Quality In Tourism And Demand From People With Reduced Capabilities

[Marc]

An interesting tidbit from the service sector (hospitality / hotel sector)

QUALITY IN TOURISM AND DEMAND FROM PEOPLE WITH REDUCED CAPABILITIES

Luis Grünewald.
Fundación Turismo para Todos.
turismoparatodos.org.ar


Services suppliers must be trained and qualified in order to enhance integration of people with restricted capacities - PRC- during their free time of tourism and leisure.

It can be stated that one of the main aims during the last quinquennium in the 20th century has been social and productive integration of people with restricted capabilities. It could be stated too that we are moving towards a leisure civilization in which the proper use of free time acquires a fundamental importance in the physical and social development of the individual.

Accounting for what is above mentioned we'll intend to set out in this article an analysis of quality in the use of that time of leisure that we generically name as "accessible tourism" for persons with restricted capacities.

CONCEPTUAL FRAME AND MAIN VARIABLES IN ACCESSIBLE TOURISM

When defining any activity a "point of view" that will determine in which way reality is going to be understood, must be set. Therefore, in the case of accessible tourism we can establish as a definition that accessible tourism is the group of activities originated during free time that make possible total integration from the functional and psychological sides of those people with restricted capacities, obtaining the visitor a total individual and social satisfaction from these activities. Accessible Tourism takes to settle integration guidelines during the activity for this set of people with different capacities that are by a physical permanent deficiency (motor, sensorial, pathological or visceral) as well as by transitory, chronological and/or anthropometric circumstances.

This so ample set of people involves in tourism among other segments of the demand, "third age" group, family groups with children, young and temporary disabled persons (pregnant women, plastered people, etc.) and permanent disabled persons (motor, sensorial and mental); according to the general statistics they conform a 40% segment in the world's population; therefore a particular attention to the subject is required during the process of planning tourist and recreational activities.

It's been possible to establish as the variables of greater meaning in the case of the accessible tourism:

-ACCESSIBILITY TO THE PHYSICAL ENVIRONMENT
-QUALITY IN SERVING CUSTOMERS

Much has been said and written on the first subject and that's why I will go deeply into quality in the tourism activity.

QUALITY AND DEMAND FROM PERSONS WITH RESTRICTED CAPACITIES.

We can say that tourism requests in general, and the ones from People with restricted capacities in particular, search escaping daily routines and look for a state of permanent well-being during the time to tourism; they look for products and services that offer the best benefits to them and from which the highest rank of satisfaction during their stay in a tourist destination is obtained. Quality is a necessary factor in order to achieve satisfaction.

What is nowadays understood by "quality"?
The OMT, in its work program, understands quality in tourism as "the result of a process that implies the satisfaction of all the requirements, exigencies and legitimate expectations of the consumers regarding products and services, acceptably priced, in conformity with mutually accepted contractual conditions and with underlying factors that determine quality, such as security, hygiene, accessibility, and the transparency, authenticity and harmony of a tourist activity worried about its human and natural surroundings ".

(1) This wide approach in the definition implies an integral form to raise and solve the necessary guidelines to establish a successful tourist business. The addition of efforts to offer quality in private businesses and in public policies is evolving from the classic control of quality to the securing of quality in order to achieve which is today known as Management of Quality.

Several definitions of quality exist which have been changing with time, or becoming adapted to different approaches, but from the tourist point of view we can consider, in agreement with the OMT, that:

-quality is an element of great cross-sectional meaning for the competitiveness, commerce, sustainability and businesses ethics.

-the dynamics of the tourist activity requires from services suppliers permanent innovation and improvements in the quality of their services.

- This improvement in the operations implies the need to establish and to develop standards of quality in different levels, in addition to those related to the user's capacities, and oriented to meet national or international norms.

(2) Once the concept has been interpreted we must interpret how important it is for the demand. We must consider from the client's point of view, that the present competitiveness in all the fields of the activity, the difference between a company and another one is the quality in services next to the price, being the first variable the one that often determines the election of a provider or a destination and that this variable acquires greater importance to persons with restricted capacities.

We can also say, that quality is a subjective variable that is always present in the necessities of the individual during free time and has a different meaning according to the demanding segment to which the visitor belongs (young people, family group with small or adolescent children, third age or disabled people for example, have an interpretation very different according to their reality from this variable of the tourist activity).

From the management side, excellence in the service stems of not considering the set like "a client" but as subdivided in so many clients as demanding segments, each of them with common (right price, quickness and quality in services, security, respect, trustworthiness) and different needs (the characteristics of the behaviour, the conducts of each segment and its capacities). This concept acquires greater importance in the case of the PCR, and this is why services providers qualifying and training is a fundamental axis that will allow to diminish or to eliminate those physical, functional and social barriers that marginalize a significant group of the society.

CONCLUSION

Synthesizing the exposed concepts, we can say that quality must be understood as the dedication of a company to optimize attention favouring a greater efficiency in providing services in order to obtain the client's satisfaction and that quality becomes then a competitive advantage fundamental to become different in the market, like thus also extending the chances of increasing the amount of visitors and gain loyalty from the present demand. Aiming to achieve customer's satisfaction must be in continuous development and growth from services providers until 100% of demand satisfaction is obtained. Degree of satisfaction should be assessed by them and not by providers, since we must say that, considering the present situation of competitiveness among destinations and companies, quality is measured by the customer, something that forces to develop strategies that would allow to make a difference and can be synthesized in the following:

1 To anticipate to which the client is going to need.
2 To give them a little more to gain their loyalty.
3 To measure constantly their satisfaction
4 To qualify the staff supplying services.

