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The embodied tourist experiences of people with vision impairment: Management implications beyond the visual gaze

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  • Small, Jennie
  • Darcy, Simon
  • Packer, Tanya

Abstract

This paper reports the findings of a qualitative study that investigated the embodied tourist experiences of 40 people who are vision impaired. The study, informed by the concept of “embodied ontology”, explored the corporeal and socially constructed experience of tourism. The findings highlighted the benefit of holidays for the participants and de-centred the “visual gaze” in the tourist experience. The quality of the tourist experience related to participants’ feelings of inclusion or exclusion in terms of their access to information, experience of wayfinding, travelling with a guide dog, and the knowledge and attitudes of others. It was evident that participants needed to manage their tourist experiences closely and constantly. The paper concludes that the tourism industry and community must understand the multi-sensory nature of the tourist experience if quality accessible experiences are to be available for tourists with vision impairment. Provision of multi-sensory experiences also enhances the experiences of sighted tourists.

Suggested Citation

  • Small, Jennie & Darcy, Simon & Packer, Tanya, 2012. "The embodied tourist experiences of people with vision impairment: Management implications beyond the visual gaze," Tourism Management, Elsevier, vol. 33(4), pages 941-950.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:touman:v:33:y:2012:i:4:p:941-950
    DOI: 10.1016/j.tourman.2011.09.015
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Darcy, Simon, 2010. "Inherent complexity: Disability, accessible tourism and accommodation information preferences," Tourism Management, Elsevier, vol. 31(6), pages 816-826.
    2. Productivity Commission, 2004. "Review of the Disability Discrimination Act 1992," Law and Economics 0410002, University Library of Munich, Germany.
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    1. Paul Symonds & David H.K. Brown & Valeria Lo Iacono, 2017. "Exploring an Absent Presence: Wayfinding as an Embodied Sociocultural Experience," Sociological Research Online, , vol. 22(1), pages 48-67, February.
    2. Lusha Huang & Newman Lau, 2020. "Enhancing the Smart Tourism Experience for People with Visual Impairments by Gamified Application Approach through Needs Analysis in Hong Kong," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(15), pages 1-27, August.
    3. Jillian M. Rickly & Nigel Halpern & Marcus Hansen & John Welsman, 2021. "Travelling with a Guide Dog: Experiences of People with Vision Impairment," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(5), pages 1-13, March.
    4. McManus, John, 2020. "Football tourist trips: a new analytic for tourism studies," Annals of Tourism Research, Elsevier, vol. 84(C).
    5. Jensen, Martin Trandberg & Chambers, Donna & Wilson, Sharon, 2023. "The future of deaf tourism studies: An interdisciplinary research agenda," Annals of Tourism Research, Elsevier, vol. 100(C).
    6. Jensen, Martin Trandberg, 2016. "Hypersensitive tourists: The dark sides of the sensuous," Annals of Tourism Research, Elsevier, vol. 57(C), pages 239-242.
    7. Brielle Gillovic & Alison McIntosh, 2020. "Accessibility and Inclusive Tourism Development: Current State and Future Agenda," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(22), pages 1-15, November.
    8. Qiao, Guanghui & Song, Hanqi & Prideaux, Bruce & Huang, Songshan (Sam), 2023. "The “unseen” tourism: Travel experience of people with visual impairment," Annals of Tourism Research, Elsevier, vol. 99(C).
    9. Fangfang Liu & Jian Kang & Yue Wu & Da Yang & Qi Meng, 2022. "What do we visually focus on in a World Heritage Site? A case study in the Historic Centre of Prague," Palgrave Communications, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 9(1), pages 1-16, December.
    10. Agapito, Dora & Valle, Patrícia & Mendes, Julio, 2012. "Sensory Marketing and Tourist Experiences," Spatial and Organizational Dynamics Discussion Papers 2012-5, CIEO-Research Centre for Spatial and Organizational Dynamics, University of Algarve.
    11. Trejbal Jan & Zelenka Josef, 2019. "Mobile Technologies as Support of Travelling of People with Disabilities," Czech Journal of Tourism, Sciendo, vol. 8(1), pages 65-79, June.
    12. Agapito, Dora, 2020. "The senses in tourism design: A bibliometric review," Annals of Tourism Research, Elsevier, vol. 83(C).
    13. Agapito, Dora & Valle, Patrícia & Mendes, Júlio, 2014. "The sensory dimension of tourist experiences: Capturing meaningful sensory-informed themes in Southwest Portugal," Tourism Management, Elsevier, vol. 42(C), pages 224-237.
    14. Tomej, Kristof & Duedahl, Eva, 2023. "Engendering collaborative accessibility through tourism: From barriers to bridges," Annals of Tourism Research, Elsevier, vol. 99(C).
    15. Terzidou, Matina & Scarles, Caroline & Saunders, Mark N.K., 2017. "Religiousness as tourist performances: A case study of Greek Orthodox pilgrimage," Annals of Tourism Research, Elsevier, vol. 66(C), pages 116-129.
    16. Agapito, Dora & Pinto, Patrícia & Mendes, Júlio, 2017. "Tourists' memories, sensory impressions and loyalty: In loco and post-visit study in Southwest Portugal," Tourism Management, Elsevier, vol. 58(C), pages 108-118.
    17. Randle, Melanie & Dolnicar, Sara, 2019. "Enabling people with impairments to use Airbnb," Annals of Tourism Research, Elsevier, vol. 76(C), pages 278-289.
    18. Rickly, Jillian M., 2018. "Considering service animals in tourism," Annals of Tourism Research, Elsevier, vol. 71(C), pages 57-58.
    19. Agapito, Dora & Lacerda, António, 2014. "Marketing and Brand Design of Destination Experiences: The Role of ICT," Journal of Tourism, Sustainability and Well-being, Cinturs - Research Centre for Tourism, Sustainability and Well-being, University of Algarve, vol. 2(3), pages 201-216.

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