Project R-10059

Including Tourism as a business transformer for accommodation providers and businesses (Research)

Tourism is growing in Flanders. Visitor numbers are on the rise, but the occupancy rate of Flemish accommodations can still increase. According to Tourism Flanders (2018), the occupancy rate of Flemish accommodations in 2018 is equal to 64%. Including tourism offers many opportunities to improve this percentage. With an estimated 1 in 6 Flemish people claiming to have a disability and/or need for care, the anticipated demographic trends such as the ageing population, but also the (care) needs for family holidays, they constitute a diverse but significant target group. This constitutes a clear strategic opportunity for Flemish accommodation providers to potentially increase their occupancy rate (a.o. during off-peak moments) and economic levers through innovation opportunities for Flemish suppliers in the tourism sector (suppliers of [technological] products, interior designers, architects, and contractors who help shape carefree stays). Recent research by the University of Hasselt (2018) shows specifically for Limburg that the very large responsibility as operator, the required investments and the too limited knowledge about the target group are the most important bottlenecks not to focus on inclusive tourism. However, research by the European Commission (2014) shows that up to 49% more return could be generated in Belgium if accommodation providers invested at least in accessibility. The many economic arguments in favour of inclusive tourism appear so far to be too unknown to entrepreneurs in the tourism sector. Universal Design (UD) or 'design for all' is a central concept in the development and understanding of inclusive tourism. UD does not mean "one size fits all", but "stretching the fit". And this is precisely where there is a potential that can be of great added value for tourist accommodation. UD is not only about infrastructure. Previous research by Vives (2015) & VZW accessibility agency (2007) has shown that a holistic approach with attention to the financial aspect, communication and customer friendliness should not be lacking in the business transformation. The end user is the sounding board to test 'designing for everyone

01 October 2019 - 30 November 2021