Youth expand accessible tourism in East Java

A recent study published in Discover Sustainability examines the specific role of young people in creating accessible tourism environments in East Java, Indonesia. The research moves beyond traditional analyses that focus primarily on the experiences of disabled travellers or the challenges faced by service providers. Instead, it investigates how youth act as capability agents who actively produce accessibility in practice.

The study draws on the Capability Approach. By applying this lens, the researchers analyse how institutional conditions shape the ability of youth to expand opportunities. The study aims to understand the mechanisms through which young people contribute to making tourism more inclusive for disabled individuals.

To gather data, the research team conducted 32 semi-structured interviews with young people involved in accessible tourism. These participants were engaged in various forms of activity, including advocacy, digital engagement, community initiatives, and cultural programming.

The findings indicate that youth contribute to accessibility through several distinct channels. First, they improve information access. Second, they foster inclusive participation. Third, they adapt cultural activities. Finally, they advocate for institutional change.

These efforts have a dual impact. On one hand, they expand opportunities for disabled travellers. On the other hand, the work simultaneously develops the capabilities of the youth themselves. The study notes that through their involvement, young people gain skills, confidence, civic engagement, and leadership abilities. This phenomenon is described as dual capability expansion, where the process of creating access benefits both the producers of accessibility and those who experience it.

Despite these positive contributions, the study reveals persistent constraints that limit the effectiveness of youth-led initiatives. These constraints include limited funding. Another constraint is weak institutional support. Additionally, there is restricted participation in decision-making processes.

The study acknowledges a limitation in its sample composition. Because the focus was on youth as producers of accessibility, the voices of disabled youth were only minimally represented. Disabled youth voices remain an important area for future research.

The research advances accessible tourism scholarship in three key ways. It extends accessible tourism theory by foregrounding relational and cultural dimensions of accessibility. It broadens the Capability Approach by incorporating producers alongside consumers of accessibility. Finally, it introduces the concept of dual capability expansion to explain the mutual benefits of accessibility work.

The findings highlight the importance of formally embedding youth leadership within accessible tourism policy and planning. The authors suggest that this approach could be applicable not only in Indonesia but also in other comparable Southeast Asian contexts.

Subject of Research: The role of youth as capability agents in producing accessible tourism in East Java, Indonesia

Article Title: Youth as capability agents in producing accessible tourism in East Java Indonesia

Article References: Reindrawati, D. Y., Young, T., Noviyanti, U. D. E., Nata, J. H., & Satrianto, M. D. (2026). Youth as capability agents in producing accessible tourism in East Java Indonesia. Discover Sustainability. https://doi.org/10.1007/s43621-026-05132-2

Image Credits: AI Generated

DOI: 10.1007/s43621-026-05132-2

Keywords: accessible tourism, East Java, Indonesia, youth leadership, capability approach, disabled travellers, community initiatives, institutional support, cultural programming, digital engagement, policy planning, Southeast Asia, inclusive participation, civic engagement, tourism development, qualitative research, semi-structured interviews, dual capability expansion, advocacy, service providers