Top travel destinations for seniors

It seems the young are not the only ones who have caught a case of the ‘travel bug’. Tourism operators worldwide are now reportedly catering for an increasing group of ageing travellers, as well as those with disabilities.

While some people with disabilities and the elderly may be anxious as they embark on holidays, the amount of information readily available to these groups is minimal.

Tourism researcher at the University of Technology Sydney Business School, Simon Darcy, told news.com.au Australian tourism operators needed to meet the special needs of these groups.

“If they really want to cater for accessible tourism, they need to design products that are of an equal experience rather than a second-rate experience,” Mr Darcy said.

Below are some of the destinations which are listed as disability and age-friendly by news.com.au:

Hawaii

Hawaii is reportedly a great destination for elderly people and those with disabilities. There are wheelchair-friendly tours on Oahu’s Windward Coast, with boarding ramps provided, while non-profit organisation AccesSurf Hawaii helps people with disabilities enjoy the water with tandem surfboards, wave skis and specially designed shoreline flotation equipment.

Bali

A person with a disability may enjoy the serendipity of Villa G at Ellora, which is in a group of 11 villas in a quiet location just off the well-known Danau Tamblingan St. The villa, about 10 minutes from Denpasar and 30 minutes from Kuta, has no steps and the pool has a large pool hoist for guests with limited mobility and a hand rail for those who use the steps.

Two rooms have been adapted for guests in wheelchairs, with 1.8m wide shower entrances.

Bali Access Travel specialises in accessible wheelchair travel in Bali, Java and Lombok, equipment hire, a home care service and airport transfers.

No place like home…

For those who believe ‘there is no place like home’, Uluru in the Northern Territory may be the ideal place to visit. All restaurants and bars, hotel reception areas, the town square and shops at Ayers Rock Resort reportedly have access for wheelchairs.

Similarly, Sydney has many services for the vision and hearing-impaired.

The Art Gallery of NSW offers several access programs, including free interpreters for groups of visitors who are deaf and who book at least two weeks in advance.

It also has a free program called In Touch at the Gallery which offers guided sensory tours for people who are blind or vision-impaired, allowing them to experience the tactile qualities of bronze and marble.

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