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Sea World Cruises is making sure the ocean and waters are available to everyone.
Whale-watching tours, elegant dining cruises and
tailor-made charters – the Gold Coast’s Sea World Cruises offers
them all. This Queensland and Australian Tourism Awards winner also works to
ensure its venues and services are inclusive for all. Supporting accessibility
has become an important part of Sea World Cruises’ customer service.
‘We aim for every guest’s visit to be as memorable as
possible,’ says Alana Johnston, Special Projects and Stakeholder Engagement
Officer, and marine biologist. ‘We believe the waterways and ocean should be
available to everyone. We are committed to removing barriers, and providing
experiences that are inclusive of people of many abilities.’
Supporting accessibility with AI
To help create inclusive experiences, Sea World Cruises has
committed to ongoing improvements. Regular accessibility audits deliver
insights for annual staff training. The business’ Main Beach terminal and fleet
of vessels have ramps, lifts and handrails. There is also a designated
wheelchair space on the whale-watching boat.
Even browsing the website has become accessible. Sea World
Cruises has installed accessi-Be – an artificial intelligence (AI) widget that
allows people with a range of disabilities to navigate the site according to
their needs.
The national Accessible Tourism
Mentoring Pilot Project
The Accessible Tourism Mentoring Pilot Program helped Sea
World Cruises improve its accessibility. The Austrade-led project gave the
business a structured framework to review the accessibility of its operations
and experiences.
According to Johnston: ‘It helped us take a wider view of
accessibility. Before the program, we had placed a lot of focus on wheelchair
and mobility infrastructure. This only accommodates 7% of the total accessible
community. Our mentors from the pilot encouraged us to consider a broader range
of needs, including mental health conditions, visual and hearing impairment.’
Since the program, Sea World Cruises has installed more
accessible parking and started annual accessibility team training. The
website’s accessibility guide has been redesigned for easier navigation and to
highlight the accessi-Be tool. Website users can browse and book tours and
cruises.