Abstract:

Most aspects of tourism and people with a disability are under studied. There has been no substantial empirical work that has investigated the travel problems of people with a disability in Australia. This paper presents an estimate of the size of the domestic, outbound and day trip markets of NSW people with a physical disability. This is based on the already completed secondary data collected in a study of the travel patterns and experiences of NSW people with a physical disability. The paper challenges the misconception by government and the tourism industry that the market is small and inconsequential. It does so by representing the first quantitative research to provide the government and the tourism industry with information about the dynamics of the market. The research surveyed persons in NSW with a physical disability using a mail-out self-completion questionnaire distributed by peak physical disability community bodies (eg the Australian Quadriplegic Assocaition) to its members that had a physical disability. 8,500 surveys were sent out and 2,700 completed surveys returned resulting in a response rate of 32%. Of those surveyed, 77% had undertaken domestic travel in the past year spending an average of $68 per trip. An estimated $150 million was spent in NSW and $472 million in Australia by persons with a physical disability over a 12 month period.