Disabled Tourism: A Challenge for Thai Tourism Industry

Kanlaya Swangkong

kanlaya.swa@dpu.ac.th

Abstract

This article was aimed to offer ideas about managing tourism for the disabled, a group of tourists being increased steadily and important both socially and economically. This group of tourists was considered as a new challenge for operators in the tourism industry of Thailand. This article offered concept in four main points: 1) disabled and the disabled tourism in the world 2) the market value of the disabled tourists 3) problems and obstacles of the disabled to travel, and 4) guidelines of operators in the tourism industry. These concepts will provide operators with the correct understanding about the importance of disabled tourism in order to response to the rights of the disabled and business opportunities.

Keyword: Tourism, Disabled, Disabled Tourism, Challenge for Thai Tourism Industry