Overview
This project will use Liverpool as a case study to analyse the needs and priorities of family tourism and to identify and map key tourist corridors. It will develop an open, user-friendly GIS-based tool that applies machine learning to quantify street-level accessibility for prams, pushchairs, and other mobility needs, while evaluating access to family-oriented spaces and popular points of interest. This tool will be used to generate evidence-based insights for policymakers enabling data-informed decisions to improve planning, promotion, and accessibility of family-friendly tourism.
About this opportunity
Accessible urban environments are central to inclusive, sustainable, and family-friendly tourism. For families with young children, particularly those navigating cities with prams, tourism experiences depend heavily on the accessibility, safety, and comfort of public spaces and facilities. In the Liverpool City Region (LCR), which welcomed approximately 60 million visitors in 2023 and generated around £6.25 billion in tourism value (a 21% increase from 2022), understanding how families experience urban accessibility remains limited. The project partner, the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority (LCRCA), highlighted the need for an evidence-based framework to guide inclusive infrastructure and visitor experience decisions.
This project will examine the spatial and temporal accessibility of family tourism in Liverpool, identifying barriers and opportunities across key tourist corridors and points of interest (POIs). Grounded in principles of inclusive urbanism and social sustainability, the research conceptualises accessibility as both a spatial and social equity issue, offering new insights into family-oriented mobility, inclusive design, and destination management. By integrating geospatial analysis, on-the-ground observations, and stakeholder engagement, the project will map barriers and enablers of family mobility and provide actionable recommendations for planners, tourism operators, and policymakers. A GIS-based tool will enabling scenario testing of improvements to pedestrian pathways, wayfinding, and family-friendly amenities, ensuring that urban spaces meet practical needs while enhancing visitor experience.
The project aligns directly with the Liverpool City Region Destination Partnership’s Destination Management Plan 2025-2030, which prioritises inclusive growth, accessibility, and improved
visitor experiences. Its vision for an inclusive and accessible visitor economy underscores the need for evidence-based tools that ensure families and visitors with diverse accessibility needs can participate fully in Liverpool’s tourism offer. Ultimately, this research aims to position Liverpool as a benchmark for inclusive, family-friendly tourism, aligning destination management and urban design with social equity, economic growth, and sustainable development objectives.
The project is expected to deliver a validated Family Accessibility Index, and a GIS-based policy tool to support inclusive tourism planning in Liverpool. The findings will inform policy recommendations that align with and operationalise the accessibility objectives of the Liverpool City Region Destination Management Plan (2025–2030). Conceptually, the research will advance debates on inclusive urbanism, social equity, and smart tourism design, while offering a replicable methodological framework for other UK and international cities.