Abstract
Accessibility and personalisation are crucial for enhancing the travel booking experience and are also important for different mobile apps. However, many travel-related platforms have limited functionality and remain inaccessible, creating barriers for users, including those who use assistive technologies. This exploratory research is part of a multi-phased project that aims to explore various accessible travel booking and mobility apps to help identify greater levels of inclusion and access to the tourism experience. The authors distributed an online survey (N=195) through various channels and differentiated data by age. Younger age groups were more likely to use a booking app with personalisation features, such as text-to-voice and voice-to-text. Most respondents agreed that using accessible travel booking apps would improve their booking experience. While younger respondents felt that travel booking and mobility apps should have more accessible design, many respondents aged 55+ also agreed that accessible technology would make it easier to book travel requirements. The research indicates that the need for accessible features and design in mobile apps is not limited to specific age groups or people with disabilities. These findings highlight the importance of accessible and personalised mobile apps in the travel industry and the need for further development in this area to promote greater inclusion and accessibility for all users. While the study provides valuable insights into the importance of accessible and personalised mobile apps for travel booking, future research could examine how participants interacted with specific apps when doing specific tasks.
Presenters
Emmet Mc LoughlinSenior Lecturer, Tourism, Hospitality and Events, Cardiff Metropolitan University, United Kingdom
Details
Presentation Type
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session
Theme
Changing Dimensions of Contemporary Tourism
KEYWORDS
Accessible mobile apps, Personalisation features, Travel booking, Inclusion, Assistive technologies
