Accessible Tourism in the Digital Ecosystem

This book explores the growing demand for accessible tourism experiences and demonstrates how the perspective of digital ecosystems can play a vital role in creating more inclusive destinations. Through a combination of conceptual arguments and real-world case studies, the book sheds light on the practical aspects of accessible tourism.

Statistics reveal that over one billion people have severe or moderate disabilities, emphasizing the urgent need for enhanced accessibility in tourism. However, both industry practices and academic research in this field are still lagging behind. The book highlights the challenge of establishing coordination among various stakeholders, including transport operators, hospitality firms, and public authorities, which has hindered the design and implementation of inclusive tourism experiences.

By harnessing the power of new technologies, the book illustrates how digital ecosystems can effectively facilitate accessible tourism. It examines the demand for such experiences and demonstrates how embracing a digital ecosystem perspective can contribute to the development of more accessible tourism destinations.

In addition to its theoretical insights, the book delves into several practical case studies that showcase successful examples of accessible tourism.

Fabio Cassia, Ph.D. in Marketing, is an Associate Professor of Management at the Department of Management of the University of Verona (Italy). His research interests are related to service quality and marketing, with a focus on hospitality, tourism management and tourist well-being; internationalization and export management; business-to-business marketing and branding. He is member of the Editorial Boards of The TQM Journal and Review of International Business and Strategy. He has written several books and published work in international journals including Australian Journal of Management, Current Issues in Tourism, International Entrepreneurship and Management Journal, International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management, International Journal of Hospitality Management, Journal of Business & Industrial Marketing, Journal of Cleaner Production, Journal of Hospitality & Tourism Research, Journal of Vacation Marketing, Management Decision, Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Total Quality Management & Business Excellence.

Paola Castellani, Ph.D. in Business management and corporate governance, is a Researcher and Assistant Professor of Management at the Department of Management of the University of Verona (Italy). Her research interests are related to entrepreneurship, heritage management with specific regard to corporate museums and archives, corporate communication and cultural tourism. Since 2001 she is a member of the editorial board of Sinergie Italian Journal of Management. She presented the results of studies and research conducted in many national and international conferences, has written a book on corporate museums and many book chapters. She published works in international journals including Development and Learning Organizations, International Entrepreneurship and Management Journal, Journal of Communication Management, Review of Managerial Science, Sinergie Italian Journal of Management, The TQM Journal, Total Quality Management & Business Excellence.

Chiara Rossato, Ph.D. in Business Management and corporate governance, is an Assistant Professor of Management at the Department of Management of the University of Verona (Italy). Her main research interests are related to firm longevity and long-lived firms entrepreneurship; conservation and dissemination of culture and industrial heritage; service and tourism management specifically linked to the enhancement of territories with a focus on strategies and tools to characterize, communicate and promote a territory, its culture, its products. Her publications are mainly placed in accredited international journals such as Review of Managerial Science, Total Quality Management & Business Excellence, Journal of Place Management and Development, The TQM Journal.