TOUR FIRMS’ READINESS TO CATER FOR TOURISTS WITH PHYSICAL IMPAIRMENTS IN KENYA

Abstract

The concept of accessible tourism aims to facilitate tourists with physical impairments to participate in mainstream tourism activities. Although it is a requirement for tour firms to have requisites to cater for tourists with physical impairments, it is not clear whether tour firms in Kenya have availed the necessary facilities for this market. While there is a growing desire for disabled people to participate in tourism, studies reveal that there are few tourism offers that are targeted towards tourists with physical impairments. This study, therefore, sought to put the concept of accessible tourism into perspective by; determining tour firms’ readiness to cater for tourists with physical impairments in Kenya; identifying the constraints that may prevent tour firms from addressing the needs of tourists with physical impairments in Kenya; identifying the perceptions that management of tour firms hold regarding accessible tourism; and determining the demographic characteristics of tourists with physical impairments market in Kenya. This study adopted a QUAN-QUAL approach to obtain data. Primary data was collected using self-administered questionnaires and an observation checklist. The study targeted 307 categorized tour firms found in the KATO directory. A representative sample of 104 tour was pulled. Using simple random sampling technique, the study proportionately pulled the sample from each category. Purposive sampling technique was used to target 1 management employee from each of the tour firms sampled. The collected data was analysed both qualitatively and quantitatively using descriptive statistics and correlation analysis. Findings of this study revealed that; a majority of the tour firms were not adequately prepared to cater for tourists with physical impairments. Provisions for tourists with vision and communication impairments were critically scanty. Further findings revealed that there were many constraints that prevent tour firms from serving tourists with physical impairments. These include; lack of inclusion in organizing personalized trips for tourists with physical impairments; inclusion of dimensions of access, particularly for vision, hearing impairments; inclusion of tourism access information in generic marketing; and destination accessibility. The study also found out that derogatory perceptions were held concerning the economic value of accessible tourism. The findings of this study will xii facilitate, planning, programming and implementation of policies that will see accessible tourism embraced in Kenya. From this study, academicians will equally gain insight for future studies on the state of accessible tourism in Kenya.