Percepção e estratégias redutoras de risco percebido: um estudo da experiência do turista deficiente físico

Abstract

Nowadays, the effect of discussions related to the agenda of interest to disabled people has attracted researchers interests from different fields of knowledge. Traditional approaches range from the focus on the physiology of the deficiencies until the investigation into the prejudice and social condition of disabled. Usually the publications in the tourism prioritize the promotion of accessibility and adaptation of tourist facilities to meet the needs of disabled people. However, examinating the literature on the subject we can realize the lack of studies on the perception of disabled tourists, their impressions and opinions. Aiming to know the elements involved in risk perception of disabled tourists as well as the strategies that are used to minimize this perception, this study used the theoretical model of perceived risk that was introduced by Raymond Bauer (1967) and multivariate approach to perceived risk proposed by Zikmund and Scott (1974). From a series of interviews and focus groups of disabled people who have the habit of traveling, the attributes generators of risk perception that are directly associated to the limitations of disabled people were identified and they represent a relevant source of concern when these people decide to travel. These attributes are characteristic of the tourist destinations or of disabled person and it can be summarized in the following categories: adaptation of services and tourist facilities, type of disability of the person, the urban structure of the place, services offered to disabled people and use of privileges reserved to disabled. The speech of integrants of focus group shows the great importance of these attributes as elements of differentiation in the risk perception of tourists disabled. Based on this, the current work can provide a relevant contribution to understand perceptions and touristic experience of disabled people, proposing an approach that links risk perceptions and attributes that are considered relevant to the disabled people.