SubscribeOn the verge of taking of from New Zealand to present at the Fundacion ONCE/ENAT-sponsored Inclusive Tourism conference in Valladoiolid Tour Watch member Sandra Rhodda announces a first for her country -- and a great honor for herself:
In a first for New Zealand, The New Zealand Tourism Research Institute at Auckland University of Technology has created a Research Programme Area in Access Tourismheaded by Sandra Rhodda. NZTRI's Access Tourism programme aims to research and develop Access Tourism in NZ. Access Tourism is tourism, travel, and hospitality for people with permanent or temporary disabilities, seniors, parents with strollers, and any person with a need for improved access. This is an interdisciplinary research area that addresses the challenges and opportunities presented by Access Tourism. The Access Tourist already represents a sizeable proportion of our tourism markets. Between 17 and 20% of the population in our main markets already report a disability, and this percentage is bound to grow because the large Baby Boomer cohort is ageing and disability increases with age. Those aged 45 or older already comprise almost half of our domestic and international visitors (and over 70% of our cruise ship visitors). Areas of interest include: Full story here -- 
Precipitating Dialogue on Travel, Disability, and Universal Design