Accessible tourism: not only sociability and inclusion, but also a real market

You don’t go on vacation alone. Each disabled person brings along numerous other guests. And the disabled are not only those who are forced to use a wheelchair, there are people in difficulty due to age, perhaps with vision problems or motor limitations of various degrees, and others due to physical condition other than motor. Observed from this point of view, we come to speak of a real market segment, linked not so much to compliance with regulations as to a concept of extended hospitality and inclusiveness.

This theme was at the center of a meeting at the Hospitality fair in Riva del Garda (Italy), where thanks to the agreement with FAITA-FederCamping the outdoors conquered a prominent space. “Demographic change and accessible tourism. Overcoming accessibility laws: new customers, new economic opportunities” saw as guests Roberto Vitali, president of Village for All and Franco Vitali, owner of the Holiday Village Florenz in Lido di Comacchio.

It was an interesting comparison, with the two speakers on the same line – after all they have been collaborating for 18 years now – but with a slightly different and complementary point of view. Roberto Vitali, who with his network proposes himself as a support for those entrepreneurs who want to improve the accessibility of their structures, speaks above all of the quality of services, which applies not only to disabled people, but also to all other guests. The example given is that of the walkways on the beach, which not only arrive from the entrance to the waterline but branch off to the beach umbrellas: an advantage also for all parents with prams or pushchairs.

Franco Vitali, as a good entrepreneur, looks not only at the noble side of the initiative, but also at the monetary one. In essence, he showed the economic results of his structure by working on guests with disabilities: in 2019 the turnover generated was approximately €342,000, while in 2022 it reached approximately €379,000, with 6,573 overnight stays respectively against 7,290. The average revenue, unchanged and which also includes restaurant services, was equal to €52 per day per person.

Investing in this market segment therefore leads to interesting economic results. According to Roberto Vitali, bike tourism is equally valid in terms of size, and therefore offering specific quality services can make the difference. The necessary investments are sustainable, because the adaptation of the structures can be done gradually, and the return often occurs in a short time, even in just two years.

The new challenge is to focus on those with vision problems: between blind and visually impaired, there are 2 million people in Italy. The Holiday Village Florence was awarded last month in the category “Demographic change and accessibility” by ADAC PinCamp, beating other 4,000 European structures.