag for problemstillinger i nye prosjekter, som på sikt vil gi ytterligere kunnskap om utvikling av accessible tourism. Prosjektet har også bidratt til et tettere internasjonalt samarbeid som på sikt vil kunne frembringe ytterligere samarbeid og kunnskapsutvikling. Prosjektet styrker kunnskapsgrunnlaget for reiselivsnæringen, offentlige myndigheter og interesseorganisasjoner, både mht. inkludering og verdiskaping.

Formålet med prosjektet er å utvikle et kunnskapsgrunnlag for utvikling av et mer tilrettelagt og tilgjengelig norsk reiseliv. I 2017 økte verdens reisende til 1,3 milliarder (UNWTO, 2018). Å reise er en naturlig del av hverdagen for en stor del av verdens befolkning, men mangel på tilrettelegging gjør at dette ikke er like naturlig for mange med nedsatt funksjonsevne. Forskning initiert av The European Travel Commision (ETC) viser at personer med nedsatt funksjonsevne ønsker flere inkluderende reiselivsprodukter og å delta i ferieopplevelser sammen og på lik linje med familie og venner. De ønsker å bli vurdert som hvilken som helst reisende, med evne og mulighet til å planlegge, søke informasjon, bestille og kjøpe reisen selvstendig. Flere internasjonale destinasjoner vektlegger i universell utforming og tilrettelegging i reiselivet, for å øke sin attraktivitet og gi destinasjonene et konkurransefortrinn. Norsk regjerings visjon er et samfunn der alle kan delta, men det har vært liten akademisk og næringsmessig interesse for å utvikle et mer tilgjengelig reiseliv i Norge. Data indikerer at det er et stort potensial for økt verdiskaping, dersom man tilrettelegger norske destinasjoner. Man anslår at det er 1 mill. mennesker i Norge med funksjonsnedsettelser, ca. 70 mill. i Europa, (Bufdir.no ) og ca. 56 mill i USA (Census.gov). Det er også sammenheng mellom aldring og nedsatt funksjonsevne og UNWTO har estimert at populasjonen på 60 år og eldre vil bidra til 2 milliarder internasjonale reiser i 2050, sammenlignet med 593 millioner i 1999. Prosjektet skal utvikle kunnskap fremtidens funksjonshemminger, barrierer i kundereisen, digitale informasjonsløsninger for bedre planlegging og prosesser for design av tilrettelagte opplevelsesprodukter. Prosjektet er et samarbeid mellom aktører i reiselivsnæringa, offentlig sektor, FOU - miljø og interesseorganisasjoner for funksjonshemmede.