A WIN-WIN FOR TRAVELERS AND BUSINESS In addition to allowing people with disabilities to fully enjoy visits to Tampa Bay, accessibility measures are great for businesses as well. As Bear puts it, “What this is doing for business is allowing them to have every possible customer get through their doors, and who wouldn’t want that?” Bear was happy to get on board with Tampa Bay’s marketing efforts because they made disability accessibility a central part of their efforts, mentioned prominently on the tourism website. Also, she appreciated that the city’s businesses listened to the concerns of people with disabilities and mentioned a restaurant that added a wheelchair ramp after hearing from customers. On that same podcast episode, Corrada also mentioned a campaign to raise awareness among Tampa hotels about how best to accommodate service dogs and those who travel with them. This attention to inclusivity contributes to an incredibly successful tourism industry in Tampa Bay, with over $500 million in hotel revenue in 2022. People with disabilities are the largest and most diverse minority group in the U.S., and campaigns such as Visit Tampa Bay’s go a long way toward making travel welcoming. “This is a community that cares. We want you to come visit, and more than that, we want you to come and be our neighbors,” says Corrada.
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