As one example of this initiative, we will introduce the "Family Tour: Experience Hawaii from a Wheelchair" that was held in early March 2020, along with testimonials from the JAL staff who planned the tour and the customers who participated in the tour.
JAL Group employee in charge of planning
- Tomo Otake: In charge of planning accessibility initiatives for the entire JAL Group
- Megumi Hirose: In charge of planning JAL Pack's Hawaii tours
Customers who shared their experiences
- The Kamata family: They participated with their son and two parents. Their son has a severe disability, and this was their first trip abroad as a family.
- The Oishi family: A three-generation trip with their daughter (who uses a wheelchair) who loves outdoor activities, their mother, and their grandmother. They have traveled abroad many times.
Planning a product exclusively for overseas accessible tours for the first time
JALPAK/Overseas Package Tour Division Purchasing Planning Group 1 Assistant Manager, Megumi Hirose
"Even with our previous overseas tours, we would make individual arrangements for people who had concerns about mobility, such as lending out wheelchairs on-site, arranging for buses with lifts, and checking which sightseeing options they could take part in, so that customers could enjoy their trip. However, there was no product specifically for an accessible tour like this one. By creating a dedicated product, we hoped that people would feel that the initial hurdle to traveling had been lowered once more." (Hirose)
Tomo Otake, Chief of the Planning Group, CX Planning Promotion Department, Customer Experience Division
"The JAL Group is working to improve its information provision and support systems so that everyone, regardless of whether they have a disability or not, can enjoy traveling with peace of mind, and is also working to improve accessible tour products like these. In 2019, as our first accessible tourism project, we worked with the ata Alliance to plan and implement a domestic group package tour called 'Let's go with the whole family! Wheelchair Snow Play Tour,' which has been well received. 'Family Wheelchair Experience Hawaii' was planned using the knowledge we gained from the 'Wheelchair Snow Play Tour,' and is our first overseas accessible tour product." (Otake)
About the "Family Wheelchair Experience Hawaii" Tour
As the name suggests, "Experience Hawaii as a Family in a Wheelchair" is a group package tour designed for wheelchair users and their families.
To ensure that even first-time overseas travelers can enjoy their trip with peace of mind, we provide transportation support at the airport and on-site, as well as barrier-free accommodations that families can stay in. In addition to these basic measures, the highlights of the tour were activities such as a surfing experience that wheelchair users can enjoy, and "Dolphin Aloha," where participants can interact with dolphins.
Tour Overview
"Go with the family and experience Hawaii in a wheelchair"
●Date: March 3rd (Tue) to 8th (Sun), 2020 (6 days)
●Accommodation: Sheraton Waikiki (Honolulu, Hawaii)
Tour Contents
・Oahu sightseeing tour using a lift-equipped vehicle
・Surfing experience supported by local trainers
・Dolphin Aloha, where wheelchair users can interact with dolphins without getting wet
・Dinner cruise with barrier-free facilities
・Free time to support customers in spending their time as they wish, such as shopping or sightseeing
*The event will be held after thoroughly checking the infection situation in the destination country and the safety of participants and staff.
Clear up any concerns you may have by meeting face-to-face with staff beforehand
Before carrying out the tour, we held consultation sessions to go over each of our customers' concerns and resolve their anxieties and doubts.
The Kamata family who participated in the pre-consultation session
"Because my son's disability limits his mobility, our family policy is to 'just give it a try' if there's anything we can try. This was my son's first trip abroad." (Mr. Kamata, father)
"We decided to participate in the tour because of the information we received at the advance briefing. It seems that my son's disability was more severe than the staff had anticipated, but they were considerate enough to work with us to think about how we could best enjoy the trip and activities, which made us feel that we could trust them." (Kamata, mother)
Ms. Oishi and her daughter participated in the pre-consultation session
"I've traveled abroad with my family several times before, and this time I wanted to go overseas for my graduation trip. On previous family trips, my father would usually support me, but this time my father's schedule didn't work out, and I was worried that asking only my mother for support would be physically exhausting, so I found out about this tour. What interested me was the surfing experience." (Oishi)
"In the past, we had always arranged everything ourselves, including transportation, for fear of causing inconvenience to other participants, so we had never used a package tour. I was a bit worried about this package tour, but the explanation session beforehand was very thorough, so in the end, in addition to my daughter and I, my mother decided to join the tour." (Oishi, mother)
Hearing real feedback at the pre-consultation session helped our staff to be more prepared.
"Through the preliminary briefing sessions, we encountered some issues that we hadn't anticipated during the planning stage, but we worked closely with airport staff, cabin attendants, and local staff to make preparations and alleviate our customers' concerns. Through these preliminary consultations, we learned once again the importance of providing support that is tailored to each individual customer." (Otake)
Why did you choose Hawaii?
