Beach chairs boost to inclusive tourism
Plans to roll out Sandcruiser wheelchairs on to Four Mile Beach could assist the local tourism industry tap into the $13.5bn accessibility and inclusive holiday market.
Mossman Support Services is set to purchase two of the wheelchairs which will allow their users, whether they are local residents or holidaymakers, to enter the ocean with their family or carers.
Community development officer Erica Mast said the beach wheelchair currently used at Port Douglas was helpful but often left its users wanting more.
“That is a sand-access wheelchair and as soon as it gets into the ocean, it kind of floats away,” Ms Mast said.
“It’s hard to help them engage in the water activities without losing the chair. It’s not really designed to go into the water.
“The (Sandcruiser) chair is designed to sit on the ocean floor.
“So if the participant isn’t able to or doesn’t want to come out of the chair, they can still sit in the water and have the water wash over them or if they want to come out of their chair it is easier to get them into the water.”
Tourism Port Douglas Daintree chief executive officer Tara Bennett said Far North Queensland was audited by TravAbility, an organisation dedicated to inclusive tourism, last year.
“It found we are doing so much more than a lot of other places around Australia as far as catering to accessible travellers,” Ms Bennett said.
“The Quicksilver cruises, our major attractions such as the Daintree Discovery Centre, Hartley’s Crocodile Adventures, Wildlife Habitat, all have fantastic facilities.”
But Ms Bennett said the introduction of ocean-friendly wheelchairs – in what is the Year of Accessible Tourism – could give the industry an extra edge.
“If we can demonstrate to a travel group, that everyone will be able to share coastal experiences together then of course they’re going to pick our region as a destination,” Ms Bennett said.
“So I’m really excited with what Mossman Support Services are doing.
“Then our job is to tell that story because finding that information can be really hard when people are planning travel.
“People are having to use the phone because the websites and brochures aren’t telling that story well enough yet.”
Mossman Support Services recently held a Bollywood night to raise the $10,000 needed to buy and service the two Sandcruiser wheelchairs.