A Narrative Inquiry into the Travel Experiences of the Visually Impaired with Tour Packages

Document Type : Original Article

Authors
زهرا راجی
ali shakori
mahdiye bod
Social Policy Group, Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran.
10.22034/jitor.2025.734947
Abstract
In today’s world, tourism is widely acknowledged as a fundamental right of the public. Therefore, the policymakers and planners are required to take concrete measures to ensure equitable access of the public to tourism, particularly for persons suffering from disabilities. In this regard, some significant projects have been carried out in Iran. However, what matters the most in such projects is the quality and the extent to which the projects address the specific needs of the target groups, which can meaningfully be identified through the travel narratives of the tourists themselves. Therefore, this study sought to investigate the experiences of blind individuals who have participated in group tours alongside sighted travelers. The required data were collected through in-depth, semi-structured interviews with 20 blind participants who were selected throughout Iran using purposive sampling. The data were then analyzed based on Butler-Kisber’s (2010) descriptive phenomenological method using the ATLAS TI qualitative analysis software. The findings of the study indicated that blind travelers’ experiences could be classified into two overarching categories: tangible experiences and intangible (mental) experiences, both significantly shaped by the visitors’ travel motivations. Moreover, it was found that such experiences exerted considerable influence on the participants’ post-travel decisions. The study also highlighted the pivotal role of travelers’ initial motivations and their perceived image of the destination in shaping post-travel decisions. Taking the findings into consideration, the study proposes some recommendations to improve the travel experiences of blind individuals participating in group tours.
Keywords
Narrative Inquiry
Tourism for the Visually Disabled
Accessible Tourism
Travel Tours
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