Tourism Research Methodologies

Proud to have written a chapter with Dr Sophie Coulon titled “The role of technology in creating inclusive tourism experiences: A case study of Vacayit’s audio guide application” in the newly published Handbook of Accessible Tourism. https://lnkd.in/d-Epbbax. 💛 Congratulations to the editorial team Nigel Halpern, Jillian Rickly, Brian Garrod and Marcus Hansen. The handbook features 35 chapters from 69 researchers and practitioners worldwide, with a foreword by Igor Stefanovic. I’ve often heard it said that we can’t effectively teach accessible tourism because “there isn’t enough literature.” This handbook proves the opposite. It highlights how accessible tourism has developed as a field, presents real examples of inclusive destinations and technologies and explores design approaches and training that position accessibility as central to tourism practice. This gives educators, students, industry and policymakers the evidence, frameworks and guidance needed to see accessibility not as an add-on but as a fundamental part of the visitor experience. ID 1: A bright blue book cover titled Handbook of Accessible Tourism, edited by Nigel Halpern, Jillian Rickly, Brian Garrod and Marcus Hansen, published by De Gruyter Studies in Tourism. ID 2: A screenshot of Chapter 20 titled “The role of technology in creating inclusive tourism experiences: A case study of Vacayit’s audio guide application” by Hailey Brown and Dr Sophie Coulon. #AccessibleTourism #HandbookOfAccessibleTourism #Technology #TourismTech #TravelTech

Why Inclusive Tourism Is the Future of Global Travel According to UNWTO, 2024, the accessible travel market now exceeds USD 200 billion annually, and continues to grow faster than the overall tourism sector. In Europe, travelers with accessibility needs represent over 27% of the population, generating more than EUR 400 billion in direct tourism revenue each year (European Commission, Accessible Tourism Report, 2023). Globally, more than 1.3 billion people live with some form of disability (WHO, 2023). When you include older adults, families with young children, and travelers with temporary or situational limitations, the potential accessible travel market exceeds 3.5 billion people worldwide, a powerful economic driver that no destination can afford to ignore. From Niche to Mainstream Inclusive tourism has evolved from a social initiative into a strategic growth sector. It encompasses: Persons with disabilities and older adults Families with strollers or children Neurodivergent travelers seeking sensory-friendly experiences People with temporary injuries or chronic conditions This diverse group represents a loyal and influential customer base that prioritizes destinations demonstrating genuine accessibility, empathy, and inclusive design. Frameworks and Global Standards For destinations aiming to lead, the roadmap is already clear: UN CRPD (Article 30) – affirms the right to participate in cultural life, recreation, and tourism on an equal basis. UNWTO Global Code of Ethics for Tourism – positions accessibility as an integral part of sustainable development. ISO 21902:2021 (Tourism and Related Services — Accessible Tourism for All) – provides comprehensive guidance for inclusive policy, built environment, information, and service delivery. BS 8300 and ISO 21542 – reinforce universal design principles for physical and digital environments. Success Stories: VisitEngland’s “Access for All” initiative boosted visitor spending by 15% across certified destinations, demonstrating clear ROI. Barcelona Turisme Accessible offers tactile maps, beach wheelchairs, adapted transport, and sensory-friendly cultural routes, setting a global benchmark. Japan’s Universal Tourism Strategy redesigned infrastructure for the Tokyo 2020 Games, creating a lasting legacy of barrier-free transport and hospitality. Abu Dhabi's and Dubai’s “Accessible Tourism Initiative” aims to make the cities the world’s most inclusive destination by 2026, integrating accessibility into hotels, airports, and attractions. The Lesson Accessibility is not a compliance checkbox; it is a catalyst for innovation, reputation, and growth. Governments, cultural institutions, and tourism boards that embed ISO 21902 and UNWTO guidelines not only uphold human rights but also secure economic resilience and brand trust. #InclusiveTourism #AccessibleDestinations #UNWTO #ISO21902 #TourismForAll #UniversalDesign #SustainableTourism #SmartEconomics #TravelInclusion #WeAreBillionStrong #UAE #ABuDhabi

