Inclusive tourism: the experiences and expectations of Indonesian wheelchair tourists in nature tourism

Abstract

This study sought to understand the travel experiences and expectations of wheelchair tourists. The increasing demand for wheelchair tourists to visit natural destinations, the barriers while travelling, and the inclusivity of tourism are the main motivations of this study. While previous studies have investigated accessibility in tourism, they have rarely focused on inclusive tourism, especially from wheelchair tourists’ perspective. Driven by social constructivism theory, this research presents the results of the experiences of Indonesian wheelchair tourists in natural destinations by utilising the exclusion-inclusion and critical theory. In this emancipatory disability research, snowball sampling was employed to conduct semi-structured interviews with ten wheelchair users, and the empirical materials were thematically analysed. The findings revealed that participants were excited about travelling, but the barriers made wheelchair tourists more selective in choosing natural destinations. Inclusivity was perceived to be an issue that required the achievement of a cultural shift. While accessibility was deemed necessary, service and concern from tourism providers and other tourists were crucial at the lower experience level during travel. A ‘friend in tourism’ was reported as necessary to push toward inclusivity and equality in the tourism industry to ensure a better future.