CHAPTER I

INTRODUCTION

1
1.1 ACCESSIBLE TOURISM

Accessible tourism is the on-going endeavour to ensure tourist destinations, products and
services are accessible to all people, regardless of their physical limitations, disabilities or
age. It encompasses publicly and privately owned tourist locations.

Accessible tourism enables people with access requirements, including mobility, vision,
hearing and cognitive dimensions of access, to function independently and with equity and
dignity through the delivery of universally designed tourism products, services and
environments. This definition is inclusive of all people including those travelling with
children in prams, people with disabilities and seniors.

Modern society is increasingly aware of the concept of integration of people with disabilities.
Issues such as accessibility, design for all and universal designis featured in the international
symposia of bodies such as the European Commission. Steps have been taken to promote
guidelines and best practices, and major resources are now dedicated to this field.

As of 2008, there were more than 50 million persons with disabilities in Europe, and more
than 600 million around the world. When expanded to include all beneficiaries of accessible
tourism, as defined above, the number grows to some 130 million people affected in Europe
alone. In addition to the social benefits, the market represents an opportunity for new
investment and new service requirements, rarely provided by key players in the tourism
sector.

According to ENAT, the European Network for Accessible Tourism, accessible tourism
includes:

 Barrier-free destinations: infrastructure and facilities

 Transport: by air, land and sea, suitable for all users
 High quality services: delivered by trained staff
 Activities, exhibits, attractions: allowing participation in tourism by everyone
 Marketing, booking systems, websites & services: information accessible to all

2
1.2 VARIOUS DEFINITIONS OF ACCESSIBLE TOURISM

There is no single, universally accepted definition of "accessible tourism". Here we refer to

some of the ways in which the term is defined and used. The concept is certain to evolve as it
is applied in more and more contexts around the world.

“Accessible Tourism” (also known as “Access Tourism”, “Universal Tourism”, “Inclusive

Tourism” and in some countries such as in Japan “Barrier-free Tourism”) is tourism and
travel that is accessible to all people, with disabilities or not, including those with mobility,
hearing, sight, cognitive, or intellectual and psychosocial disabilities, older persons and those
with temporary disabilities.” (Takayama Declaration, UNESCAP, 2009).

“Accessible Tourism” refers to tourism that caters to the needs of a full range of consumers
including persons with disabilities, older persons and cross-generational families. It entails
removal of attitudinal and institutional barriers in society, and encompasses accessibility in
the physical environment, in transportation, information and communications and other
facilities and services. It encompasses publicly and privately owned tourist locations.”
(Takayama Declaration, UNESCAP, 2009).

A process of enabling people with disabilities and seniors to function independently and with
equity and dignity through the delivery of universal tourism products, services and
environments. The definition is inclusive of the mobility, vision, hearing and cognitive
dimensions of access (Darcy, 2006, p. 6).

1.3 NEED FOR THE STUDY

In the present day, there are not many accessible tourism projects done in Puducherry. There
were only limited number of existing literatures and research done in the field of accessible
tourism in Puducherry. So, the needfor the study is to explore the problems and prospects of
accessible tourism in Puducherry, major challenges involved in promoting accessible tourism,
the challenges faced by senior citizens and the physically challenged in terms of accessing the
destination. Furthermore, the study was done to find out the ways on how accessible tourism
can be promoted in Puducherry.

3
1.4 OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY

1. To examine the scope of practising accessible tourism in Puducherry

2. To identify the challenges encountered by senior citizens and the physically challenged
in accessing the destination
3. To identify the challenges for promoting accessible tourism in Puducherry

1.5 SCOPE OF THE STUDY

The area chosen for the study is Puducherry and the scope of the study deals with finding the
challenges faced by physically challenged and senior citizens, ways of promoting and
practising accessible tourism in Puducherry and the challenges involved in promoting
accessible tourism in Puducherry.

1.6 LIMITATIONS OF THE STUDY

1. The main limitation for the study was the time constraint
2. The physically challenged people were not very comfortable when asked to express
about their practical difficulties
3. The amount of existing literature and project done in the field of accessible tourism in
Puducherry is limited and hence it was challenging to collect secondary data.

1.7 RIGHTS OF PERSON WITH DISABILITIES BILL (2016)

Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha both have passed the bill.

a) Definition of Disability: It has been defined based on an evolving and dynamic concept,
the types of disabilities have been increased from existing 7 to 21 and the central government
will have the power to add more types of disabilities. The 21 disabilities are given below -

1. Blindness

2. Low-vision

3. Leprosy Cured persons

4
4. Hearing Impairment (deaf and hard of hearing)

5. Locomotor Disability

6. Dwarfism

7. Intellectual Disability

8. Mental Illness

9. Autism Spectrum Disorder

10. Cerebral Palsy

11. Muscular Dystrophy

12. Chronic Neurological conditions

13. Specific Learning Disabilities

14. Multiple Sclerosis

15. Speech and Language disability

16. Thalassemia

17. Hemophilia

18. Sickle Cell disease

19. Multiple Disabilities including deaf blindness

20. Acid Attack Victim

21. Parkinson’s disease

It also defines persons with benchmark disabilities as those with at least 40% of any of
the above-specified disabilities.

b) Government to take effective measures to ensure that a person with the disability enjoys
their rights equally with others.

c) Additional benefits such as reservation in higher education, government jobs, reservation

in the allocation of land, poverty alleviation schemes etc. have been provided for persons
with benchmark disabilities and those with high support needs.

5
d) Every child with benchmark disability between the age group of 6 and 18 years shall have
the right to free education.

e) Reservation in vacancies in government establishments has been increased from 3% to 4%

for certain persons or class of persons with benchmark disability.

f) Central & State Advisory Boards on Disability are to be set up. They will advise
governments on policies and programme on disability.

g) Special courts will be designated in each district to handle cases concerning violation of
rights of a person with the disability.

h) Provide guardianship

i) Punishment - 10,000 to 5 lakh

j) Six months to 2 years imprisonment for discriminating against differently abled persons.

6
 CHAPTER II

LITERATURE REVIEW

7
2.1 SCOPE OF PRACTISING ACCESSIBLE TOURISM

Bindu V.T. and Kiruthika Devi (2016)mentioned that accessible tourism has paved way to
specialized travel agencies and new tourism ventures and services. Accessible tourism is
indeed a new business opportunity and provides a platform for unique tourism businesses.