I've noticed that access in museums is often framed as a mere question of infrastructure: ramps, lifts, toilets and routes. The more I think about it, the more it seems that access begins much earlier than the moment someone enters the building. In the UK, around 22% of the population lives with a disability, according to the Family Resources Survey cited by the Museums Association. This is not a marginal audience, nor a specialist category of visitor, but a part of the public museums already claim to serve. The figure I found more revealing is this, though: research by ACCESS CULTURE found that 2 in 5 disabled people are not confident their access needs will be met, while 38% avoid cultural events altogether because of uncertainty around access. Euan's Guide has also reported that 95% of disabled visitors check access information before deciding whether to visit, while VocalEyes Audio Description’ Heritage Access research found that around 19% of museums still provide no access information online. In other words, the barrier is not always the staircase, the missing lift, or the physical threshold. Sometimes the barrier is doubt: will the route be clear? Will the information be reliable? Will staff know what to do? Will the visit require too much explanation, negotiation, or emotional labour? In this sense, accessibility is a condition of trust. A museum can be accessible in technical terms and still feel inaccessible if that accessibility is not communicated clearly and with care. The visit begins when someone tries to imagine whether the space will hold their needs. For museums, this means that welcome cannot be reduced to a gesture at the entrance, but has to be designed into the whole experience: before arrival, during the visit, and in the way the institution makes itself legible to different bodies, rhythms, and needs.

Day 6 of 60: How to Start a Travel Company in 2026 Online vs Offline Travel Business Model 🧳 India’s travel industry is worth ₹2L+ crore annually. But here’s the reality most people miss: The future of travel isn’t online or offline. It’s hybrid. 📊 What the market actually looks like: • 50M+ domestic travelers every year • 12–15% annual growth • 80% of travelers research online • Yet most still want human reassurance before booking • Post-pandemic travelers now prioritize trust, safety, and authenticity ❌ Why Pure Online Models Struggle You can automate bookings. You can’t automate trust. When someone spends ₹50,000–₹1L on a holiday and something goes wrong, they don’t want a chatbot. They want a human response. ❌ Why Pure Offline Models Hit a Ceiling Offline businesses build trust—but scaling becomes difficult: • Higher operational costs • Limited reach • Slower systems • No customer data or personalization ✅ Why Hybrid Businesses Will Win in 2026 1️⃣ Digital-First Operations → Lower overheads → Faster response systems → AI-powered customer support → Personalized recommendations using data 2️⃣ Human-Centered Support → WhatsApp-first communication → Real support during emergencies → Local guides and authentic experiences → Strong presence in tier-2 & tier-3 markets 3️⃣ Niche Positioning Don’t compete with OTAs on scale. Own a category instead. Examples: • Women-only travel • Spiritual tourism • Backpacking communities • Eco-tourism • Premium curated road trips 🎯 The Winning Formula ✓ Start lean with a strong website + booking system ✓ Build partnerships instead of owning inventory ✓ Use AI for speed ✓ Use humans for trust ✓ Focus on experience, not just pricing 🇮🇳 Why This Works Especially Well in India Indian travelers love convenience—but they also want reassurance. They may discover you online. But they still want to message someone on WhatsApp before paying. That balance between technology and human connection is where the next generation of travel brands will win. 🚀 What’s your biggest pain point while booking travel? I’m researching what travelers genuinely care about in 2026. #Day6of60 #TravelBusiness #TravelStartup #Entrepreneurship #IndianTravel #TravelIndustry #BusinessStrategy #TravelTech #StartupIndia

41% of travellers need accessibility information. Less than 8% of travel companies consistently provide it. That's a gap the travel industry can't afford to ignore. We often talk about making travel more accessible, but accessible experiences start long before someone arrives. They start with the confidence to book. When accessibility information is missing, incomplete or difficult to find, people are left making decisions without the facts they need. For many disabled travellers, that uncertainty is enough to stop a trip before it's even been planned. These figures come from the Accessible Holidays Survey 2025 by Responsible Travel and highlight just how much opportunity there is for our industry to do better. I'd love to see more travel brands treating accessibility information as essential customer information, rather than an afterthought.

