Rethinking Tourism Experiences for Everyone
A New Vision of Tourism
For many years, accessible tourism was defined primarily by the presence of ramps, elevators, adapted rooms or dedicated services for people with disabilities. These elements remain essential. Yet, a new vision is emerging — one that goes beyond physical adaptations to embrace the idea of inclusion in every dimension of the travel experience. Inclusive tourism considers not only movement and access, but also communication, digital participation, cultural understanding, and a sense of equity for all travellers.
This is the ambition of the SMART Inclusion project: to help destinations evolve from basic accessibility to a fully inclusive, socially sustainable and digitally empowered tourism model.
What Does Inclusive Tourism Mean Today?
Inclusive tourism aims to ensure that everyone — regardless of their abilities, age, language skills or digital literacy — can enjoy a destination with the same level of comfort, information and autonomy. It is not limited to removing barriers; it focuses on creating equitable experiences.
In practice, this means rethinking how information is provided, how visitors navigate through the destination, how they communicate with providers, how cultural content is delivered, and how technology can support different needs. Inclusion is a mindset that treats diversity as a strength and places the traveller at the centre of the experience.
Smart Tools Shaping Inclusive Experiences
Digital innovation is a major enabler of this shift. In many destinations, travellers already rely on phones to plan, book, navigate and engage with attractions. When technology is designed inclusively, it becomes a powerful tool to remove barriers.
Interactive maps and mobile applications, for example, can provide real-time indications on accessible routes, the location of elevators, adapted public transport or services for people with reduced mobility. Virtual or augmented reality solutions are increasingly used by museums and heritage sites to offer remote discovery or help visitors prepare their visit by checking accessibility in advance. Audio descriptions, subtitled videos, easy-to-read content or multilingual interfaces promote inclusion not only for people with disabilities, but also for older adults, families with children, or international visitors.
Inclusion also requires a participatory approach. The most innovative destinations are working with local communities, associations and travellers with specific needs to co-create solutions. This process helps avoid superficial adjustments and instead promotes services that are genuinely useful, intuitive and respectful of individual autonomy.
Why Inclusion Matters
Moving from accessibility to inclusion is not just a technical evolution — it is a cultural shift. It acknowledges that every traveller’s needs are different and that the tourism experience should adapt, rather than expecting individuals to adapt to limited systems.
This approach has a strong social value: tourism becomes a space where everyone has the right to discover new places, connect with heritage and share experiences. It also has an economic dimension. People with disabilities, seniors, families with young children and many other groups represent a large share of potential travellers whose needs are often underserved. Inclusive tourism opens doors to untapped markets while enhancing the overall quality of service.
Finally, inclusion aligns naturally with sustainability. A destination that invests in digital accessibility, social equity and user-centred services is also building resilience and reducing inequalities — key pillars of sustainable development.
The Contribution of SMART Inclusion
SMART Inclusion offers a comprehensive approach that brings digitalisation, inclusivity and sustainability together. The project’s Toolkit and Guide provide concrete methods, examples, and recommendations to support tourism stakeholders who want to make their services more accessible and inclusive. They highlight strategies for improving digital content, redesigning services based on real user needs, and developing staff skills through training and capacity-building actions.
Workshops, events and exchanges between partners create a collective space where local authorities, tourism SMEs, technology providers and associations can learn from each other. This collaborative approach is essential for transforming ideas into long-term practices.
Toward a Shared Culture of Inclusive Tourism
Inclusive tourism is not the result of isolated initiatives. It requires a shared commitment across the tourism ecosystem: from businesses and public authorities to designers, developers, associations and travellers themselves. The shift toward inclusion begins with a simple intention — to make sure no one is left behind when discovering the world.
The SMART Inclusion project invites all actors to embrace this vision and contribute to a new model of tourism that is open, fair and creative. By combining innovation and empathy, destinations can evolve toward a truly inclusive, smart and sustainable future.
