Business engagement in a civil society : Transitioning towards a dementia-friendly tourism and visitor economy

Dementia is a growing global health condition primarily, though not exclusively, associated with ageing populations. This paper examines dementia awareness and the perspectives of businesses and organisations in the visitor economy, given that people with the early stages of dementia remain consumers of leisure and tourism experiences. It adopts the concept of the civil society where people are treated in a fair and equitable manner irrespective of their abilities and state of health to promote equality of opportunity. As an exploratory study, it evaluates the awareness, perception and experience of businesses in developing a dementia-friendly visitor economy. It focuses on dementia as a ‘hidden condition’ with a focus on the attractions sector to develop a greater understanding of how to embrace dementia as part of a civil society. The research highlights the implications for the wider visitor economy with dementia set to grow globally in scale and significance.