The current situations of tourist facilities and service for visitors with disabilities in tourist
destinations have improved barrier-free tourism in India. Several problems concerning
accessibility to serve disabled visitors and a few recommendations to minimize the
accessibility barriers were discussed by Shanimon & and Shahul Hameedu (2013).

Accessible tourism covers a variety of activities within free time to tourism. It relies on
making people with restricted capacities and fully integrates their functional and
psychological thoughts and actions for the individual satisfaction and social development
(Alén, Domínguez, & Losada, 2012).

Stakeholder collaboration was identified as the key common theme of the factor for
developing accessible tourism solutions, recognizing the value of the market and capitalizing
on it. A collaborative approach is required to recognize the complementary nature of the
different paradigms; to re-shape and transform the future of the accessible tourism industry.
To assist in the development of accessible tourism futures, universal design principles should
provide a foundation to enhance the future competitiveness of tourism destinations and
organizations. Accessible tourism also has the potential to create their own momentum and
contribute unique learning on the diversity of tourism markets that will shape tourism
concepts and global policy initiatives in their own right.(Eleni Michopoulou, Ivor Ambrose
and Dimitrios Buhalis, 2015).

Pérez and González (2003) stated that accessible tourism wasconceived of to guarantee the
use and enjoyment of tourism by people withany physical, mental or sensory disability and to
facilitate the access of peoplewith disabilities to infrastructure and tourism services.
According to Pérez and González , accessible tourism refers to the variety of activities
availableduring the free time devoted to tourism for people with restricted capacities,which
enables their full integration from both functional and psychologicalperspectives and
promotes full individual and social satisfaction. It follows thenthat an accessible
infrastructure is synonymous with affordable integration.

8
Universal design has become a central concept in the development and understanding of
accessible tourism. Universal design is a paradigm that extends the concepts of continuous
pathways, access and mobility and barrier-free environments to incorporate intergenerational
planning that recognises the nexus between ageing, disability and the continuum of
ability of people over their lifespan (Aslasken, Bergh, Bringa, & Heggem, 1997; Ostroff,
2001; Steinfeld & Shea, 2001).

Importantly, while universal design has a clear focus on environmental features its full
application in the tourism industry has the potential to contribute significantly to a broad
range of socially sustainable outcomes (Rains, 2004; Walsh, 2004). Furthermore, Barron &
Gauntlett (2002) mentioned that social sustainability occurs when the formal and informal
systems, processes, structures and relationships actively support the capacity of the current
and the future generations to create healthy, liveable and accessible communities.

Accessible tourism mainly enforces barrier free environment in all the 3A’s (Access
(transport), Accommodation and Attraction) of tourism and accessible tourism is basically
inclusive tourism or the tourism that includes people from all segments. Constraints of many
kinds inhibit people with disabilities and reduced mobility from enjoying the travel
experiences. Accessible Tourism is accessible for Person with Limited Mobility, but also for
individuals with sensory disabilities, learning disabilities or chronic diseases. (Bindu V.T. &
Kiruthika Devi, 2016).

According to Shaw and Coles (2004), any work that is done to improve the accessibility of a
destination greatly enhances tourism in the destination.

Foreign direct investment in the field of accessible tourism is a keen and important step to
improve the quality of tourism development in India.

Accessible tourism is a collaborative process that provides people with access and mobility.
This makes equity and dignity through the delivery of tourism services. (UNWTO, 2005).

9
2.2 CHALLENGES FACED BY PHYSICALLY CHALLENGED AND SENIOR
CITIZENS

DISTRIBUTION OF DISABLED PERSONS IN INDIA

According to the Census 2001, India has about 21.9 million persons with disabilities,
translating into about 2.13 % of the total population. It further states that,

 About three-fourth of the persons with disabilities live in rural areas.

 Only less than half of them (49%) are literate.
 Rate of employment is only 34 per cent.

The distribution of persons suffering from disabilities is widespread in India. According to

the Census 2001, incidence of disability varies across the states. It reveals that disability rate
is highest in Kerala, Tamilnadu, Orissa and the border states of Arunachal Pradesh, Sikkim
and Jammu & Kashmir, where over 2600 persons in every one lakh are reportedly disabled.

DIFFICULTIES ENCOUNTERED BY PERSONS WITH DISABILITY (PwD)

Shaw and Coles (2004) mentioned that impediments and functional limitations originating
from mental, motor or sensory disabilities actually are emergent phenomena in a society that
reduces or eliminates opportunities for people with disability to take part innormal life at the
same level as the rest of the community does.
Tourism experiences for PwD are morethan access issues (Shelton & Tucker, 2005; Stumbo
& Pegg, 2005;Yau, McKercher, & Packer, 2004). Yet, for people with disabilitiesa
foundation of any tourism experience is having accessible destinations(Israeli, 2002) and
locating appropriate accommodationfrom which to base oneself while travelling (Darcy,
2002). Quitesimply, to stay a night away from their normal residence requiresappropriate
accommodation that allows access to a bedroom andbathroom as a base for their stay.
More often there are always linguistic problems encountered by people with disabilities.
Language can become a barrier and it is important to enable a common language and a
nomenclature to promote or put accessible tourism to use.

Language provides a unique capability to resist, strengthen and reframe identities

ofindividuals and groups, yet can also reinforce, weaken and perpetuatedominant worldviews
of disability. The people who are hearing impaired and speech impaired need sign languages
to understand what is happening around them and it is also important to keep them

10
entertained as they should be considered tourists too and given a satisfied tourist
experience.(Brielle Gillovic, Alison McIntosh, Simon Darcy & Cheryl Cockburn – Wootten,
2018).

Fernandez (2000) had mentioned the terms ‘accessible’ and‘accessibility’ over the time tend
to have lost much meaning, with a focus solely on peoplewith disabilities; a more inclusive
connotation that recognizes everyone’s useand enjoyment, not that of a specific segment of
the population, largely has been abandoned. The study indicates accessible tourism should
focus to include people from all segments and not solely on one set of people.

Oliver Chikuta, Forbes Kabote & Nyasha Chikanya (2018)mentioned that accessible tourism
is growing globally at a fast pace but the tourists with disabilities have very little tour guides
and escorts to take care of them. The study found out that there is only lesser number of
guides to specially assist the physically challenged on their tours. Hence it is important to
have specialized tour guides and escorts to take care of the disabled to make up for a
satisfying tourist experience.

Massimilano Agovino et al., (2017)have stated that as the society develops the state of
tourism changes from being socially desirable to being a necessity and this also applies to the
people with various physical and other disabilities.

