QUALITY GAPS IN TOURISM FOR PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES: ACCESS TO INFORMATION SERVICES

Purpose – The aim of the article is to assess the significance and level of inconvenience of selected attributes of tourist services provided for people with various types of social exclusion, the disability among them. It may be helpful for understanding the possibility of separating customer groups and seeing their needs at particular stages of the supply chain in tourism (information, accommodation, transport, organization and intermediation). Methodology – The survey was conducted among disabled and seniors helped to identify quality gaps in the provision of tourism services, taking into account their complementarity and accessibility at every stage of the delivery. The empirical data were obtained as a result of a survey conducted with the use of the CAPI (Computer-Assisted Personal Interview) method among persons with disabilities (n=610). The survey aimed to acquire respondents’ opinions on the significance (importance) and individual inconvenience to the respondent of a number of services related to a tourism trip. The method of Importance-Performance Analysis (I.P.A) and basic measures of descriptive statistics were used to analyze empirical data. Findings – The survey results show how much the expectations of people with disabilities differ from the stereotyped perception of both the community itself and barriers to information services and participation in the tourism market. The important gap related to the widespread use of modern information technologies in tourism services was particularly highlighted. The results of the study will help to indicate to what extent the tourist experience of a disabled person and seniors affect the assessment of the significance and inconvenience of selected attributes of tourist services. It can point out stereotyped perception of restrictions and expectations. Contribution – The results of the author’s original research are mostly of practical and social character. They can be used by entrepreneurs to analyze the quality and reliability of services provided by their partners and the behavior and needs of the disabled people and seniors in tourism. They will also be useful for local and regional authorities responsible for ensuring the competitiveness and inclusiveness of tourism regions.