The Readiness of Accommodation Facilities to Provide Accessible Tourist Experiences in Cairo, Egypt

Abstract

Accessible tourism is considered one of the most contemporary themes in tourism and aims to enable disabled customers to move around and perform activities as freely as non-disabled people. According to previous research, the number of disabled visitors is rising due to the aging population. Thus, this paper explores accessible tourism and sheds the light on the requirements of disabled visitors in accommodation facilities. It aims to reveal the readiness of the accommodation facilities in Cairo, Egypt to provide services for visitors with disabilities. As hotels are the most popular type of accommodation globally, this study focuses on hotels rather than other types of accommodation. A checklist-based technique was used to collect primary data. The sample included 13 international five-star hotel chains in Cairo. The findings were satisfactory in terms of accessibility in the sleeping area, bathroom features, reservation and booking, power, lighting, and convenience factors. However, there are insufficient number of guest rooms and parking lots offered for disabled visitors, in addition to some challenges with the location, transportation and accessibility of public areas. Thus, the study provides set of recommendations to enhance services and facilities for people with disabilities in accommodation facilities.

Cooperative Tourism Marketing in Accessible Tourism Development: The Case of the Cross-Border Area of Greece–Republic of Northern Macedonia

“…More specifically in the hotel sector, some important accessibility features can be the following: wheelchair free movement, grab bars in the toilets, lower sinks, higher level toilets, cords for emergency use, visual aids (Braille, tactile signs, etc. ), and audio guidance [38]. Moreover, the availability of accessible rooms is also an important accessibility factor for accommodation businesses [37].…”