Impairments and limitations are characterized as a significant biomedical change in the

structure or physical and psychological functions of thehuman body, compared to a normal
pattern. However, the occurrence ofthese limitations should not immediately determine a
disability; it may be possible to find valid alternatives to became possible for an individual to
enjoy a certain experience, regardless of his physical or mental state. (Santos, de Almeida,
Martins, de Oliveira, Goncalves, 2017).

N. Polat and E. Hermans (2016)used a model termed Sustainable Accessible Tourism (SAT)
and mentioned how disabled people can contribute intensively to tourism activities and this
could also mean bringing a lot of stakeholders together in the future.

Though tourism being a relevant part of the modern lifestyle in economically more developed
countries is not completely accessible to all, with particular barriers existing for persons with
disabilities (PwDs). These barriers are not only physical, but also internal, cultural and social.
Tourism and leisure have revealed many benefits for individuals with a disability, enhancing

11
personal development, quality of life, recovery and contribution to social inclusion.
(Elisabeth Kastenholz, Celeste Eusebio & Elisabete Figueiredo, 2015).

AlinaZajadacz (2015)has stated that the concepts and models of disability (social, bio
psychosocial, ethical, medical, geographical, economical) have evolved over the years and it
greatly impacts the decision of the tourists and therefore it is necessary to further make
certain policy changes to accessible tourism.The socialmodel is more often adopted by people
with disabilities, and in it, disabilityis seen as part of the diversity of the human condition and
not as an undesirabletrait to be cured or treated’ (Gilson and Depoy, 2000, p 208).

Ricardo Pagan (2013) stated that even people with disabilities need an escape from their
routine lives and he compared the life satisfaction levels of persons with disabilities with that
of normal tourists and he put forth the significance and contribution of accessible tourism on
how it elevates the mood and satisfaction levels of disabled and the physically
challengedtourists. Policy-makers and the tourism industry must promote and facilitate full
access and participation of people with disabilities in holiday trips by eliminating all barriers,
understanding their differential needs and providing an inclusive leisure environment.

Buhalis et al., (2011) found out that the people with disabilities contribute a large and
growing market to the tourism businesses.

The World Health Organization (2008, p 26 - 27) defines disabilities as an umbrella term for
impairments, activity limitations, andparticipation restrictions. It denotes the negative aspects
of the interactionbetween an individual (with a health condition) and that of
individual’scontextual factors (environmental and personal factors.

2.3 CHALLENGES INVOLVED IN PROMOTING ACCESSIBLE TOURISM

Accessibility is a basic feature of the built environment. Itis the condition that allows access,
the experience and use of houses, shops,theaters, parks and workplaces. Accessibility enables
people to participate insocial and economic activities for which the built environment was
designed. (Institute of Older Persons, Seniors and Social Services IMSERSO, 1996, p 7).
The lack of accessibility to tourism products, services and environments alsohas three likely
outcomes (Franco, 1999):
1) In general, accessibility is an indicator of quality, so if it is not available, the service
offered is of lower quality.

12
2) If the tourism sector does not pursue this market segment and fails toestablish or meet
accessibility standards, it will lose out on significant business opportunities.
3) Although some providers will claim to be accessible to take advantage ofbusiness
opportunities, in reality, they never achieve true quality and thuscannot attain full benefits
(such as customer satisfaction and loyalty).
In contrast, current trends in the overall demand for tourism imply severaladvantageous
relationships that would result from improved accessibility,especially considering the
following trends in modern markets:

• The increasing importance of seniors as consumers, due to the continuedaging of the

population and the relationship between restricted capacitiesand increasing age.
The disability is directly related to seniors, because ‘withincreasing age, disabilities or
restricted capacities also gradually increase’(Burnett, 1996, p 7). According to the World
Health Organization, 35%of people over 65 years have some type of disability (Burnett and
Baker,2001; Fuguet, 2008).
• High demands in terms of quality and sophistication (that is, concept ofquality tourism).
• Segmented markets, such as tourism explicitly for the disabled, those withtemporarily
restricted capabilities and the elderly.
• Availability of time and financial resources (that is, 51% of people withdisabilities receive a
pension, which minimizes their time constraints).
•Growing awareness of environmental issues, sustainability and socialresponsibility.
• An increase in participatory and active vacations, with longer trips moreoften managed by
individual consumers.

According toFilipe Santos et al., (2017),usingPOI (points of interest) functionality and

accessibility levels can provide for better tourist recommendations in improving the
destination and it is obvious if the destination is universally accessible it will attract a lot of
tourists.

People with disability definitely contributeto the accessible tourism market to a greater extent
and that in turn makes a destination very competitive. (Elisa Alen Gonsalez, Trinidad
Dominguez Villa, Simon Darcy, 2015).

13
Facilitating access in terms of infrastructure and tourism services for disabled people is the
part of accessible tourism (Alén, Domínguez, & Losada, 2012). But another study done by
Aristotelis Naniopoulos and Panagiotis Tsalis (2015)mentioned that any interventions and
infrastructural modifications carried out to promote accessible tourismin a destination must
be made in a way that it does not spoil or alter the attraction’s character or cause damage to it
visually or structurally and the process must be done very carefully and sensitively. They
have also stated that Museum of Byzantine culture (MBC) located in Thessaloniki, Greece
started having an audio haptic guided tour for the visually impaired and the blind visitors.

It is usually the disabling context at tourism destinations rather than bodily impairments that
produce Persons with Disabilities (PwD) and hence it is important for Destination
Management Organizations (DMOs) to focus on the development and marketing of
accessible accommodation, restaurants and tourist attractions that can be accessed by
all.(Nicolaisen, Blichfeldt, & Sonnenschein, 2012).

The United Nations Convention on Rights of Persons with Disabilities (2008)uses the term
‘disabled’ to include individuals ‘who have long-term physical,mental, cognitive, or sensory
impairments that, in interaction with variousbarriers, may hinder their full and effective
participation in society on an equalbasis with others’. Nonetheless, disability is not a
homogeneous concept anddepending on the type of impairment, people have varying levels
of accessibilityrequirements (Darcy and Buhalis, 2011, p 41).

2.4 RELATION BETWEEN TOURISM, ACCESSIBILITY AND PHYSICALLY

CHALLENGED

Accessibility of a destination plays a major role in the tourist decision making process,
particularly those tourists with disabilities and other physical limitations. (Signe Nors
Hansen, 2017). He further mentioned that tourists before they visit a destination look for the
accessibility factor to find out how accessible the destination actually is. If the destination is
very much accessible, it is obvious it will attract a lot of tourists.

