Author(s)

Manuela Pires Rosa, Celeste Gameiro, Carlos Sousa and Patrícia Costa Pinto

Abstract

The present work is part of the Project for Scientific Research and Technological Development “Accessibility for All in Tourism”, focusing on modal interfaces designed according to the concepts of “Universal Design” and “Age Sensitive Design”. In this project 851 surveys were carried out on elderly tourists who travelled in the Algarve (Portugal) through the international Airport of Faro, in 2018, with a view to understanding their use of means of transport in their daily life. It characterizes the senior tourist in the Algarve according to: gender, age, disabilities that affect mobility and the need to use technical aids to move. It analyses and compares the means of transportation used by elderly tourists with and without disabilities. Findings demonstrate that elderly people with disabilities walk less on foot daily and several times a week and the majority of the respondents with disabilities claim to never using the bus, train and tram/metro. Respondents concede to having specific limitations in the use of some public transport. Older people with disabilities behave differently than other older people with regard to the choice and frequency of a particular means of transport.

Keywords

bus users, daily mobility, disability, elderly people, elderly tourist, means of transport.