Enhancing hospitality for families with autistic children: toward an actionable service framework

Purpose The hotel stay is a pivotal yet often challenging component of travel for families with autistic children. Moving beyond static barrier identification, this study adopts a person–environment fit perspective to diagnose the interactional friction between families’ lived experiences and hotels’ operational realities. This study aims to develop a structured, actionable service framework that systematically bridges this inclusion gap. Design/methodology/approach Employing an iterative qualitative design, this study conducted list-elicitation and in-depth interviews with 14 caregivers of autistic children, alongside 5 senior general managers from five-star hotels. This dual-perspective approach triangulated psychosocial demand-side needs with supply-side operational constraints. Findings The analysis reveals three distinct patterns of person–environment interaction: negotiation of sensory and spatial fit, caring in social exposure and creation of micro-moments of belonging. Results demonstrate that attitudinal and emotional accessibility are equally critical as physical infrastructure in determining whether a service encounter yields a situation of competence, where the hotel environment effectively accommodates the family’s needs, or a situation of handicap, where environmental press exceeds the family’s adaptive capacities. Translating these person–environment fit, the study proposes a three-tiered service framework (Core, Enhancer and Aspirational) that systematically aligns family priorities with managerial feasibility. Originality/value Theoretically, this research operationalizes the Model of Competence within a commercial servicescape, transforming it from a static diagnostic lens into a dynamic framework for neurodiversity inclusion. Practically, it translates the dual perspectives of families and hotel managers into a coherent service framework, offering the hospitality industry a structured alternative to current ad hoc or fragmented approaches. The findings advance inclusive tourism discourse by reframing the hotel not merely as a spatial backdrop, but as an active, dynamic environment capable of facilitating equity for neurodivergent guests and their families.