ACCESSIBILITY:
AN IMPORTANT ECONOMIC
OPPORTUNITY FOR THE EUROPEAN
TOURISM SECTOR
Victoria Eichhorn
[email protected]
University of Surrey/
Partner of the OSSATE
(One-Stop-Shop for Accessible Tourism in Europe) – Project)
Overview
1.
Methodology
2.
General Demand for Accessibility in Europe
Target Markets for accessibility:
People with Impairments
Elderly Population
Able-Bodied Citizens
Market Size – General demand for accessibility
3.
Tourism Market Potential in Europe
Potential Travel Market
Potential Tourism Revenues
4.
Other Case Studies
Market Size and Potential for
Accessible Tourism
2
Methodology
Market Size and Potential for
Accessible Tourism
3
Methodology
Comprehensive literature
accounts and websites.
review
of
reports,
statistical
Currently: limited research on disability at a broader scale
and figures vary from source to source.
Sources that were used to gather the prevalence figures of
disability and the elderly population include:
Eurostat
Eurobarometer
US Census Bureau (for demographic data)
Data sets from surveys or studies at the regional and national
level have been incorporated to:
Compare existing data sets
Validate general findings
Market Size and Potential for
Accessible Tourism
4
General Demand
for Accessibility in
Europe
Market Size and Potential for
Accessible Tourism
5
Target Markets
People with impairments
In Europe:
Worldwide:
> 46 million* (population aged 16 to 64)
between 600 and 900 million citizens**
The ageing population
EU (currently): > 75 million***
Able-bodied citizens
Almost everyone
* Eurostat 2003, 2005
** Daruwalla & Darcy 2005; Smith 1987; Horgan-Jones & Ringaert 2004
*** U.S. Census Bureau 2005
Market Size and Potential for
Accessible Tourism
6
People with Impairments (1)
Total number of the
population with LongStanding Health
Problems and
Disabilities (LSHPD)
(aged 16 to 64) =
ALL
15.7
NO
16.4
5.8
RO
27.2
UK
19.9
SE
8.7
ES
19.5
SI
8.2
SK
20.1
PT
(in 25 European countries)
8.5
MT
Countries
> 46 million
citizens
25.4
NL
11.7
LU
8.4
LT
6.6
IT
11.0
IE
11.3
HU
10.3
GR
One in six persons
(15.7%)
11.2
DE
24.6
FR
32.2
FI
23.7
EE
19.9
DK
Most prudent/
conservative
estimation
BE = Belgium
DK = Denmark
DE = Germany
GR = Greece
ES = Spain
FR = France
IE = Ireland
IT = Italy
LU =
Luxembourg
NL =
Netherlands
PT = Portugal
AT = Austria
FI = Finland
SE = Sweden
UK = United
Kingdom
CZ = Czech
Republic
EE = Estonia
CY = Cyprus
LT = Lithuania
HU = Hungary
MT = Malta
SI = Slovenia
SK = Slovak
Republic
NO = Norway
RO = Romania
20.2
CZ
12.2
CY
18.4
BE
12.8
AT
0.0
5.0
10.0
15.0
20.0
Percentage of population
25.0
30.0
35.0
Eurostat 2003
Market Size and Potential for
Accessible Tourism
7
People with Impairments (2)
Among the most prevailing subcategories of LSHPD:
Hidden
illnesses
(dysfunctions
of heart) =
12.7%
Hidden
impairments
(chest or
breathing
problems) =
9.4%
Hidden
impairments: skin
conditions
Hidden
impairments:
epilepsy
Hidden
impairments:
other progressive
illnesses
Hidden
impairments:
other LSHPD
Mobility
impairments:
back/ neck
Hidden
impairments:
heart/ blood
pressure/
circulation
Mobility
impairments: legs/
feet
Mobility
impairments:
arms/ hands
Hidden
impairments:
stomach/ liver/
kidney/ digestive
Seeing
impairments
Hidden
impairments:
chest/ breathing
Hidden
impairments:
diabetes
Hearing
impairments
Mental/ intellectual
impairments
Mobility
impairments
(affecting
people’s neck
or back) =
19.3%
Mobility
impairments
(affecting
people’s legs
or feet) =
11.3%
Speech
impairments
Mental/ intellectual
impairments = 9.3%
Eurostat 2005
Market Size and Potential for
Accessible Tourism
8
The Elderly Population
There is a strong and positive correlation between ageing and
LSHPD
35.0
30.0
25.0
Percentage
Thus: elderly population
has similar accessibility
requirements as people
with impairments
20.0
15.0
10.0
Currently: Elderly
population in Europe
and worldwide is
continuously ageing
5.0
0.0
16-24
25-29
30-34
35-39
40-44
45-49
50-54
55-59
60-64
Age
25 European countries include = Belgium, Denmark, Germany, Greece, Spain, France, Ireland, Italy,
Luxembourg, Netherlands, Portugal, Austria, Finland, Sweden, United Kingdom, Czech Republic, Estonia,
Cyprus, Lithuania, Hungary, Malta, Slovenia, Slovak Republic, Norway & Romania
By looking at European figures alone, the total number of
elderly citizens is estimated to increase by nearly 35%** by
the end of 2025
* Eurostat 2003
** U.S. Census Bureau 2005
Market Size and Potential for
Accessible Tourism
9
Able-Bodied Population
Able-bodied citizens also have accessibility needs that have to
be catered for
Ability exists on a continuum of high, mid-range and low
ability
Often people have temporary limitations
during the normal course of their life
Almost everyone tends to lose ability
as they age
The “average” person often has
“non-average” needs or limitations
Thus: Need to bring disability/
accessibility into the mainstream
Market Size and Potential for
Accessible Tourism
10
Market Size - General
Providing information about accessibility for particular people with
impairments and the elderly decides whether they engage in
the travel process or not.
