CONDITIONS, PRESENT STATE AND DEVELOPMENT PERSPECTIVES OF TOURISM DEVELOPMENT FOR DISABLED PEOPLE IN CENTRAL EUROPEAN COUNTRIES

The aim of the research is the evaluation of conditions and present state of tourism for disabled people in four Central European regions: Lower Silesia in Poland, Central Hungary, Bavaria in Germany, The Vysocina Region in the Czech Republic. Each of the studied regions have different tourism characteristics however all present a good tourist offer. This comparative research analyses and compares the examined regions if they are able to offer barrier-free attractions and tourism services, adequate and suitable infrastructure for people with disabilities. Results presented in this paper are based on 400 interview surveys conducted among disabled tourists, collected in Poland, the Czech Republic, Germany and Hungary in period from September 2016 to January 2017. Persons with different types of disabilities were examined, no specific group was highlighted. The evaluation presented in the paper is formulated as the first step of the wider research and will lead to more detailed and narrow analysis in the future.