Asian hospitality sector the least disabled-friendly in the world: Study
View(s):Bangkok, March 27 (TTG Asia) – A new Travel Smarts study by Agoda has found that hotels in Asia are the least well-equipped in the world when it comes to inclusiveness.
Surveying more than 600,000 hotels on the Agoda.com platform, the US came out tops with 77 per cent of hotels being accessible to the disabled. The United Arab Emirates, Ireland and Portugal stood at 55 per cent. The study found that pilgrimage destinations such as Fatima in Portugal, Huelva in Spain, and Lourdes in France have more hotels with facilities for handicapped travellers, while the building boom has seen Abu Dhabi ensure 90 per cent of all hotels are easily accessed.
On the other end of the spectrum, only one per cent of hotels in Laos were disabled-friendly. Cambodia registered eight per cent, on a par with Thailand, and Nepal, while Vietnam stood at nine per cent.
Singapore came in 18th on the international list with 40 per cent of hotels on Agoda offering facilities for the handicapped, the highest ranked Asian city.
But another such survey in 10 years could see a very different Asia.
Tour operator Blue Horizons Travel and Tours in the Philippines has just launched tour packages tailored to the needs of persons with disability, the first of its kind in the Philippines and featuring transport and hotels that have been carefully assessed. The rise of such tours could prompt the development of more accessible hotels across Asia.
Another promising development includes the Asia-Pacific Network on Accessible Tourism, headquartered in Malaysia and currently registering as an association.
It is aiming to establish country chapters throughout Asia-Pacific to champion barrier-free travel for people with disabilities in the region, heightening awareness of the needs and potential of this demographic for tourism.