Any segment within the tourism market that prefers accessing tourismexperiences with ease.
This may include seniors who may preferwalking up a gentle ramp rather than tackling a
large number of stairs.People with a disability, including those with physical and sensory

14
disabilities,will find it easier to access tourism facilities where there is acontinuous pathway
and tactile surfaces and clear signage. (Tourism New South Wales, 2005).

The relationship between people with disabilities and tourism has started toreceive increasing
academic and government attention over the last decade inEurope, the Americas and Asia-
Pacific (Bizjak et al, 2011, p 1). More developedeconomies have been increasingly enacting
legislation at national andsupranational level (such as the European Union) to provide for the
needs ofpeople with disabilities (Eichhorn et al, 2008; Richards et al, 2010).

A new relationship between tourism and disability, including a veryattractive new tourist
segment for the market. The new market is not a nichebut rather extends existing segments,
using differentiation factors based onaccessibility and defining usability as a quality
parameter that determinescustomer satisfaction and loyalty. (Trinidad Dominguez, Elisa
Alen, Jose A. Fraiz, 2013).
Another study carried out by Yuta Uchiyama & Ryo Kohsaka (2016)revealed the relation
between cognitive value of tourism and accessibility and mentioned sustainable tourism
management and destination management practices are greatly enhanced by accessible
tourism markets.

The travel pattern of the ageing population will radically change and that people will become
more active travellers in their old age and hence become a much bigger part of the tourism
market.(Bowtell, Portales &Zajadacz, 2015).Bowtell further stated that accessible tourism
market is an attractive segment for travel and leisure companies and attention must be given
to provide the market with accessible products and services.

Accessible tourism has great potential to stimulate and develop new and diverse tourism
initiatives, markets and varied business ideas and shape them.(Eleni Michopoulou, Ivor
Ambrose and Dimitrios Buhalis, 2015).

Gillovic and McIntosh (2015)presented an interesting study in New Zealand and found out
that accessible tourism provides a lot of business opportunities, and it requires the
involvement of varied stakeholders from various segments and this can be generalized to all
other regions. The five themes under discussion were “Accessibility as a human right:
Developing a culture of accessibility”; “Accessible tourism: Good for business?”; “Bottom-

15
up, market-led approach”; “Leadership from the top: Moving from apathy to action”; and
“Meeting somewhere in the middle”. The five themes correspond to themes evidenced in the
wider literature and present propositions for the future development of accessible tourism.
Business opportunities for accessible tourism revolves around these five themes and
accessibility was perceived to be an issue of social change, requiring the achievement of a
cultural shift where accessibility is envisioned as a cultural norm necessary for the future.

European Commission (2015)has stated the importance of accessible tourism and why it is
important that we all practice and embrace it. According to the European Commission,
Accessible tourism is about making it easy for everyone to enjoy tourism experiences.
Making tourism more accessible is not only a social responsibility but there is also a
compelling business case for improving accessibility as it can boost the competitiveness of
tourism. By making basic adjustments to a facility or a destination, providing accurate
information, and understanding the needs of disabled people can result in increased visitor
numbers.

Improving the accessibility of tourism services increases their quality and the enjoyment of
all tourists. It also improves the quality of life in local communities.The European
Commission is also co-funding projects related to the design, implementation and marketing
of accessible tourism to increase travel opportunities for people with special needs and
promote social inclusion and also develop accessible tourism entrepreneurship.

Accessible tourism is a great way to bring social inclusion amongst all and it unites tourism
with the ageing populations and the disabled and makes up for one unforgettable experience.
(Wantanee Suntikul, 2013).

Ambrose (2012) stated making tourism accessible for all is a rational response to a
foreseeable demographic trend, and a massive economic opportunity for the tourism sector.

Alonso López (2010) suggests, from a Spanish perspective, that accessibility improvement is
shifting from being a legal requirement to becoming an essential part of the quality of
tourism.

A study done by Trinidad Dominguez, Jose A. Fraiz & Elisa Allen (2013) discussed about
the importance of accessible tourism and why it is important for the tourism industry to

16
design and provide the persons with disabilities with specialized and innovative tourism
products and services. It also analyzed the different beneficiaries who play important roles in
the tourism sector by generating new business opportunities.

Eurostat (2005) suggested that a beneficiary market of more than 260 million people disabled
or not, would generate tourism receipts between $105.2 and $210.4 billion.

Simon Darcy, Bruce Cameron and Shane Pegg (2010) studied the linkages between
accessibility and triple-bottom-line sustainability and further stated that implementing
accessible tourism in a destination provides a better understanding of the financial,
environmental and social conditions that exist in a community/destination.

Accessible tourism enables people with access requirements, including mobility, vision;
hearing and cognitive dimensions of access, to function independently and with equity and
dignity through the delivery of universally designated tourism services, products and
environments. They both developed a whole of life approach to tourism and established
relationships between disability of people, accessibility, ageing and tourism. Also they further
stated the 30% of people who are normal now will have to face or deal with some disabilities
later in their life and hence it is important to practice accessible tourism. (Simon Darcy &
Tracey Dickson, 2009).

Domínguez et al., (2015) adds a value on the work to incorporate disability within tourism
policy, planning and development.

Lalita Sen & Sara Mayfield (2004) did a study in Galveston, Texas and found out how
accessible tourism significantly improves the quality of life of senior citizens and physically
challenged.

Geza Toth & Lorant David (2010) did a study to establish the connection between the
improvement of public road accessibility factors and its tourism generated income and found
out the incomes from international tourism are far more susceptible to favor accessibility than
domestic ones.

2.5 ROLE OF SOCIAL MEDIA IN PROMOTING ACCESSIBILITY

Knowledge sharing becomes important to accomplish digital citizenship. Social media tools
become popular to share and diffuse the knowledge in the digitalization. This social media
learning and knowledge sharing platforms provides accessibility to the services within

17
societies especially for disabled citizens. The study showed that orthopedically disabled
people used social media and networking for expanding their knowledge. They have a firm
belief that social media and networking is the facility for removing barriers of social and
institutional activities in society. (Zehra Altinay, Tulen Saner, Nesrin M. Bahçelerli and
Fahriye Altinay, 2016).

As travel is a key for continuing globalization to gain information for the development,
tourism activities of the societies play a great role in providing accessibility and broadening
accessibility for all citizens. For the welfare of the society, accessibility is crucial element for
the disabled citizens where literature pays attention on physical and web accessibility for
societal and institutional services (Chadwick et al., 2013).