40
Demand for accessibility in
25 European countries:
> 127 million*
35
30
3 7 .1
34
32
2 9 .1
2 8 .2
2 4 .5
25
2 2 .9
2 3 .2
2 3 .5
2 5 .2
2 5 .7
2 9 .5
3 0 .3
3 0 .4
3 2 .4
3 0 .6
2 8 .6
2 6 .3
2 3 .8
22
1 9 .4
20
1 7 .6
1 8 .6
2 0 .4
1 8 .6
15
Includes mild, moderate and severe
impairments, long-standing health problems as
well as the elderly population having
accessibility requirements
10
5
0
SK
MT
RO
CY
LT
LU
HU
IE
ES
IT
NO
AT
GR
DE
DK
CZ
SI
BE
PT
SE
NL
EE
FR
UK
FI
General demand for accessibility in Europe per country (% of population) * Eurostat 2003, 2005;
U.S. Census Bureau 2005
Market Size and Potential for
Accessible Tourism
11
Tourism
Market
Potential in
Europe
Market Size and Potential for
Accessible Tourism
12
Potential Travel Market
General demand for accessibility: 127.5 million
Market research has shown:
70%* of the population in demand for accessibility has
both, the physical as well as financial means to travel.
Thus: potential travel market: > 89 million
Further research revealed that people with accessibility
needs seldom travel alone:
Thus: multiplier effect for friends and family members:
0.5*
Total potential travel market in Europe:
> 133 million
*
Deloitte Touche ‘Tourism for All in Europe’ 1993
Market Size and Potential for
Accessible Tourism
13
Potential Tourism Revenues
Potential Tourism Revenues (average holiday
expenditure in EU in 2003=620 Euro* per arrival):
> 80 billion Euros
In reality, these figures will even be higher due to
two reasons:
1. calculations based only on people with impairments,
the elderly population and their friends and family
members
2. calculations based on Europeans. However, there are
also people from all over the world which choose Europe
as their holiday destination
* Eurostat 2005
Market Size and Potential for
Accessible Tourism
14
Other Case
Studies
Market Size and Potential for
Accessible Tourism
15
Other case studies (1)
US:
Figures from 1997: nearly 21% of the US population
(approx. 54 million people with impairments)*.
By 2030: The total disabled population will increase by 30.9
million and the severely disabled population will increase by 21
million, when compared to 1997*.
American adults with impairments spend $13.6 billion on travel
each year*
More than 2 out of 5, who travel outside the US choose Europe as
holiday destination
Canada:
Figures from 1991: 15.5% of the Canadian population
(approx. 2.7 million people with impairments)**
In 1991: 45% of persons with disabilities were 65 years of age or
older***
By 2041: ~ 23% of the Canadians will be over 65, up from 12%
in 1995***
* Open Doors Organisation, 2005
** van Horn, 2002
*** Horgan-Jones & Ringaert, 2004
Market Size and Potential for
Accessible Tourism
16
Other case studies (2)
Australia:
Figures from 1993: 18% of the Australian population
(approx: > 3 million persons with impairments)
For people 75 years and older:
the disability rate is 14 times in comparison to people aged
35 to 44 years.
New Zealand:
Figures from 1997: ~ 20% of the population
(approx. 80.000 people with impairments)**
* Darcy, 1998
** Shelton & Tucker, 2005
Market Size and Potential for
Accessible Tourism
17
SUMMARY:
Potentially, this is a huge market
It will depend on the tourism industry to
respond to this potential with the
development of a coherent strategy to
adequately target this market.
Market Size and Potential for
Accessible Tourism
18
THANK YOU!
For more information about
market analysis and potential:
www.ossate.org
Victoria Eichhorn / [email protected]
University of Surrey