Accessible tourism and digitalization: Stakeholders perspective in the city of Barcelos

Abstract

The present manuscript aims to understand and analyses the accessible tourism in the specific context of Barcelos, with a special focus on people with motor disabilities. From the perspective of accessible tourism, it is intended to ascertain whether the most emblematic tourist attractions of the city of Barcelos (e.g. cultural, religious, artistic and architectural heritage), provide the necessary conditions of accessibility for people with disabilities. This study assumes a qualitative character whose obtaining of the primary data was based on the realization of a semi-structured interview carried out with nine stakeholders, who, directly or indirectly, participate in the tourist activity in the city of Barcelos. Planning strengthens the compatibility between meeting economic and social needs and the need to preserve the environment and natural and cultural resources, in order to ensure the sustainability of the accessible destination as a tourism product. Preliminary results highlight the (increasing) importance of accessible tourism for the territories. However, there are many limitations that will have to be overcome and improved in the coming years. From an interdisciplinary perspective, the present study presents inputs for place marketing and accessible tourism.