Another study done by Buhalis found out that the changes created through information
technology and global world standards activate the travellers to become more independent,
experienced, and flexible for accessible and reliable information (Buhalis, 1998; Buhalis et
al., 2011).

Social media and networking tools create alternative platforms where people interact freely
and easily exchange information (Buhalis et al., 2011; Fotis et al., 2012; Gretzel et al., 2008).
Social media plays a great role to establish a travel product for the disabled people. Tourists
are having more control over their travel decision making process and shaping the tourism
related businesses through online tools (Cox et al., 2007).

18
 CHAPTER III

RESEARCH
METHODOLOGY

19
3.1 DESIGN

This is a qualitative study. The focus group method and structured interviews were done to
collect data from the respondents.

Focused group method of study was used to collect data from the senior citizens and the
physically challenged. Structured interviews were conducted to collect data from the tourism
officials from the Tourism Department of Pondicherry.

3.2 DATA COLLECTION

The data collection from the respondents was done in the month of April. The participants or
the respondents chosen to identify the problems and prospects of accessible tourism in
Puducherry were tourism officials, senior citizens and the physically challenged. The
respondents were grouped into two categories. Group 1 - Tourism officials from the
Puducherry Tourism Department and Group 2 - Senior citizens and physically challenged
people.

3.2.1 PRIMARY DATA

Primary data was mainly collected through interviewing tourism officials with a schedule
using structured face to face interviews and also conducting focused group interviews with
senior citizens and physically challenged.

3.2.2 SECONDARY DATA

The information that was gathered by referring journals, articles, research papers and
websites.

3.3 DATA ANALYSIS

Content analysis method was used for the analysis and interpretation of qualitative type of
data.

3.4 PARTICIPANTS OR RESPONDENTS

Tourism officials were the respondents for the structured face to face interviews. For the
focused group interview, senior citizens and physically challenged were taken as respondents.

20
 CHAPTER IV

DATA ANALYSIS AND

INTERPRETATION

21
 4.1. QUALITATIVE DATA ANALYSIS

SCHEDULE

Questions to tourism officials:

1. What is the scope of accessible tourism in Puducherry?

2. What are the main challenges involved in promoting accessible tourism in
Puducherry?
3. Are visitor management systems in practice to enhance accessibility?
4. What are the initiatives taken by the Government of Puducherry to promote accessible
tourism?
5. Do you think accessible tourism is a good business opportunity for Puducherry?
6. Are there any upcoming accessible tourism projects in Puducherry?

Questions to the physically challenged and senior citizens:

7. What are the difficulties and challenges faced by senior citizens and physically
challenged when accessing the destination?
8. Do the senior citizens and physically challenged feel safe and secure when visiting the
tourist attractions in Puducherry?
9. What are the top most visited tourist attractions by senior citizens and physically
challenged (based on popularity and accessibility) in Puducherry?
10. What changes would the senior citizens and the physically disabled like to see in the
destination?

22
RESPONDENTS (GROUP 1) – TOURISM OFFICIALS

Question 1 – What is the scope of accessible tourism in Puducherry?

Respondent 1 – Mr. Vijayakumar (Head in the Puducherry Tourism Department)

Answer - As of now, there are not any established tourism policies and he clearly mentioned
that the union territory of Puducherry does not have a tourism policy or at least it is still not
sanctioned yet. Furthermore, he said the tourism policy formulation has already been done
and it is kept at the cabinet for approval by Government of Puducherry. By late 2019 or early
2020, we can expect the new tourism policy to be sanctioned in Puducherry and after that
many tourism projects will be promoted in Puducherry, particularly the ones that will develop
or enhance accessibility of the destination.

Respondent 2 – Mr. Boopalan (Manager in Puducherry Tourism Department)

Answer - There is definitely a huge scope for accessible tourism in Puducherry. Accessible
tourism if promoted in the right manner can initiate new and varied business ventures, opens
up new tourism market segments and creates a lot of business opportunities. He further
mentioned one of the leading accessible tourism operators based in New Delhi, ‘Planet
Abled’ is already doing specially organized tours and services for the physically challenged
and senior citizens. Senior citizens and physically challenged are their main target audiences.
And Planet abled is soon set to expand and venture into the south zone, preferably in cities
like Bangalore, Hyderabad, Chennai, and Puducherry. Entrepreneurs who want to venture
into something different can definitely consider accessible tourism as it will be one of the
leading tourism segment in a few years.

Respondent 3 - Mr. Raman (Employee in the Puducherry Tourism Department)

Answer – Definitely, Puducherry has a lot of potential to promote accessible tourism but it
still needs a lot of development. For example, in Chennai there is a NGO named “Explore
Differently” which takes care of the physically challenged and helps them enjoy tourism and
also there is a stretch of ramp and a dedicated pavement for the physically challenged to
access. So Puducherry further needs a lot of infrastructural modifications to enhance
accessibility at the destination.

23
Respondent 4 –Mr. Rajavel (Employee in the Puducherry Tourism Department)

Answer – In the Indian context, Tourism is the only way or means to promote accessibility in
the destination.Because the number of people who are physically challenged and senior
citizens is usually high when compared to other countries around the world. So, focus if
given in promoting accessible tourism it opens up many business opportunities in
Puducherry.

Question 2 - What are the main challenges involved in promoting accessible tourism in
Puducherry?

Respondent 1 – Mr. Vijayakumar (Head in the Puducherry Tourism Department)

Answer - The main challenge has to deal with the standard of living of the physically
challenged people and the senior citizens. Unlike other big cities in India, the scope of
accessible tourism in Puducherry is rather less in comparison with Chennai, Bangalore,
Hyderabad, Mumbai, Kolkata and New Delhi. Here in Puducherry, we have only middle
class and below average families who cannot afford such accessible tours even if organized
or offered by specialized certain tour operators. Only fewer families will be able to afford that
in Puducherry. So setting up a business with respect to accessible tourism would not be that
great under the existing conditions in Puducherry.

Respondent 2 – Mr. Boopalan (Manager in Puducherry Tourism Department)

Answer - One more challenge involved in promoting accessible tourism in Puducherry is the
carrying capacity and overcrowding of the destination. In the weekends, majority of the sites
in Puducherry becomes heavily crowded and it becomes a hurdle for both the physically
challenged and the senior citizens to access the tourist sites in peace. Accessibility becomes a
question when the carrying capacity of the destination is exceeded.

