Accessible Tourism

Accessible tourism is the ongoing endeavour to ensure tourist destinations, products and services are accessible to all people, regardless of their physical limitations, disabilities or age. 

Destinations are committed to developing accessible tourism initiatives to ensure tourist attractions, products and services are accessible to all people regardless of their physical limitations, disabilities or age.

People with access requirements include those with young children in prams, seniors with mobility requirements and people with permanent or temporary disabilities. With an estimated 20% of Australian adults having a disability or long-term health condition, and an ageing population, the sector is set to grow.
Many destinations have laws and policies around services and buildings being accessible for physical/mobility, hearing, vision or cognitive reasons.

Australia’s Disability Strategy 2021–2031 calls on all Australians to ensure people with disability can participate as equal members of society.

The Northern Territory (NT) Disability Strategy 2022-2032 and the 3-year Action Plan 2022-2025 is the first of its kind for the Territory. It demonstrates the NT Government's responsibility and accountability to all Territorians with disability.

Tourism NT aspires to showcase the Territory as an inclusive and accessible destination and increase the Territory’s accessible product offering. What we are doing and how to get involved is outlined in our accessible tourism plan.

Read here what we have achieved so far.

Further resources and contacts can be found below.

• TravAbility – TravAbility is dedicated to inclusive tourism through education, advocacy, and by providing accessibility information for the world’s best travel destinations.
• Travellers Aid Australia – An organisation that provides simple, practical travel-related support and aid to help visitors of all backgrounds travel independently and confidently.
• Vision Australia – provides fact sheets on issues relating to people who are blind and vision impaired. Fact sheets range from accessible design for homes to customer service tips.
• 'Inclusive Tourism: Economic Opportunities' – This report is part of a project that aims to enable regional tourism businesses and local governments to improve information about and the marketing of inclusive services and products. The project is led by Local Government NSW with the University of Technology Sydney, Institute for Public Policy and Governance providing research support.
• Inclusive Tourism – A collection of online material that includes digital assets such as images, infographics and short animation, as well as written content including media releases, fact sheets, case studies and a short document summarising new research on the economic opportunities from Inclusive Tourism.
• Get About Able – A social enterprise focused on improving travel and leisure options for people with disabilities. All profits are re-invested to empower people with disabilities to participate in travel and leisure activities, and to help the travel and leisure sector be more inclusive for people with disabilities.
• Accessible Holiday Accommodation – Accessible holiday accommodation listings for persons with basic to complex disabled needs. A helpful resource for FAQ's and images.
• Push Adventures – Push Adventures is a South Australian business that offers advice to tourism businesses on being inclusive and accessible by a whole range of guests.
• Flare Access Consulting - Access consulting for business and events.

Tourism Research Australia commissioned the study 'Understanding the opportunity for Australia in Accessible Tourism', which provides an understanding of current size and future potential of the market for accessible travel, and potential opportunities for destinations and businesses to improve the quality of visitor experience for people with disabilities. Research was conducted between April and August 2017.