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Adapting the TOURQUAL scale for accessible tourism: Assessing service quality for people with physical disabilities
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Ricardo Noboru Shimosakai ,
Tiago Savi Mondo ,
Erose Sthapit ,
Brian Garrod ,
J. Andres Coca-Stefaniak
Strategic Business Research, Volume: 2, Issue: 1, Start page: 100062
Swansea University Author:
Brian Garrod
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Author accepted manuscript document released under the terms of a Creative Commons CC-BY licence using the Swansea University Research Publications Policy (rights retention).
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DOI (Published version): 10.1016/j.sbr.2026.100062
Abstract
Traditional service-quality frameworks often fail to adequately capture the experiences of people with disabilities in tourism contexts. Although accessibility has been increasingly discussed in tourism research, limited guidance exists on how existing service-quality models can be meaningfully adap...
| Published in: | Strategic Business Research |
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| ISSN: | 3051-0643 |
| Published: |
Elsevier BV
2026
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| Online Access: |
Check full text
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| URI: | https://cronfa.swan.ac.uk/Record/cronfa71257 |
| Abstract: |
Traditional service-quality frameworks often fail to adequately capture the experiences of people with disabilities in tourism contexts. Although accessibility has been increasingly discussed in tourism research, limited guidance exists on how existing service-quality models can be meaningfully adapted from the perspective of tourists with physical disabilities. This study explores how the TOURQUAL scale can be adapted to better reflect accessibility-related quality perceptions among tourists with physical disabilities in the Brazilian context. Using a qualitative approach, a focus group was conducted with six participants presenting different types of physical disability, enabling an in-depth examination of lived tourism experiences. Data were analysed using Bardin’s content analysis and organised using the hierarchical model proposed by Philip and Hazlett, which classifies indicators into pivotal, core, and peripheral attributes. The findings highlight that accessibility-related service quality extends beyond physical infrastructure, encompassing attitudinal, communicational, technical, emotional, and relational dimensions, including indicators related to staff sensitivity and training, accuracy of accessibility information, autonomy-supportive service delivery, maintenance of accessible infrastructure, and trust in service provision. The hierarchical organisation of indicators provides a structured way to prioritise accessibility-related attributes based on their perceived relevance to autonomy, safety, and dignity in tourism experiences. Rather than proposing a universal protocol, this study offers a user-informed and context-sensitive framework that illustrates how service-quality models such as TOURQUAL can be adapted to incorporate accessibility considerations. The results contribute conceptually and methodologically to the literature on accessible tourism, as well as providing practical insights for tourism managers seeking to improve inclusive service quality. |
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| Keywords: |
TOURQUAL; Service quality; Accessibility; Physical disabilities; Content analysis; Hierarchical model |
| College: |
Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences |
| Issue: |
1 |
| Start Page: |
100062 |