Accessible Cruise Tourism – a Case Study of Carnival Corporation & plc

Theoretical background: In light of the trend towards increasing the participation of people with disabilities in socio-economic life, a number of ideas and concrete initiatives are emerging to serve this purpose. Topics discussed include accessible tourism, usually in the context of adaptation of accommodation facilities, tourist transport, tourist attractions and tourist sites. Given the rapidly growing market for cruise tourism, it is worth extending the scope of consideration to include the possibility of adapting its products to the needs of people with disabilities. Purpose of the article: The purpose of the article is to identify and evaluate the initiatives of Carnival Corporation & plc, a global cruise company, aimed at increasing the accessibility of its services to people with disabilities. Research methods: The article uses the method of critical literature analysis, a case study based on the analysis of secondary data, and the method of synthesis and logical inference. Main findings: Based on a model developed on the basis of literature analysis, describing the dimensions of accessible cruise tourism, the activities of Carnival Corporation & plc in this area were identified and assessed. Based on the analysis, it was determined that the company's activities are multidimensional and cover all areas indicated in the model, including those related to physical and communication accessibility. Ensuring the accessibility of services, such as tours in the visited ports, is relatively weakest. This is a difficult area because it requires cooperation with business partners, and they, for various reasons, are not always able to ensure such accessibility.