Inclusive Tourism in the Global South

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Inclusive Tourism in the Global South

Practical Realities from Iran & Morocco

Executive Summary

Inclusive tourism is increasingly recognized as a strategic priority across the Global South. While accessibility and social inclusion are often reflected in national policies, the translation of these ambitions into practical, sustainable action remains uneven. Drawing on field-based observations and real-world case studies from Iran and Morocco, two culturally rich yet structurally diverse destinations, this article highlights the persistent gap between institutional commitment and lived accessibility. It argues for a renewed model of inclusive tourism rooted in local knowledge, professional training, community participation, and cross-country collaboration.

Introduction

Tourism across the Global South has expanded rapidly over the past two decades, driven by cultural heritage, natural attractions, and growing global demand for authentic experiences. Yet for millions of older adults, persons with disabilities, and travelers with reduced mobility, access to these destinations remains limited or inconsistent.

Iran and Morocco

Iran and Morocco, two ancient civilizations with globally recognized heritage, have taken important initial steps toward inclusive tourism. However, both face similar constraints: limited budgets, architectural challenges in heritage sites, fragmented governance, insufficient training of tourism professionals, and weak enforcement of accessibility standards.

This article brings together insights from governmental frameworks in Morocco, grassroots and institutional initiatives in Iran, and concrete case studies that reveal both the promise and the limitations of inclusive tourism development in the Global South.

Inclusive Tourism in the Global South: Opportunities and Systemic Constraints

Across Africa, the Middle East, and parts of Asia, accessibility is increasingly framed as a pillar of social sustainability. However, systemic challenges persist. Policies often exist, but implementation progresses slowly; heritage and natural sites face architectural and environmental constraints; funding for accessibility improvements is irregular; and tourism workers frequently lack disability-sensitive training. Reliable data on travelers with disabilities remains scarce.

At the same time, the Global South presents unique opportunities: young workforces entering tourism, rapid digitalization including VR and AR applications, rising public awareness of inclusion, and growing domestic demand for senior and accessible tourism. Iran and Morocco exemplify this complex intersection of constraints and potential.

Part I – Case Study: Iran

Nature-Based Accessibility: Ali Sadr Cave, Hamedan

Ali Sadr Cave – the world’s largest navigable water cave – poses significant accessibility challenges due to narrow passages, uneven terrain, humidity, and strict conservation requirements. Despite these constraints, several adaptive measures have been introduced, including tailored walking routes, handrails in high-traffic areas, lighting adjustments for low-vision visitors, dedicated staff support for elderly visitors and wheelchair users, and plans for VR-assisted interpretation for those unable to access boats.

While full physical accessibility is not feasible, Ali Sadr demonstrates how Global South destinations can pursue creative, context-sensitive accessibility rather than abandoning inclusion altogether. It represents a practical model of balancing safety, conservation, and access.

Behavioral Accessibility in Practice: A Hotel-Based Example

Beyond infrastructure, accessibility in the Global South often depends on human interaction. In Isfahan, a mid-scale urban hotel undertook an accessibility assessment that emphasized staff behavior rather than structural renovation. Following the evaluation, a short, hands-on training program was delivered to front-line staff, focusing on interaction with guests with visual, mobility, and hearing impairments. The case demonstrated that even in resource-constrained settings, professional training can significantly improve inclusive service delivery—highlighting behavioral accessibility as a low-cost, high-impact intervention.

Institutional Momentum: Iran’s Accessible Tourism Committee

Iran’s Accessible Tourism Committee within the Ministry of Cultural Heritage, Tourism and Handicrafts has played a key role in shifting accessibility from symbolic awareness to institutional capacity-building. Its initiatives include nationwide workshops for tourism stakeholders, inclusive familiarization tours involving persons with disabilities, integration of seniors and disabled participants into major tourism events, development of educational materials, collaboration with municipalities, and contribution to the Persian translation of ISO 21902.

These actions reflect growing political will and cross-sector collaboration; essential foundations for inclusive tourism in the Global South.

Part II – Case Study: Morocco

Over the past two decades, Morocco has developed robust legal and institutional frameworks supporting the rights of persons with disabilities, including within the tourism sector. National strategies and action plans reflect strong political intent. However, as in many Global South contexts, the central challenge lies in translating policy ambition into consistent regional and local practice.

Accessibility initiatives often rely on local leadership or pilot projects rather than being systematically embedded across transport, accommodation, public spaces, and visitor services. This results in fragmented accessibility experiences.

Encouraging initiatives such as MarocAccessible and HandiPlage demonstrate how targeted, context-aware interventions can improve access to tourism and leisure. Yet capacity-building remains a critical gap. Without continuous training, even well-designed accessibility measures risk underuse or poor maintenance—highlighting the need to invest as much in human skills as in infrastructure.

Morocco’s experience underscores a broader lesson: inclusive tourism is a process, not a policy outcome. It requires coordination, evaluation, and active engagement with persons with disabilities themselves.

Shared Challenges Between Iran and Morocco

Despite differing political systems, both countries face similar structural challenges: inconsistent policy implementation, limited budgets, technical constraints in heritage and natural sites, insufficient professional training, and weak data collection on accessible tourism demand.

Policy Recommendations for the Global South

Establish permanent national accessibility task forces involving government, private sector, NGOs, and disability advocates.
Prioritize high-impact, low-cost interventions such as training, signage, wayfinding, and service protocols.
Develop national accessibility certification programs for tourism services.
Promote reversible, non-invasive adaptations in heritage contexts.
Support small, replicable regional pilot projects.
Use ISO 21902 as a guiding reference, adapted to local realities.
Encourage cross-country collaboration among Global South destinations.

Conclusion

Inclusive tourism in the Global South cannot rely solely on infrastructure or legislation. It requires local innovation, coordinated governance, and sustained capacity-building. Iran and Morocco demonstrate both the complexity of accessibility implementation and the transformative potential of community-driven action. This article serves as a starting point for deeper collaboration through workshops, policy dialogue, and future joint initiatives.

Authors’ Bios

Nasim Khorsandi
Accessible & Age-Friendly Tourism Specialist
Education & Research Coordinator, MedicusTrip GmbH (Germany)

Dr. Imad-Eddine Cheddad
Postdoctoral researcher affiliated with the Department of Political Science, Laval University (Canada), specializing in tourism-led redevelopment of post-industrial territories