The heartist inclusion: navigating opportunities and challenges of intellectual disability employment in tourism

Despite tourism being considered one of the most lucrative sectors globally, it has been experiencing a significant shortage of employees due to of high turnover and staff expectations across different hotels. The thesis aims to focus on the integration of a specific category: People with disabilities (PWDs), with a particular focus on cognitive and intellectual impairments. The dissertation describes and analyses the structural and abstract barriers and the legislative framework (in Italy and Europe) that lead to effects such as high unemployment rates and social isolation. To fulfil this objective, the study examines the scientific and social definitions of “disability” and “intellectual disability”, the WHO Report on Disability (2011) and the UN guidelines, and the legislative framework (such as Italian Law 68/99 and the EU Directive 2000/78/EC). The core of this thesis is the Accor Group case study, which, through features such as the “Heartist culture” and the practices it includes, shifts from simple legal compliance with the legislative scheme into a strategic asset. The interview with the People & Culture Operations Manager of Accor Italy will disclose what Accor does in favour of people with intellectual disabilities, as well as the opportunities and challenges the French group will face in the future.