Respondent 3 - Mr. Raman (Employee in the Puducherry Tourism Department)

Answer- We all do not know how the society is going to look and judge if a tour operator
comes forward to make business out of accessible tourism. Majority of the people here might
see making money from senior citizens and physically challenged as a bad thing and that is
going to give accessible tourism a bad name and reputation here. So the mentality and the
mind-set of the people have to change to accept such new tourism segments.

24
Respondent 4 –Mr. Rajavel (Employee in the Puducherry Tourism Department)

The town planning of Puducherry needs to be revised further to accept new infrastructural
changes and developments to promote accessibility at the various tourist sites at the
destination. Many of the tourist sites are still not accessible till date in Puducherry.

Question 3 – Are visitor management systems in practice to enhance accessibility?

As of now, there are not any existing visitor management systems to manage the crowd at the
tourist sites. Places like Bharathi Park, Aurobindo Ashram, Rock Beach, Botanical Gardens,
Basilica Sacred heart of Jesus Church, Sri Manakula Vinayagar Temple, Matrimandir need
visitor management systems to regulate the growing crowd in the destination. Implementing
visitor management systems will be a huge leap forwardin promoting accessible tourism in
Puducherry and make it a memorable and hassle-free experience for both senior citizens and
physically challenged.

Question 4 - What are the initiatives taken by the Government of Puducherry to

promote accessible tourism?

There are not any specialized or dedicated accessible tourism initiatives done till date but all
the other tourism projects executed in Puducherry till date were done keeping both the senior
citizens and physically challenged in mind and to enhance overall accessibility in
Puducherry. Few places in Rock beach have ramps for wheelchair access for the physically
challenged. But comparing to the major tourist attractions in the town, Auroville has better
accessibility in places like Matrimandir.

Question 5 - Do you think accessible tourism is a good business opportunity for

Puducherry?

Currently, accessible tourism does not have a lot of scope in Puducherry. So there is not
much going on when establishing a business based on accessible tourism. So after the tourism
policy comes into action, accessible tourism might become a good source of business
opportunity in Puducherry.

Question 6 - Are there any upcoming accessible tourism projects in Puducherry?

The new tourism policy will hopefully come into action by late 2019 or early 2020. So we
can expect tourism projects based on accessible tourism once the policy has been

25
implemented by the Government of Puducherry. As of now, there are not any existing
accessible tourism projects in Puducherry and it will take at least a year or two before the
town starts seeing changes to enhance accessibility in its various tourist sites.

RESPONDENTS (GROUP 2) – SENIOR CITIZENS AND PHYSICALLY

CHALLENGED (FOCUS GROUP INTERVIEW)

LIST OF RESPONDENTS

 Mr. Veerapan
 Mrs. Gajalaxmi
 Mrs. Leela
 Mr. Susendharane
 Mr. Murugan
 Mrs. Kumari
 Mr. Muthukumar
 Mr. Sivapragasam
 Mrs. Kalamathy

Question 7 - What are the difficulties and challenges faced by senior citizens and
physically challenged when accessing the destination?

They face a lot of embarrassment, insult and humiliation at the destination and they feel the
common people do not treat them like normal human beings with any respect and they see
them as some strange people and they told they feel alienated. Also when accessing the
destination, it is very harder for them to access because Puducherry is not that convenient for
senior citizens and physically challenged to access, and when travelling too they face a lot of
inconveniences. People do not respect them while travelling and do not offer their designated
seats while travelling and end up quarrelling with them. They feel Pondicherry is lacking
when it comes to having accessible pavements/sidewalks, accessible restaurants, public
places where there is no access to wheelchairs etc.

26
Question 8 - Do the senior citizens and physically challenged feel safe and secure when
visiting the tourist attractions in Puducherry?

No, they don’t. They feel they can easily get robbed when the destination gets overcrowded
and it is easier for others to harm them when they travel on their own. But in most cases, they
all travel under specialized escorts or people who will assist them or to take care of them.
Because they always need someone to take care of them at all times and to prevent something
wrong from happening during emergency situations.

Question 9 - What are the top most visited tourist attractions by senior citizens and
physically challenged (based on popularity and accessibility) in Puducherry?

1. Sri Manakula Vinayagar temple

2. Rock beach
3. Sri Aurobindo Ashram
4. Bharathi Park
5. Matrimandir
6. Botanical gardens
7. Our Sacred heart of Jesus Basilica

Question 10 - What changes would the senior citizens and the physically challenged like
to see in the destination?

They want the destination to be more accessible friendly and also they expect the common
people to treat them with respect and see them as normal human beings. Also they told us
they love Puducherry but they are not able to go out and freely enjoy the destination, any
infrastructural changes if done to enhance accessibility at the tourist sites will greatly
magnify their experience and make tourism an unforgettable experience. They would like to
see more accessible restaurants, physically challenged friendly bathrooms and public toilets,
accessible ramps and grab rails etc.

27
 DATA DISCUSSION AND INTERPRETATION

SCOPE OF PRACTICING ACCESSIBLE TOURISM IN PUDUCHERRY

 All the tourism officials from the Puducherry tourism department stated that
Puducherry has a lot of potential for accessible tourism and can be a completely
accessible destination in a few years from now provided the Government of
Puducherry takes properly calculated steps in enhancing the accessibility that will
benefit people from all walks of life, particularly senior citizens and the physically
challenged who now have a lot of limitations when it comes to enjoying tourism in its
pristine form.
 Furthermore, they added accessible tourism is a novel and fresh market segment to
invest in for any entrepreneur or tour operator willing to start an entirely new business
venture in Puducherry.
 Though, the success level of the business becomes questionable right now as there is
not a dedicated tourism policy in existence for the union territory of Puducherry. So, it
might take a few years for the policy to come into action and see how the business is
going to take over and the sort of welcoming it is going to receive from the people of
Puducherry.
 Also implementing accessible tourism would be a great idea because it will convert
Puducherry from a weekend getaway destination to an entirely accessible all year
round destination if the right attention to detail is given in implementing accessible
tourism.
 Also, one of the pioneer tour operators in the field of accessible tourism “Planet
Abled” an accessible tour operating agency based in New Delhi, India is planning to
expand its operations and venture into the south zone in a few years from now.
 “Planet Abled” does specialized tours and escort services for the senior citizens and
heaps of physically challenged people. They are their target audiences and to provide
tourism for them is their ultimate goal.
 A non-governmental organization (NGO) named “Explore Differently” has just
started providing its services to the senior citizens and physically challenged. Taking
the physically challenged for early morning walks and evening walks along the

28
 special pavement fitted with accessible ramps in Bessy beach, Chennai is something
they are extensively doing right now.

