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Disability awareness of frontline staff in selected hotels in the Cape Winelands
Author(s)
Swanepoel, Lizinda
Date Issued
2020
Type
Thesis
Publisher
Cape Peninsula University of Technology
Abstract
Universal Accessibility implies that everybody has an equal chance to access anything they
desire; which should also be the situation in the tourism industry. The United Nations World
Tourism Organisation has pleaded that tourism be open to all, despite any impairments. Universal
Accessibility is not always available to visually-, intellectually-, mobile-, psychiatrically- and
learning-impoverished persons — the People with Disabilities group — often denying them the
tourist activity pleasures enjoyed by healthy persons. The obvious challenges include restriction
of mobility but few facilities are visually impaired friendly, besides addressing the other
impairments.
The study question was to investigate whether hospitality staff are educated or trained to assist
People with Disabilities to enjoy the facilities offered to paying guests fully at a place of
accommodation. The South African Tourism Grading Council questioned whether
accommodation establishments in this country were aware of the challenges which face People
with Disabilities and the contribution to the South African gross domestic product of this niche
group of travellers. They hinted People with Disabilities were at the mercy of poorly qualified
hospitality staff.
The study adopted a quanitative methodology, following convenience sampling framework,
focussing on the Cape Winelands area of Cape Town.
The study provisionally found that accommodation establishments did make some provision for
mobility-impaired persons at the establishments and in the bedrooms but were tardy in public
areas and sadly lacking in employing suitably qualified staff to address the needs of People with
Disabilities. In addition, the study revealed that tourism educational institutions were also not
addressing the needs of People with Disabilities. The study is of material importance to tourism
organisations, such as Cape Town Tourism, in promoting tourism to one of the world’s major
tourism destinations
desire; which should also be the situation in the tourism industry. The United Nations World
Tourism Organisation has pleaded that tourism be open to all, despite any impairments. Universal
Accessibility is not always available to visually-, intellectually-, mobile-, psychiatrically- and
learning-impoverished persons — the People with Disabilities group — often denying them the
tourist activity pleasures enjoyed by healthy persons. The obvious challenges include restriction
of mobility but few facilities are visually impaired friendly, besides addressing the other
impairments.
The study question was to investigate whether hospitality staff are educated or trained to assist
People with Disabilities to enjoy the facilities offered to paying guests fully at a place of
accommodation. The South African Tourism Grading Council questioned whether
accommodation establishments in this country were aware of the challenges which face People
with Disabilities and the contribution to the South African gross domestic product of this niche
group of travellers. They hinted People with Disabilities were at the mercy of poorly qualified
hospitality staff.
The study adopted a quanitative methodology, following convenience sampling framework,
focussing on the Cape Winelands area of Cape Town.
The study provisionally found that accommodation establishments did make some provision for
mobility-impaired persons at the establishments and in the bedrooms but were tardy in public
areas and sadly lacking in employing suitably qualified staff to address the needs of People with
Disabilities. In addition, the study revealed that tourism educational institutions were also not
addressing the needs of People with Disabilities. The study is of material importance to tourism
organisations, such as Cape Town Tourism, in promoting tourism to one of the world’s major
tourism destinations
Additional information
Thesis (MTech (Tourism Management and Hospitality Management)--Cape Peninsula University of Technology, 2020
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