Indonesia and the Challenges of Realizing Inclusive Tourism

The General Chairperson of the Indonesian Tourism Intellectuals Association, Professor Azril Azhari, explained that Indonesia began to initiate the concept of disability-friendly tourism since 2021. Meanwhile, the world had previously known the term Accessible Tourism (AT) in 2019 through the United Nations Tourism Organization (UNWTO) and The ONCE Foundation. According to Azril, the term “disability-friendly tourism” is actually less popular globally because the term Accessible Tourism is more commonly used and has a meaning that is closely related to Tourism for All. WHO data (2023) states that 1.3 billion people or around 16% of the world’s population have significant disabilities.

“This means that accessibility for all tourism facilities, products, and services must be a major part of every sustainable tourism policy,” said Azril in a conversation with detikTravel, Wednesday (18/12/2024).

However, he admitted that in Indonesia, the implementation of disability-friendly tourism is still partial. Only in toilets, parking lots, or ramps, so it has not become a single destination. The Importance of Certification and Implementation of Inclusive Principles: Certification has two main types, namely business certification and professional certification for business actors. Both are very important to determine the feasibility of a destination and the competence of its business actors, especially in adopting the concept of Accessible Tourism. He also emphasized that the term “disability-friendly” tends to represent additional services (extended services). On the contrary, Accessible Tourism is a basic criterion that is a basic need for every tourist with special needs.

“To achieve inclusive tourism, Indonesia must adopt universal principles that are international standards. This includes physical accessibility such as ramps and lifts, sensory accessibility such as voice-based information, and cognitive accessibility that is easy for people with disabilities to understand,” said Azril.

Examples and Challenges in Implementation: Several destinations such as Bali and Yogyakarta have adopted universal design principles, such as wheelchair-accessible beaches or facilities at the Temple. Mentawai Island has even provided a surfing experience that can be enjoyed by people with disabilities. However, Azril highlighted that its implementation is still limited.

“We face a big challenge in the form of a lack of understanding from business actors and local governments and the absence of initiators or facilitators who are able to drive the concept of Accessible Tourism. In fact, the tourism market opportunity is very large, with an economic impact of $ 58.7 billion per year (PR Newswire, 2020),” he said.

The importance of developing inclusive destinations to support Indonesian tourism. He also added that the presence of skilled workers from among the disabled can be a unique attraction that enriches the sector.

“However, the main goal remains the development of destinations that adopt universal standard principles to serve tourists with special needs,” said Azril.

Indonesia has a great opportunity to become a pioneer in Accessible Tourism in Southeast Asia. With a deep understanding, adequate certification, adoption of technology, and community involvement, Indonesia can create inclusive destinations that not only have an economic impact but also strengthen human values.

January 09, 2025, detikTravel(https://travel.detik.com/travel-news/d-7724798/indonesia-dan-tantangan-mewujudkan-pariwisata-inklusif)