New Publication Alert! Excited to share our latest research, “Tech-Enabled Travel: Harnessing Innovation Diffusion and UTAUT to Empower Mobility-Impaired Tourists”, published in International Journal of Human Computer Interaction. This study explores how technology can redefine accessibility in tourism by introducing the concept of the “impaired cyborg tourist.” Using Innovation Diffusion Theory and the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT), we examined what drives mobility-impaired tourists to adopt technological implants that enhance independence and inclusion. Key insights: 1. Innovation attributes, autonomy, and social inclusion enhance subjective well-being, a critical driver of adoption intention. 2. UTAUT constructs (performance expectancy, effort expectancy, social influence, facilitating conditions) also strongly shape technology adoption. 3. The study extends tech adoption models into the emerging realm of implantable travel technologies, offering both theoretical and practical implications for inclusive, tech-driven tourism. This work underscores an exciting future where technology empowers, rather than limits, the mobility-impaired traveler, turning accessibility into autonomy. Super proud of my co-authors including Laiba Ali, Ali Öztüren, Hasan KILIÇ and Cheng Jiayuan. Link to the paper: https://lnkd.in/e8gWVnHR University of Galway - J.E. Cairnes School of Business & Economics University of Galway #TourismResearch #Accessibility #InnovationDiffusion #UTAUT #InclusiveTourism #TechForGood #MobilityImpairment #CyborgTourist #HospitalityResearch #AIinTourism #ResearchBeast

Why Did These 5 Companies Succeed? Key Reasons and Strategies Behind the Success of the Top Travel Companies in 2024 1. Focus on User Experience Booking.com, Expedia, and Airbnb continuously optimized their user interfaces, ensuring faster booking processes and offering 24/7 customer support. They understood that in travel, every second counts. 2. Product and Service Diversification • Booking.com expanded its offerings to include villas and apartments beyond traditional hotels. • Expedia integrated flights, car rentals, and local tours into seamless travel packages. • Airbnb introduced Airbnb Experiences, connecting travelers with local hosts and activities. 3. Embracing Digital Innovation Companies like Trip.com Group and Amadeus heavily invested in AI, machine learning, and big data analytics to personalize services and anticipate travelers’ needs more effectively. 4. Global Expansion Strategy Trip.com Group expanded aggressively beyond Asia, acquiring international brands and growing its presence in Europe and North America. Similarly, Booking.com and Expedia focused on emerging markets like India and Latin America. 5. Commitment to Sustainability Airbnb and Booking.com launched major initiatives promoting eco-friendly accommodations and sustainable tourism practices, aligning their services with growing environmental concerns among travelers. 6. Strong Branding and Trust Building All five companies heavily invested in digital marketing, social media engagement, and corporate social responsibility (CSR) campaigns to strengthen their brand image and customer loyalty worldwide. A combination of continuous innovation, customer-centric strategies, market expansion, and sustainability commitment has been the true driving force behind the success of these travel giants. The future belongs to brands that are faster, greener, and smarter!

The top 5 most valuable types of business and revenue models in the travel industry. #1 B2C, 2 Sided Marketplaces, Platforms, Transactional Revenue-Model #2 B2B, SaaS, Subscription Revenue Model #3 B2B, Travel Tech, Transactional Revenue Model #4 B2C, Affiliate/Membership based, Transactional & Subscription Revenue Model #5 B2C/B2B Travel Resellers, Transactional Revenue Model (ex. OTAs, Travel Agency’s, Tour operators in both leisure and business travel) The top 5 are based on my insiders view of M&A offers I’ve seen made, acquirers logic when negotiating with sellers and real deals executed in the travel industry. Every acquirer ultimately views the cash flow the company generates and the EBITDA to value the company unless it’s a pure asset sale just for the companies IP and technology. Acquirers in the market today value Marketplace platforms and B2B SaaS companies as the most valuable. Acquirers will look at valuing a travel marketplace based on its GBV (Gross Booking Volume) in addition to its EBITDA. B2B SaaS acquirers will look at NET Revenue and EBITDA multiples. OTAs, Travel Agency’s and other travel resellers on the other hand will generally only be valued by the acquirer based on an EBITDA multiple. In the B2B space companies that sell a monthly or annual subscription for their product or service, generating recurring revenue are valued higher than similar companies in the market that earn the same amount of revenue but generate it through their customers transactional volume. The more pricing control you have over your customer in the B2B space the more valuable you are to acquirers. If your customers revenue dictates or drives your revenue, you’re worth less. Affiliate and membership based travel companies are also very valuable as they put off a lot of cash with less OPEX expenses compared to other travel business models and can be valued by EBITDA and or the recurring subscription based revenue (NET Revenue). If you like what you’ve read please follow me on LinkedIn. I help travel CEOs build sellable travel travel companies. #travel #traveltech #traveltechnology #travelindustry #investment #startups #technology #innovation #mergersandacquisitions #acquisitions #mergers #travelsaas #travelaffiliate #travelagency #travelmarketplace #travelplatform