Tourism, Perceived Travel limitations, Seligman's Helplessness Theory, Disabled People

While leisure limitations have long been the subject of research, there has recently been a growing trend in academic studies that examine such limitations in terms of tourism and disability. However, as those studies are merely limited to the identification and elaboration of the barriers and limitations., the current study sought to investigate the influence of such limitations on the target population. Therefore, based on the study conducted by Lee et al. (2012), the current study set out to investigate the effect of perceived travel limitations on the tourism tendency of physically disabled individuals living in Tehran, Iran, using Seligman's Helplessness Theory. The required data for this applied, descriptive-analytical correlational study was collected through a survey using a researcher-developed questionnaire. The statistical population of the study comprised all physically disabled people, those suffering from spinal cord injury, and war-disabled individuals living in Tehran, out of whom 383 people were selected as the sample size using the convenience sampling method. The findings of the study indicated that tourism limitations perceived by the disabled residents of Tehran did not significantly affect their tourism tendencies. On the other hand, the perceived tourism limitations exerted a positive influence on their learned helplessness. Finally, the learned helplessness of people with disabilities negatively affected their intention to travel. The results of the present study can be used by relevant institutions such as Tehran's municipality, those responsible for urban management, and institutions in charge of the affairs of disabled people.