This process must be understood as a continuous process on the part of the company supplying services to improve requirements of the customers at all levels in efficient and effective ways, since, to our understanding, services must be considered like a phenomenon of references by the demanding sector.

Systems of management of quality in companies and destinations must have as an objective developing the concept of quality from an integral perspective, through the relation between the demand, the services suppliers and the tourist products of the destination. Producing quality indicators in companies and destinations is very important.

A basic indicator of quality is an educative strategy concerning the human group related to tourism and leisure activities that would allow to promote total integration of people with restricted capacities during free time. This objective stems from the interrelation of the following variables:

- That a real chance to offer an improvement of a service is the permanent qualification of those persons related to that service.
- the lack of qualification becomes more evident in the operative personnel who is in contact with people with restricted capacities.
- the so looked for excellence in quality is only possible when problems are identified and is related to the set of variables in each activity.
For all that has been mentioned above, services suppliers must be trained and qualified on good attitude and accessibility to the physical environment in order to enhance integration of people with restricted capacities - PRC- during their free time of tourism and leisure.

It is required a collective conscience and awareness that will allow to live a life without barriers to all those that have a handicap with the environment- from the child to the old one, permanent or transitory- in order to improve the quality of life of this visitor while in a tourist or recreational destination, with a vision which allows a social, physical and functional integration in each one of the activities that the individual makes during his free time.

Luis Grünewald. Fundación Turismo para Todos
turismoparatodos.org.ar

[Jennifer Kirley]

This really is a promising message, thanks for sharing it.

With the number of disabled people rising all the time, my heart aches for a large scale improvement in how we understand persons with atypical features and unique offerings.

Did I miss how the article describes incorporating disabled persons in the quality way of hospitality, so as to better (more accurately and sensitively than "normal" folk might) define and execute strategies for pleasing the challenged customer? It's late and I am getting a bit cross-eyed.

Off-topic:

I had a nice interview today for a Management Analyst position in my state's taxation bureau. Here's to hoping!

[asutherland]

Perhaps I am a sadistic SOB.

If I was a restaurant owner in a heavy populated tourist center would I say to myself "hummm, I think I will invest $250k and buy a chair that greets a customer in their car, using laser sensors that lifts that a person out of their car seat, delivers them to the dinner table with dinner already hot and served, and using the mechanical arm scoops food in bite sized portions and using a variable speed continues to feed me still I'm done. And for another $85K option, the seat opens, gathers my waste and wipes my bottom with a selected choice of scented napkins, and then places me back in my car.

What ever happened to family care? Should I just continue to eat until I am so big thats its a problem to walk and blame the government or suit McD's because that don't control what I do?

Are their quality investments that generate a sufficient return with respect to "persons with restricted capabilities"? (Other than those of course that must meet govt restrictions).

Are we obligated as a nation of wealth to spend what ever it takes to satifsy wanted conforts to those who want.

Perhaps if I had $100 billion I could afford to pay someone to wipe my bottom.

[Marc]

Originally Posted by asutherland

Are we obligated as a nation of wealth to spend what ever it takes to satifsy wanted conforts to those who want.

Perhaps if I had $100 billion I could afford to pay someone to wipe my bottom.

I don't think the thread has anything to do with being "obligated as a nation of wealth to spend what ever it takes to satifsy wanted conforts to those who want" or most of what you posted. It's not about national requirements. It's about businesses who see providing for the handicapped as an aspect of quality.

On the other hand, had you, say, lost both legs and an arm in an accident, in a war, or however, I suspect you would consider going to restaurants which accomodate people with like handicaps.

BTW - You can get your bottom wiped for far less than US$100 billion unless you hire Haliburton or a similar company.

[mike101338]

Thanks for sharing the article. As one that has worked in both restaurant and motel operations before joining the quality field, I know the challenges exist. My current position within the quality field (last 5 years) is with an organization whose employee base is persons with disabilities. This experience has allowed me to see the needs from the side of an advocate.

As a person living in this country, most of us have the right to do whatever it is we wish. Occasionally, a few good people get together and look for ways to improve the quality of life for someone besides themselves. The opportunity to make the difference in the everyday lives of another is before each of us on an ongoing basis. With any luck, the industry will move forward in making their restaurant, hotel, water park, forest preserve, beach front resort… enjoyable for all.

On a side note, ten years ago a young woman with total loss of hearing was directed to the right people for assistance. She grew up before the schools had to provide necessary assistance to those with special needs. Her family didn’t have much money so the opportunities before her were few. Over the past 10 years she was taught to read, write and use sign language. Her Mom and family also learned sign. After 30+ years, a family was finally able to communicate. Last night, after a brief hospital stay, this wonderful young lady passed away. She did so being able to do something she couldn’t in the past, to tell her family she loved them.

No, asutheland, we are not obligated to spend whatever it takes financially to satisfy the wants of everyone. However, we are obligated to do what we can to improve the quality of life of those that we are hindering with points of view based only on our needs in life

[Jim Wynne]

Originally Posted by mike101338

No, asutheland, we are not obligated to spend whatever it takes financially to satisfy the wants of everyone. However, we are obligated to do what we can to improve the quality of life of those that we are hindering with points of view based only on our needs in life

Thanks for an articulate and perceptive response.