For the Kamata family, this was their first trip abroad as a family, and for the Oishi family, this was their first trip to Hawaii using a package tour. According to the staff who planned the tour, there was a reason why they chose Hawaii as their first overseas accessible tourism destination.
"When we asked customers who had previously participated in an accessible tour what overseas destination they would like to visit next, Hawaii was a very popular choice. With this in mind, we planned this tour, with the desire to enable customers with disabilities to travel to Hawaii without feeling anxious.
In addition, under the concept of "Style yourself ~JAL HAWAII~," the JAL Group is proposing that customers enjoy Hawaii in their own style. In order to deliver a Hawaii experience that all customers can enjoy, we have incorporated surfing and interacting with dolphins into the tour so that customers can experience local activities.
Another big point is that Hawaii has made great strides in barrier-free access, so we can recommend it with peace of mind. Not only the roads but most stores are barrier-free, and public transportation such as taxis and trolley buses are used to supporting wheelchair users. Special wheelchairs are available to rent on the beach, so wheelchair users can take walks along the seafront. There is also a special tour desk (Aloha Station) on-site, so we had no worries in terms of human support." (Hirose)
Tour participants said they enjoyed their travels and stays in Hawaii, where barrier-free access has been improved.
Moanalua Gardens (Oishi family) where we stopped off on the first day of sightseeing in Oahu
"Honestly, it was more comfortable than Japan, especially when it came to getting around. It's unheard of to have wheelchairs for the beach in Japan (laughs). I was really happy to be able to play on the beach and go into the sea with my son." (Mr. Kamata, father)
"It was fun to travel on the trolley bus. What impressed me was that the drivers and passengers treated us naturally and didn't treat us any differently. In Japan, they are often confused or overly considerate, which makes us feel uncomfortable. I was very happy to be able to enjoy the trip at a relaxed pace." (Oishi, mother)
The driver will help you safely get on and off the lift-equipped trolley.
Hawaii is a place where you can enjoy yourself according to your style.
The highlight of this tour was surfing, which Oishi got to try out. It seemed like he really enjoyed surfing, something he had always wanted to do.
"It was definitely the best memory of the trip. It was my first time, so of course I was a bit nervous, but we had a thorough discussion beforehand, and I think my desire to try surfing won out more than anything. I was supported by a tandem rider from start to finish, so I was able to enjoy myself without worry." (Oishi)
"We went to the Polynesian Center as a family as an alternative activity to surfing. The Dolphin Aloha (interacting with dolphins) was also a lot of fun because it was different from the dolphin programs I've participated in in Japan, where we got to interact with the dolphins up close." (Mrs. Kamata, mother)
"Being able to play in the hotel pool with my son was an experience we hadn't planned on having. With the generous support of the local people and tour staff, we were able to enjoy a variety of activities, including a night cruise with meals included, so I only have fond memories." (Kamata, father)
Kamata family and JAL staff enjoying a meal on a night cruise
One Year After Hawaii: The Future of Accessible Tours
"Family Trip to Hawaii in a Wheelchair" was held just before the COVID-19 pandemic began. Even now, more than a year after it was held, it seems to have become an irreplaceable memory for the families who participated.
"What I felt most about participating in the tour was how grateful we were for the support we received from those around us. I think the reason we have only fond memories of everything, from the pre-planning consultation to the journey home, is because we received such generous support. Accessible tours are very attractive among package tours, as they require less thinking on our own. I think that families who are going abroad for the first time will be more than satisfied with the price." (Kamata, father)
"I was a little nervous because it was my first package tour, but it turned out to be the best graduation trip ever. This time I traveled with my family, but if I have the chance, I'd like to go abroad with friends. I think that's possible with an accessible tour, where you can leave support to the staff." (Oishi)
When the day comes when they can travel abroad freely again, Kamata and his family would like to use Accessible Tours again. Incidentally, Oishi wants to go to Korea, while Kamata and his son want to go to Nazca, after which their son is named. It seems that by experiencing the tour, the possibilities for travel have been greatly expanded for everyone.
"We heard from customers that the advance consultation session helped them to make their applications with peace of mind, but we felt that it was important to find ways to alleviate customers' concerns and give them the push they needed. In the future, we would like to work on gathering more information and strengthening our ability to disseminate information so that we can alleviate customers' concerns not only through accessible tour products but also through brochures and websites for traditional tours and make proactive travel suggestions." (Hirose)
"This was our first attempt at an overseas accessible tour, so we did our best to reassure our customers by conducting thorough on-site surveys and holding consultations beforehand. This time it was a group tour with set dates and tour content, but in the future we would like to plan individual accessible tours where customers can choose their own dates and tour content." (Otake)
JAL will continue to promote accessible tourism so that all customers can enjoy traveling with peace of mind.
The contents published are accurate at the time of publication and are subject to change.
