"Freely choose" a barrier-free trip. Introducing the appeal of traveling to Okinawa on accessible tours

*The mask was removed only for the photo shoot.

The first "individual" accessible tour created by the experienced JAL

The JAL Group aims to "create a society where everyone can enjoy a richer life through travel," and offers accessible tours such as "Bring the Whole Family! Wheelchair Snow Play Tour" and "Family Trip: Experience Hawaii in a Wheelchair," which have been well received by customers.

The "Okinawa 3-4 Days in a Wheelchair" tour introduced in this article is the first "individual" accessible tour product jointly planned by JAL, JALPAK, and JAL Sunlight based on the knowledge gained from previous accessible tours. JAL Sunlight is a special subsidiary of JAL, a company that supports JAL's wings together with employees with disabilities.

"Accessible tours that we've implemented in the past have basically been group tours. Because of this, the itinerary was fixed in advance, and some people were unable to participate because the dates did not suit them, and we also received requests from people who wanted to enjoy their trip with more freedom. Of course, with a traditional individual package tour, you can choose your own itinerary freely, but that doesn't necessarily mean it's barrier-free. We wanted to respond to the feelings of these customers, so we planned this accessible tour, which can be enjoyed with peace of mind." (Tomo Otake, Planning Group Manager, CX Planning Promotion Department, Customer Experience Division)

All the details, such as the width of the corridors in the hotel rooms, can be viewed on a web page.

The greatest attraction of JAL Group's first individual accessible tour, "3-4 Days in a Wheelchair to Okinawa," is that customers can "choose" not only the date, but also everything else, including hotel rooms, local transportation, and marine activities.

"We paid particular attention to seeing things from the perspective of customers who use wheelchairs. Not only did we incorporate the opinions of customers who had taken part in accessible tours that we had previously implemented, but our employee Kinoshita, who uses a wheelchair, was also involved in the planning process and took part in surveys on the hotel's barrier-free facilities, which enabled us to confirm each and every piece of information that wheelchair users would need." (Maneyama Keiko, Marketing Planning Division, JAL Sunlight)

"For wheelchair users, when staying at a hotel, important things to check are the width of the guest room entrance and corridors, the width of the bathroom and toilet, and whether or not there are handrails. It was a lot of work to check all of that information by myself beforehand. For this tour, we compiled detailed information about the accommodation rooms not just in text, but in easy-to-understand illustrations so that customers could check them themselves on the product page." (Kinoshita Eri, General Affairs Center Haneda Administrative Support Group, JAL Sunlight)

If you actually look at the "Hotels you will stay at" section on the product page, you will see that it is convenient to check not only detailed information about the rooms, but also information about the barrier-free facilities in the hotel, such as restaurants and baths, at a glance. The fact that you can even see the location of electrical outlets is a unique "attention to detail" from Kinoshita, who uses an electric wheelchair.

Another major point of emphasis this time is that it includes information on not only universal rooms but also regular guest rooms.

"We received feedback from customers who actually use wheelchairs that as long as the room has ample space in the aisles and bathroom and toilet, it doesn't necessarily have to be a universal room, so we started displaying information about applicable regular rooms as well. Even if the universal room at the hotel you wish to stay at is already booked, if there is a regular room that meets your requirements, you can use that, so you can enjoy a trip with even more freedom," says Otake.

There are also plenty of marine activities to enjoy in the Okinawan sea from a wheelchair.

Another feature of this accessible tour is that optional marine activities are available that allow wheelchair users to enjoy Okinawa's ocean with peace of mind.

For example, if you choose to stay at the Hotel Nikko Alivila, you can enjoy an underwater stroll on a glass-bottomed "glass boat," move smoothly around the beach using a "chair boat" (amphibious wheelchair), and even go a little way into the sea from the shore.

"The marine activities on this tour are the best I could recommend. I tried out the glass-bottom boat and the chair boat. On the glass-bottom boat, I was able to see the fish swimming in the sea up close, and it felt like I was diving. It was also my first time using the chair boat, and not only was it easy and convenient to move around the beach, which is difficult in a normal wheelchair, but it was also my first time going into the sea, so it was a very fond memory." (Kinoshita)

Kinoshita said that he felt a little nervous about participating in marine activities in a wheelchair, but after this experience he is eager to try snorkeling next.

"Depending on the hotel where you are staying, we will have marine activities prepared, and we have planned mainly activities that are easy to try for first-timers, but when planning similar tours in the future, we are considering offering experiences that allow you to enjoy Okinawa's ocean more actively, such as snorkeling." (Nakamura Noriko, Assistant Manager, West Japan Group, Domestic Planning Products Division 2, JALPAK)

By the way, Hotel Nikko Alivila offers a free test ride of the "next-generation electric wheelchair WHILL" as a service exclusive to guests, allowing you to stroll around the resort grounds while taking in the ocean views. This is a great opportunity to try out this state-of-the-art wheelchair that can easily navigate steps up to 5 cm high and turn with a radius of 76 cm.

