A model for developing disabled tourism in the city of Yazd

Traveling always brings with itself a sense of rejuvenation, hope, and abandonment from daily activities. Most experts recommend traveling to the elderly, the disabled, and the veterans. The main issue for disabled people is their being ignored in the Iranian tourism network. Many urban and public spaces lack the proper facilities and are hard to use. People with disabilities have less or limited opportunities to enjoy tourism activities. Disabled tourism needs particular attention since Yazd was named a World Heritage by UNESCO. This research designed a model of the factors that influenced developing disabled tourism in Yazd. Reviewing the literature, we identified 15 essential factors, which were revised and modified into 13 after interviews with some experts. Using cognitive mapping technique and interpretive structural modeling, we designed a model for essential factors. The results showed that the most critical factors in developing disabled tourism included the role of the government in promoting such tourism, a customized transportation system for the disabled, and security.