AusLeisure

A partnership between bodies active in tourism and accessibility in Cairns and the Great Barrier Reef have launched a new online hub for visitors with mobility impairment to help select activities and itineraries in Tropical North Queensland.

Advising that Tourism Tropical North Queensland (TTNQ) had worked closely with Spinal Life Australia and Out There Travel Care to put together content showcasing experiences and accommodation accessible to all travellers, TTNQ Chief Executive, Mark Olsen commented “it has been an informative exercise discovering wheelchair-friendly beaches, Quicksilver’s water-powered lift to lower people into the water so they can snorkel on the Great Barrier Reef, and which rainforest boardwalks are best suited to wheelchairs.

“People needing to consider accessibility can now easily find accommodation options from specialised providers like Spinal Life’s Healthy Living Centre which has personal support workers to traditional hotels with accessible rooms such as the Cairns Novotel Oasis Resort.

“Disabled Mission Beach journalist Imogen Kars has put our accommodation and tours to the test and written a series of blogs on travel options in Cairns, Palm Cove, the Cassowary Coast, Port Douglas and the Atherton Tablelands.”

Senior Advisor Access and Advocacy for Spinal Life Australia Dane Cross said the accessible tourism market represented a largely untapped opportunity for tourism operators, adding “it’s been great to work with Tourism Tropical North Queensland on this project - and in our view, this is the best accessibility information available for any region in Australia.

“Often, tourism operators don’t know where to begin on their journey towards better accessibility – this workshop enables people to ask simple questions and find out more about where to begin. We’d love to help tourism operators understand how to be more accessible and to secure a larger part of this market.”

Image: The wheelchair accessible Dubuji Boardwalk. Credit: TTNQ.

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