An Accessibility Hub has been added to the Cairns & Great Barrier Reef destination website to assist travelers with mobility impairment select activities and itineraries for their Tropical North Queensland holiday.
Tourism Tropical North Queensland CEO Mark Olsen said the team had worked closely with Spinal Life Australia and Out There Travel Care to put together content showcasing experiences and accommodation accessible to all travelers. “It has been an informative exercise discovering wheelchair-friendly beaches, Quicksilver’s water-powered lift to lower people into the water so they can snorkel on the Great Barrier Reef, and which rainforest boardwalks are best suited to wheelchairs,” he said.
The hub allows for people who need to consider accessibility to easily find accommodation options from specialized providers like Spinal Life’s Healthy Living Centre, which has personal support workers, to traditional hotels with accessible rooms, such as the Cairns Novotel Oasis Resort.
Senior Advisor Access and Advocacy for Spinal Life Australia Dane Cross said the accessible tourism market represented a largely untapped opportunity for tourism operators. “Often, tourism operators don’t know where to begin on their journey towards better accessibility. This workshop enables people to ask simple questions and find out more about where to begin,” he said. “We’d love to help tourism operators understand how to be more accessible and to secure a larger part of this market.”
Added Olsen: “Research by Tourism Australia has shown that accessible tourism can be a game-changer for destinations that will assist with post-pandemic recovery by building industry resilience. Treating accessibility as a competitive advantage that improves customer service and enhances quality of life for all is the key to tapping into the aging, but still adventurous, Baby Boomers who have the time and resources to travel.”
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