Accessible Tourism: Some Recent Italian Experiences

In recent years, accessible tourism has become an important theme for social inclusion and a lever for competitiveness, differentiation, and the sustainable development of tourist destinations. Despite the expansion of the literature, two critical issues persist from a managerial perspective. First of all, the limited availability of operating models that translate accessibility principles into concrete organisational practices. There is also the persistence of information asymmetries that hinder the decision-making processes of tourists with disabilities. This paper addresses both gaps by presenting a recent Italian experience: the social cooperative “Cosy For You – Tour Per Tutti”, operating in Campania (a southern region), which designs inclusive itineraries through an organisational model called D.A.M.A. (Destination Accessibility Management & Marketing Agency). The research adopts a qualitative methodology based on case studies and reconstructs the model’s functioning, focusing on accessibility auditing procedures, verification data sheets, coordination with territorial stakeholders, and the use of immersive digital content to reduce information asymmetry. The results show that the model analysed enables integrating economic purposes and a social mission within a hybrid governance logic, offering a replicable operational framework for managing accessibility across different destinations. The contribution strengthens the managerial literature on accessible tourism by showing how accessibility, when governed with appropriate tools, can be configured as a factor in value creation and inclusive territorial development.