*By Giota Moschopoulidou
Accessibility and inclusion are redefining modern tourism, transforming the destination experience into a functional, equitable and accessible experience for more visitors and local communities.
In recent years, modern tourism has been redefined, as the value of a destination is not only reflected in its infrastructure or international image, but also in its ability to serve the diverse needs of visitors equally. In this context, “inclusive tourism” or “tourism for all” is not a separate category, but a comprehensive way of redesigning the tourism product itself.
The key change is that the destination no longer asks the visitor to adapt to it, but is organized to work for more people – people with disabilities, the elderly, families with small children or travelers with temporary mobility restrictions. Thus, accessibility ceases to be treated as a special provision and becomes a structural element of the design and quality of the overall experience, with a direct impact on both equality of access and the competitiveness of destinations. Accessibility is not an isolated intervention – it is not limited to a ramp or a specific infrastructure. In fact, it concerns a chain of services and spaces that must operate without discontinuities. From public space and means of transport, to hotels, museums and digital information platforms, everything is connected into a single experience, where every “break” in one link affects the whole.
This logic is based on “Universal Design”, that is, the design of spaces and services that can be used by everyone, without the need for special adaptations. At the international level, accessibility has now been enshrined as a right through the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, while the World Tourism Organization systematically promotes the “Tourism for All” model. In Europe, the Strategy for the Rights of Persons with Disabilities 2021–2030 further strengthens this direction.
In recent years, the discussion on accessibility has become increasingly linked to the aging population, the increase in people with functional limitations and the digitalization of travel services. The modern traveler is not only looking for experience, but also functionality, clear information and safety at every stage of the journey. In this context, technologies such as mobile applications, audio guides, real-time information, Braille and accessible digital platforms enhance autonomy from the very beginning of the trip planning.
Accessibility, however, is not just a matter of physical infrastructure. For people on the autism spectrum, clear signage, quiet spaces and simple, predictable information are essential prerequisites for the experience of the place itself. At the same time, meaningful accessibility depends not only on design, but also on human resources: trained staff and coordinated services. And although this is an area with growing demand and clear growth potential – as travelers with accessibility needs often travel more with companions – the implementation often remains fragmented, rather than integrated into a single system of experience.
In Greece, destinations such as Skiathos are attempting to approach accessibility not as an individual intervention, but as an element of an overall upgrade of the tourist experience, through initiatives such as the “Accessible Tourist Destination Label”. The logic of the “tourism chain” treats the trip as a single experience – from arrival and transportation to accommodation and services – with the aim of reducing discontinuities and enhancing the overall functionality of the destination. Thus, accessibility emerges not simply as a technical issue, but as a key criterion of quality, maturity and inclusion.
In this context, Ms. Maria Iliopoulou, psychologist and psychopedagogue and president of the Hellenic Association for Asperger Syndrome, answers two crucial questions about the transition of tourism towards a more inclusive model. The first concerns what really changes for a destination when accessibility and inclusion cease to be treated as an “obligation” or formal certification and become part of the core of its identity and daily operation, as well as how this change affects not only people with disabilities, but the overall experience of all visitors and the local community.
“The first change is not infrastructure. It is in the way you look at it,” she notes. “In the way you start to look at your place – not as something that ‘works’ or ‘doesn’t work’ for the average visitor, but as something that includes or excludes people without even realizing it. The question ‘who is this place for?’ changes the way you see everything.” From there, she explains, the entire daily operation of a destination is transformed. Inclusion ceases to be the subject of a special department and becomes a way of operating: in the way the receptionist responds, in the signage of the public space, but also in the way a waiter manages the diversity of a guest. It is no longer something that is “implemented”, but something that “exists”. And here a crucial paradox emerges: a place designed for everyone loses nothing from the rest – on the contrary, it gains. Rest areas created for people with sensory sensitivities are equally utilized by the elderly, tired travelers or parents with young children. The clear and practical information that a visitor on the autism spectrum needs is often exactly what makes any organized traveler easier. “In an inclusive approach, everyone benefits,” she notes.
At the level of local society, the change takes on an even deeper dimension. A destination that invests in inclusion invests not only in visitors, but also in its own residents: in children with disabilities who grow up in the place, in families who do not have to apologize for diversity in public spaces. “This feeling that the community ‘fits’ you is priceless”, she says. “And visitors feel it too, because hospitality is not a technical skill, it is a culture”. In Skiathos, as he says, this change is already starting to become visible through information and awareness-raising actions in structures such as the hospital, the fire department and schools. “It is not just tourism policy. It is a change in the way a society sees diversity. And this change is not seasonal – it stays”.
The second question concerns the transition from the logic of simple service to the logic of substantial participation and professional integration of people on the autism spectrum, as well as the extent to which examples such as Skiathos or Costa Navarino show that this can be applied in practice. The answer is clear: this is one of the most important paradigm shifts that Greek tourism can make. “Serving someone is very different from recognizing them as part of the place”. People on the autism spectrum – especially those with Asperger syndrome and often possessing particular skills in specific areas – do not only need access as guests, but can be an active part of the tourism ecosystem.
Costa Navarino is a prime example, having developed structured staff training programs to understand neurodevelopmental differences, as well as practices for integrating people with disabilities into the business itself. “It’s not about tolerance, it’s about meaningful integration,” she emphasizes. As he explains, people on the spectrum can excel in roles that require stability, precision and structure – from file management and quality control to accounting, groundskeeping or event planning. Tourism is an industry with a huge variety of roles: the question is not whether there is space, but whether there is the will to create it.
In Skiathos, the effort is still in its early stages and focuses mainly on raising awareness among the local community and improving the visitor experience. However, the goal is longer-term: creating conditions so that people on the spectrum can live and work in the place with dignity. This requires collaboration with businesses, educational institutions, families and organizations.
In closing, she notes that tourism has a unique advantage as a field of change: it is visible, it affects the country’s image internationally and good practices spread quickly. “If we prove that it works in destinations like Skiathos or Costa Navarino, we can pave the way for many more.”
Source: traveldailynews.gr