Recommended barrier-free sightseeing spots

The appeal of the "Wheelchair Travel Okinawa 3-4 Days" is that you can "choose" according to your wishes, and of course you can also include plenty of time to enjoy sightseeing freely. Here we will briefly introduce some recommended barrier-free tourist facilities, along with Kinoshita's impressions of his own experience.

Recommended spot 1: Okinawa Churaumi Aquarium

It is one of the most popular aquariums in Japan. It is also fully barrier-free, with wheelchair-accessible toilets and parking spaces for the disabled. Wheelchairs are also available for rental at the Wheelchair Rental Station on the first floor of the North Gate Parking Lot. (First come, first served, limited number available.)

"Although it is a popular spot, it is wheelchair accessible and I was able to move freely around the facility. I was very satisfied because I was able to see many huge whale sharks and beautiful Okinawan fish!" (Kinoshita)

Okinawa Memorial National Government Park (Ocean Expo Park) and Okinawa Churaumi Aquarium

Recommended spot 2: OKINAWA Fruit Land

This is a theme park where you can explore the world of a picture book called "Tropical Kingdom Story." In addition to being barrier-free, it is an all-weather subtropical experience facility, so you can enjoy it without getting wet even on rainy days.

"Not only is it barrier-free, but it's also an all-weather theme park, so it can be enjoyed regardless of the weather, which I think is great for wheelchair users. I especially recommend coming during the season when you can enjoy seasonal tropical fruits!" (Kinoshita)

Okinawa Fruit Land

Recommended spot 3: Southeast Botanical Gardens

It is one of the largest outdoor botanical gardens in Japan, with over 50,000 plants from approximately 1,300 different species. It is fully barrier-free, with wheelchair-accessible ramps and wheelchair-accessible trams, allowing visitors to enjoy the tropical scenery all year round.

"I was able to experience Okinawa's unique nature in a barrier-free facility, so this was a spot I personally enjoyed more than I expected on this trip!" (Kinoshita)

Southeast Botanical Gardens

Recommended spot 4: Ryukyu Mura

It is a popular spot where you can easily enjoy touring old houses registered as tangible cultural properties, as well as experiencing traditional performing arts and crafts. There are also wheelchair rentals and wheelchair-accessible toilets, making it fully barrier-free.

"It was great to be able to experience Okinawa's unique culture. Since the facility requires a lot of moving around, I recommend renting an electric wheelchair." (Kinoshita)

Ryukyu Village

Detailed information on barrier-free access for the tourist spots introduced here is also available on the product page for "Okinawa in a Wheelchair 3-4 Days." Please refer to it when planning your trip to Okinawa.

Use airports and airplanes safely and comfortably. Choose your local transportation options.

When you go on a trip, you are probably concerned about the barrier-free situation at the local area as well as the use of airplanes and local transportation. Of course, in this "Okinawa 3-4 Days in a Wheelchair" tour, we have thoroughly considered the "choice" of transportation for customers who use wheelchairs.

JAL airport staff and cabin attendants will be happy to assist you at the airport and on the plane, and the "JAL Special Assistance Counter" is available for customers who require assistance with boarding procedures and various inquiries. If you use the "Special Assistance Registration Service," which allows you to pre-register the assistance you require and your requests in your JAL Mileage Bank membership information, you will be able to receive smoother, more tailored assistance.

Regarding transportation within the area, you can choose from a rental car*, taxi, or the JAL Utabus, which is a vehicle with a lift, depending on the type and size of your wheelchair.

Detailed information, such as barrier-free access for each mode of transportation, is listed on the product page for "Okinawa 3-4 Days in a Wheelchair," so please be sure to refer to this as well.

*We do not offer welfare vehicles. If you would like a welfare vehicle, please contact the rental car company directly.

The future of accessible tourism that the JAL Group aims for

Otake, who was involved in the planning, says that this is not the final form of what the tour is aiming for.

"We chose the popular Okinawa as the destination for our first individual accessible tour, but we are considering holding similar accessible tours in other destinations in the future. We also want to consider strengthening our offering of tours that are suited to the specific disabilities of our customers. In the future, we would like to continue promoting accessible tourism so that everyone can enjoy safe and comfortable travel at any time, regardless of their destination or the nature of their disability." (Otake)

The JAL Group aims to "create a society where everyone can enjoy a richer life through travel." The "3-4 Days in a Wheelchair in Okinawa" program allows you to experience the front lines of this endeavor.

JAL Group Spirit
https://www.jal.com/ja/jal-group-spirit/211130/

*Some content was updated on January 30, 2024.