Towards Strategic Intent: Perceptions of disability service provision amongst hotel accommodation managers

Abstract

a b s t r a c tThe tourism sector globally has become increasingly mindful of how an ageing population is reshaping service provision forms and offerings. This being particularly true of accommodation operations where there is a now a growing recognition of the commercial value for providing market groups with exceptional service. With this in mind, this study sought to ascertain the perceptions of managers in the accommodation sector towards disability service provision with a view to identifying any current service gaps or failings. An inductive, qualitative approach was used with the data collection phase incorporating a series of one on one interviews and a focus group. The in-depth interviews were conducted with 10 managers of hotels deemed to have accessible rooms that complied with the relevant building codes and standards. A focus group comprised 22 managers of hotels located in the Sydney central business district, Australia. Study findings revealed five key themes that had not been previously discussed in the literature. They were: inclusive attitudinal approach; safety; the responsibility of people with a disability to communicate their needs to the hotel; perceptions of accessible rooms by the general public; and operational processes. Related themes that emerged from the data analysis that had previously been aligned with the literature included: legislative responsibility, policy and building codes; disability as a market segment; staff awareness/training; and language, marketing, and promotion information. Implications with respect to management of accessible rooms in the accommodation sector are outlined and further areas of research are proposed.Crown

Transformative consumer service

“…For example, Buhalis and Omar MOUFAKKIR : Toward a better tourism enjoyment for tourists with disabilities Michopoulou (2011) used focus groups to assess website accessibility for people with disabilities. Darcy and Pegg (2010) used both interviews and focus groups to study the perceptions of disability service delivery among hotel accommodation managers. Freeman and Selmi (2010) interviewed people with disabilities to understand their flight experience.…”

“…A review of the literature (e.g. Yau et al, 2004;Michopoulou and Buhalis, 2013;Darcy and Pegg, 2010;Buhalis and Michopoulou, 2011;Freeman and Selmi, 2010;Poria et al, 2010) identified key themes, issues, and questions to focus on. Specifically, the study considered a set of questions, including information about trip constraints and trip enjoyment.…”

“…Most studies (e.g. Yau et al, 2004;Michopoulou and Buhalis, 2013;Darcy and Pegg, 2010;Buhalis and Michopoulou, 2011) employed a constructivist design, certainly because of their exploratory nature.…”

“…The statements were selected from the general literature about disability (e.g. Darcy and Pegg, 2010;Darcy, 2010;Eichhorn et al, 2008;Buhalis and Michopoulou, 2011), for the purpose of assessing their importance and testing them on individuals with the four disability types.…”

“…For example, Darcy and Pegg (2010) found staff training to be crucial in the way persons with disabilities are treated. Lucas (1999) noted that most literature on attitudes toward individuals with physical disabilities indicates that most are negative.…”