 But the officials also mentioned that Puducherry cannot compare itself to the other big
Indian cities like New Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Chennai, Hyderabad and Bangalore.
 Currently, the scope of accessible tourism in Puducherry is rather low because
majority of the physically challenged persons, senior citizens and their families will
not be able to afford such specialized tours though done for a noble cause.
 For it to be successful the living standards of the people must improve and only then
they will be able to afford it. Also in comparison, people from other metropolitan
cities outside Puducherry are usually high earning families when compared to the
normal or below average earning families in Puducherry.
 The bottom line is tourism is an effective means and right now the only method to
improve the accessibility factor of a destination. So right after the implementation of
Puducherry tourism policy, accessible tourism can see some good growth because it
has a great business potential and can generate new and varied business opportunities.

CHALLENGES INVOLVED IN PROMOTING ACCESSIBLE TOURISM IN

PUDUCHERRY

The respondents have mentioned that showcasing Puducherry as an accessible tourism

destination can be challenging for a number of reasons. They are,

 Unlike other big cities (Kolkata, New Delhi, Chennai, Bangalore etc.,) Puducherry is
a very small town with ample amount of population. This directly links with the
carrying capacity of the destination. Usually during peak seasons and also during the
weekends, the destination’s carrying capacity is exceeded and it becomes
overcrowded. That makes it a struggle for both physically challenged and senior
citizens to access their sights of interest and it affects them drastically.
 A revised town planning and effective infrastructural development is needed in
Puducherry. But care must be given and it must be made sure that the infrastructural
modifications done to enhance accessibility must not spoil the aesthetic value of the
town/place/sight and the like.

29
  Another challenge Puducherry commonly faces has to deal with the standard of living
of the host community. Puducherry does not have much of upper/ upper middle or
above average families, this makes it harder for the senior citizens and physically
challenged coming from such families to afford specialized tours, services and
products designed exclusively for them.
 In the present scenario, as the scope for accessible tourism is low it is complex to
come up with accessible tourism business strategies and ideas and it is also doubtful
that it is going to be successful, provided Puducherry lacks a tourism policy at the
moment.

CHALLENGES FACED BY SENIOR CITIZENS AND PHYSICALLY

CHALLENGED

 The physically challenged respondents have stated that lack of wheelchairs, specially
designed bath chairs in the public restrooms and lack of toilet raisers is a huge
problem that they have to face every day.
 The lack of professional staff that can take care of the needs of the physically
challenged and the senior citizens and assist them during emergency situations.
 For the visually challenged, speech impaired and hearing impaired there are no audio
– visual haptic guided tours offered specifically in Puducherry.
 While it is already very prominent and happening in most of the European countries
like Germany, Spain, Portugal, Switzerland, Greece, United Kingdom and other
countries like USA, Canada, Australia and New Zealand, the concept has just started
to see some light in India and it will take some considerable number of years for
accessible tourism to shine in India.
 Facing embarrassment, harassment and humiliation at the tourist sites makes the
physically challenged not to visit the destination.
 They also face a lot of struggles on a day to day basis while using the public
transportation.
 The physically challenged respondents also mentioned that they are scared of visiting
destinations that are overcrowded because the common people can easily overpower
them and they also look at them in such a way that makes them feel alienated.

30
  Getting to hear rude or inappropriate comments from people making fun of their
appearances and their weaknesses.
 Lack of special vehicles to take care of the handicapped at the tourist attractions also
makes it harder and makes them shy away from not visiting the destination.
 The respondents mentioned that their physical conditions are limiting them in terms of
enjoying the destination.
 While it is necessary to offer a satisfying tourism experience for both senior citizens
and the physically challenged, it is very challenging given the existing conditions of
Puducherry to implement accessible tourism.
 Safety and security is a major threat and becomes a question when they access the
destination
 They also mentioned Puducherry lacks accessible restaurants with accessible
restrooms and also accessible sidewalks and streets.

IMPLEMENTATION OF VISITOR MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS IN TOP TOURIST

ATTRACTIONS

 The respondents mentioned visitor management systems would be a good way to

regulate the crowd and offer an enjoyable tourist experience for the senior citizens
and the physically challenged.
 Unfortunately, they stated that visitor management systems are not in practice in any
of the tourism attractions in Puducherry.
 Moreover, Puducherry is a small town and it is very essential to implement visitor
management systems and it will definitely come in handy during high seasons and on
the weekends when the tourists are visiting full swing. Under such circumstances, it is
obvious the population in the destination exceeds the carrying capacity of the
destination.
 It is highly important to regulate the crowd at all times, because the physically
challenged like to access the attractions when there are not much people around and
they feel they have the destination to themselves, making for one satisfying
experience.
 The most commonly visited places by senior citizens and the physically challenged
are:

31
  Bharathi Park
 Sri Manakula Vinayagar Temple
 Sri Aurobindo Ashram
 Our Sacred heart of Jesus Basilica
 Rock beach
 Botanical gardens
 Matrimandir in Auroville
 Implementing and practising visitor management systems would be a great way in
regulating the crowd of Puducherry, and also a huge leap forward in terms of
enhancing the accessibility factor of the destination.

INITIATIVES TAKEN BY GOVERNMENT OF PUDUCHERRY TO PROMOTE

ACCESSIBLE TOURISM

 Currently, Puducherry is not taking any additional initiatives to improve accessibility

or put focus on accessible tourism in the destination.
 Adding to it, the sole reason is the Union Territory of Puducherry does not have an
officially sanctioned tourism policy yet.
 Only with the help of the tourism policy, the Government of Puducherry will be able
to implement some major schemes to improve accessibility of the destination and to
bring in the concept of making business using accessible tourism.
 But they also mentioned that the other tourism projects executed till date were done in
such a way focusing on improving the overall accessibility of the destination and also
keeping both the senior citizens and the physically challenged in their minds while
implementing any tourism project.
 With all that being said, the tourism policy has already been formulated and it is kept
at the Union territory of Puducherry government’s cabinet for further discussion and
approval.

