The “unseen” tourism: Travel experience of people with visual impairment

The World Health Organization has estimated that globally, over 2.2 billion people live with some form of visual impairment. However, research into the tourism experiences of this large group of people remains limited. This paper employs embodiment theory and sensory compensation theory to examine aspects of the tourism experience from the perspective of visually impaired tourists. The analysis was based on travel notes written by Chinese visually impaired tourists. Seven unique types of tourism experience were identified including “Sensory Compensation” and “Barrier-free experiences”. The findings highlight opportunities to build a more comprehensive understanding of the tourism experiences of visually impaired tourists.