A pitch for disabled tourists
****Disability not a barrier but public facilities sorely lacking
Yvonne Bohwongprasert
Bangkok Post (dd. 09 februari 2006 dn)
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Gutsy Yaowaluck (Meaw) Nilsingkhron on a recent trip to Hong Kong: “I don’t let my disability stand in my way when it comes to exploring new cultures and places.”
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Rafting… who said disabled tourists lacked steel or were easily overcome by nerves.
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A visiting tourist frolicking at a waterfall under the watchful eyes of her caretaker.
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Refusing to be tied down by her handicap, a wheelchair tourist gives this deer at a local zoo an affectionate tap on its forehead.
Thailand has overlooked the potential of tapping into the inbound disabled tourist market even though travellers in this segment spend as much as any well-heeled able bodied traveller, says veteran tour operator Yaowaluck Nilsingkhron.
The outgoing branch manager of Queen Travel Service has herself tried every mode of transportation to traverse back country destinations with friends and at times all on her own.
“Thailand is truly an internationally recognised tourist destination but little attention has been accorded to the basic needs of tourists confined to the wheelchair, or for that matter people suffering from other forms of disability,” Yaowaluck said.
“Disabled people will normally not come to Thailand if they didn’t have the resources to finance their trip. From my experience of travelling in Thailand, there is an acute shortage of ramps, adequate bathrooms and toilets for the disabled in hotels and service stations.”
Drawing from her seven years of experience in the travel industry, Yaowaluck says disabled tourists from Europe and Asia are charmed by Thailand’s culture and hospitality. They have the spending power to bring much-needed foreign exchange into the country.
She suggested that the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) should set up support centres to service this segment of the market. TAT staff manning the booths should be competent enough to provide maps and guidance about hotels that disabled tourists could use during their stay in the Kingdom.
Yaowaluck also suggested that university students and new graduates with an eye for travel should be recruited for the job. It would be better still if they had studied physical therapy and rehabilitation so they can use that knowledge to provide service to tourists and benefit therefrom.
“Officials in charge of city infrastructure should bear disabled people in mind when building public toilets and pavements. If proper facilities are there for everyone in our society, it would be good for the country’s image in the eyes of outsiders,” noted Yaowaluck.
"Another area that needs to be developed is manpower. I would urge students to consider entering the tourism sector only if they are service-minded. I would like them to study languages and not discriminate against colour or race.
“They should be taught from a young age to be considerate. Thais don’t generally discriminate against disabled tourists with fair skin, but they tend to look down on one that is their own. These double standards should not be allowed to continue,” she added.
Meanwhile tours designed specifically for disabled travellers are virtually non-existent in a country that prides itself as a world-class tourist destination.
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This Australian tour group enjoyed each and every minute of their elephant trek in Pattaya.
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Feels nice being patted by tourists, the baby elephant seems to be saying.
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An Australian tourist prepares to board a van that will take her to the elephant village in the coastal resort of Pattaya.
One of the few that is around is Pattaya-based Adventure Holidays run by Tom and Malee Grant.
It offers packages tailored to meet visitor-specific needs. Its tour coordinator, Umawan Kunthothong - who took over Malee’s job after she was diagnosed with multiple scleroses three years ago - said she feels happy she can put a smile on the face of her clients.
To her, each tour group is special because the level and type of disability differs; some tourists travel with their family and others with caretakers. A lot of patience and understanding is required to help some tourists overcome fears that can take various forms.
“Sometimes we take them to places they want to visit but on arrival they may refuse to get down the van because of certain trepidations that able bodied people may not understand,” Umawan said. " However, there are also happy times. One activity some of them enjoy is speedboat ride in the Kwai River, Kanchanaburi. River rafting is also popular. However, in all these activities we have caretakers that look after them at every step."
Umawan says soft and hard adventure activities can be arranged to suit individual preferences. Elephant trekking is one outdoor activity which disabled tourists can indulge in, no matter what their handicap, and enjoy it as well. There is the initial hesitation of getting on the back of the giant beast but after conquering that hurdle they find it stimulating. They tend to associate the leisurely pace of the elephant with the pace of life in Thailand.
Safety and well-being of clients is Umawan’s and her staff’s biggest concern. City tours often hit snags, she laments, because the pavements are poorly built, while toilets for the disabled are also in short supply, especially when one gets out of the city.
Poor infrastructure aside, Umawan urges Thais to acquire a more positive attitude towards disabled people.
"Many Thais believe that disabled people should not venture outside their houses because they can’t cope with physical and emotional stress.
"This is not true. For example, when we take them for elephant trekking, the beast’s owner usually asks me if they were fit to undertake such activity. So I have to explain to them that they are and that we take all measures to guarantee their safety.
“Disabled people have a desire to indulge in activities more suited to able bodied people. We should never underestimate their ability because some of our guests have gone jet-skiing, go-karting and paragliding, with professionals at their side,” she said.
Ayutthaya, Kanchanaburi, Pattaya and Ko Chang are popular destinations, along with elephant trekking in Chiang Mai beacuse after a mere two-hour ride they can enjoy beautiful mountain scenery. They also love watching Muay Thai, traditional dances, musical shows and checking out the night life.
From the feedback she has received from clients, Umawan sees great potential for growth in this segment, and even though the weather can be humid at times and road conditions far from perfect, Thai hospitality, food and beautiful nature more than make up for those imperfections.
She urged TAT to work with provincial authorities to put in place the right toilets and infrastructure before disabled tourists start thinking of spending their money in other countries.