32
UPCOMING ACCESSIBLE TOURISM PROJECTS IN PUDUCHERRY

 The tourism officials mentioned that the tourism policy is most likely to come into
action by late 2019 or by the first half of 2020.
 Accessible tourism will be one of the key areas of improvement because the
respondents stated that,
 Accessible tourism has great business potential
 Creates new, diverse business opportunities and varied market segments
 Will attract more tourists to Puducherry
 Creates an unique brand image for the destination

33
 CHAPTER V

FINDINGS, SUGGESTIONS AND

CONCLUSION

34
 5.1 FINDINGS

 There is a tremendous amount of scope and potential for Puducherry in becoming a

completely accessible tourist destination and not just a weekend getaway destination.
 Accessible tourism promotion if done right in Puducherry can initiate and pave way to
new and varied business ventures, companies and tour operators. As of now, there is a
tour operator in New Delhi, India titled “Planet Abled” who organize and do tours for
the physically challenged and the senior citizens and they are planning on expansion
into other Indian states too.
 For the entrepreneurs willing to have their own start-ups, Accessible tourism can be a
totally novel field to invest in and make business out of it.
 The main challenge involved in promoting accessible tourism in Puducherry is hard
for a number of reasons. It can directly be linked to the carrying capacity of the
destination, and when the tourist population exceeds the expected carrying capacity it
becomes an issue for the senior citizens and the physically challenged to enjoy
tourism and that is one of the main challenges involved in promoting accessible
tourism in Puducherry.
 Adding to it, currently there are not any established tourism policies for Puducherry.
The policies and programmes have been discussed and formulated but the
Government of Puducherry is yet to make it official and it is still in the cabinet for
approval.
 So this makes it hard and challenging for anyone willing to start a business venture in
the field of accessible tourism.
 Also, from the study it was apparent that Puducherry lacks in using visitor
management systems to enhance accessibility and this directly translates to causing
hassles for the senior citizens to enjoy tourism in Puducherry.
 The tourism officials in Puducherry stated that they are in the idea of implementing
visitor management systems in all the top rated tourist attractions visited by majority
of senior citizens and physically challenged and especially designate certain timings
for them to enjoy the attractions but that shall only be possible after the tourism policy
of Puducherry comes into action.
 Currently, there are only fewer initiatives and projects done by the Government of
Puducherry till date to enhance and promote accessible tourism. The officials stated
the first accessible tourism project will be launched in 2020. But what they also stated

35
 was many other tourism projects have been carried out and promoting accessibility is
a common objective in all of their tourism projects and it will be magnified in the year
2020 and it becomes effective once the tourism policy is established and put into
practice.
 As far as business opportunities are concerned, right now accessible tourism might get
a bad reputation and name because people would look at it as making money from the
disabilities of physically challenged.
 Bharathi park, Sri Manakula Vinayagar temple, Rock beach, Botanical gardens,
Aurobindo Ashram, Matrimandir, Our Sacred Heart of Jesus Basilica are the places
often visited by senior citizens and physically challenged.
 The physically challenged tourists face a lot of humiliation and insults when visiting
the destination and Puducherry right now does not have much to offer in terms of
accessible tourism but definitely has a lot of potential and lot of room for
improvement.
 It is always a problem for both senior citizens and physically challenged when using
the public road transportation.
 Majority of the senior citizens and physically challenged who were interviewed stated
that they do not feel safe when visiting the destination particularly when it is
overcrowded and they also feel they can be easily harmed by the common people.
 The physically challenged and senior citizens would like NGO or specialized tour
agencies to organize tours for them and also special escorts to assist them during the
tour.
 They also feel Puducherry has room for development in terms of accessibility and
become a completely accessible destination if the tourism policy has been
implemented.

36
 5.2 SUGGESTIONS

 There can be dedicated tour organizers and agencies to take care of the needs of
senior citizens and physically challenged.
 Visitor management systems can be implemented at the tourist attractions to regulate
the crowd and also designate certain timings in which both senior citizens and
physically challenged visit the sites and have a satisfying experience.
 Faster implementation of new tourism policy in Puducherry to promote accessible
tourism, senior citizen tourism and the like.
 Hygiene and sanitation standards need to be definitely improved at majority of the
tourist attractions as poor sanitation tends to be a huge deterrent for visitors making
them not visit the destination.
 Common people should come forward to support new initiatives in terms of
accessible tourism market segments.
 Strict action must be taken against the people who hurt senior citizens and the
physically challenged either physically or use abusive/derogatory comments on them.
 Ramps can be established at the top tourist destinations like Bharathi Park, Rock
beach, Botanical gardens, Matrimandir etc.
 Encouraging new entrepreneurs and tour operators to set up their business ventures in
the field of accessible tourism.
 Dedicating one day in a year especially to the senior citizens and physically
challenged.
 Only tourism is an effective means of providing freedom to the physically challenged
and makes them feel at home and provide them with an unforgettable experience. So
it is important the Government of Puducherry works on it at the earliest.

37
 5.3 CONCLUSION

Through my study, I was able to find out that there are no existing tourism policies in
Puducherry. I would like to conclude my saying that new tourism projects and policies will
be implemented in Puducherry by 2020. As there are no current tourism policies and projects,
it comes as no surprise that Puducherry is rather poorly accessible by senior citizens and
physically challenged and needs a lot of improvement and initiatives to make it a completely
accessible destination.I also understood the challenges faced by senior citizens when
accessing the destination and also the challenges involved in promoting accessible tourism in
Puducherry. Accessible tourism segment is a completely novel market and once the new
policy comes into action in Puducherry, we can definitely expect a lot of entrepreneurs
coming forward to venture into the field of accessible tourism business segments.

38
ANNEXURE

39
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WEBSITES
accessibletourism.org
ethics.unwto.org/content/accessible-tourism
ec.europa.eu/growth/sectors/tourism/offer/accessible.en

43
 SCHEDULE

Questions to tourism officials:

1. What is the scope of accessible tourism in Puducherry?

2. What are the main challenges involved in promoting accessible tourism in
Puducherry?
3. Are visitor management systems in practice to enhance accessibility?
4. What are the initiatives taken by the Government of Puducherry to promote accessible
tourism?
5. Do you think accessible tourism is a good business opportunity for Puducherry?
6. Are there any upcoming accessible tourism projects in Puducherry?

Questions to the physically challenged and senior citizens:

7. What are the difficulties and challenges faced by senior citizens and physically
challenged when accessing the destination?
8. Do the senior citizens and physically challenged feel safe and secure when visiting the
tourist attractions in Puducherry?
9. What are the top most visited tourist attractions by senior citizens and physically
challenged (based on popularity and accessibility) in Puducherry?
10. What changes would the senior citizens and the physically disabled like to see in the
destination?

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