Accessible tourism: a cross-country analysis of Bulgaria, Romania,Sweden, Norway, Spain, and Italy

This paper explores the adoption of accessible tourism practices by tour operatorsin two Balkan countries (Bulgaria and Romania), two Scandinavian countries (Swedenand Norway), and an two established tourism destinations (Spain and Italy). Usingcontent analysis of data from TripAdvisor, the study assesses the share of tour operatorsthat feature accessible tourism services, also focusing on the types of accessibility needsaddressed. The findings reveal that Balkan countries lag behind Scandinavian countriesin providing accessible tourism options. Additionally, the analysis shows that TripAdvisorprimarily covers accessibility options related to physical and sensory needs, with limitedinformation on other types of special needs. This comparative study highlights regionaldisparities in accessible tourism practices and underscores the need for more comprehensiveaccessibility features in tourism platforms like TripAdvisor. Future research shouldexplore the underlying reasons for the low levels of adoption of accessible tourism practicesin certain regions and examine the factors contributing to cross-country differences.