A New Tool for Travel Professionals: The 2005 Open Doors Organization Market Study of US Travelers With Disabilities
© Scott Paul Rains
Through Eric's presentation of his 2002 study of the scope and travel behavior of the disability community in the US at "Universal Design and the International Travel & Hospitality Industry" in Rio de Janeiro in December 2004 we hoped to encourage replication of identical studies outside the US. The current 2005 study uses the same methodology as the 2002 study but expands the usefulness of the results by also collecting data on the preferred destinations of the travelers with disabilities who were interviewed.
Lipp's work on the travel behavior of people with disabilities, undertaken in cooperation with the Travel Industry Association of America (TIA), has spurred the travel industry in many regions I have visited to collate and analyze their existing data on inclusive travel and, in some cases, prepare for inclusive destination development. While we still look forward to studies of this type being done annually by government Tourism Ministries in nations around the world, this glimpse into the transforming influence that US travelers with disabilities are having on the industry begins to provide tourism professionals in destination countries with the data they need to make informed business decisions and will hopefully further encourage countries to examine their own inbound and domestic travel in this market.
With the release of the study taking place on August 2, I have not yet received my copy and been able to review it. Until I am able to do so here are excerpts from the press release announcing release of the 2005 version of Open Doors Organization's unique study (Source: http://opendoorsnfp.org/_wsn/page3.html):
The Open Doors Organization (ODO) in cooperation with the Travel Industry Association of America (TIA) has released the findings of its 2005 research study. The poll, conducted by Harris Interactive®, is a follow-up to ODO's groundbreaking study of 2002 on the spending trends and market scope of U.S. adults with disabilities. "This new data," says ODO Director Eric Lipp, "confirms what we already knew, that there is a strong disability travel market. In the past two years alone, more than 21 million adults with disabilities traveled for pleasure and/or business." The 2005 study reveals which destinations, domestic and international, are most popular among travelers with disabilities and provides new data on Internet use.
