Accessible Tourism Solutions for Businesses and Destinations

Accessible Tourism Solutions to Make Destinations and Traveler Experiences More Inclusive

(Updated 9th May 2023) How and why is accessible tourism key to sustainable development of destinations, and what can tourism businesses do to become more inclusive? Here is a deep-dive into accessible, inclusive and sustainable solutions for tourism businesses and destination, featuring lessons and examples shared by Communications professional and inclusive travel advocate Martin Heng (former Accessible Travel Manager at Lonely Planet).
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Expert Team at TrainingAid

Martin Heng
Martin Heng

Communications professional and inclusive travel advocate

Martin Heng, Accessible Travel Manager, Lonely Planet
“I have a wife and three children. If I can’t use a product or service, then the business loses not only one person’s business, but five.”

As seen in the above quote, Martin Heng emphasizes that people with disabilities and people with different access needs do travel, and are likely to travel with others. And these travelers represent, according to the Amadeus Accessibility Study, a "$70 billion market" just in Europe and the USA.

This fact alone would make a strong business case for investing time, effort, and resources needed to become more accessible and inclusive as a business and as an industry. But beyond the economic imperative, there are important reasons for the tourism industry to take this segment seriously.

Below are some ideas and insights on how and why we should promote not just accessibility, but also inclusive tourism that benefits everyone as well as relevant industry resources for tourism businesses and destinations seeking to better understand accessible and inclusive tourism, and to improve their practices. Parts of the content featured here have been inspired by and based on Martin's presentation (originally recorded on July 18th, 2019 as part of the GSTC Sustainable Tourism Training Online Course).

Tourism for All: Including As Many Different Groups As Possible

Contrary to what many might think, accessible tourism is not just about providing facilities that are wheel-chair accessible.

Senior travelers. Parents traveling with small kids. Travelers with allergies and other medical conditions. These are all different types of travelers who have different degrees of accessibility restrictions and mobility requirements.

And a large proportion of travelers with disabilities have "invisible" impairments (such as cognitive or mental health conditions and long-term illnesses) that may not be, unlike wheelchair users, immediately obvious just by looking at them.

 

Image source: wikipedia.org

When planning for and communicating about the accessibility features and services you provide, therefore, rather than simply using the "handicap symbol" (the ubiquitously used sign of a wheelchair user - the top-left pictogram on the above image), these various areas of accessibility needs must be considered and appropriately indicated.

Share on your website and brochures, for example, if you provide assistive listening devices on your tour, or if sign language interpretation is available within any of the attractions you visit.

"Tourism for All" is a concept that is addressing a growing segment of travelers with a diverse range of needs and requirements. What is "accessible" to one traveler who is a wheelchair user, for example, may be very difficult to access or completely inaccessible to another traveler with a different type of disability, mobility impairment or other conditions.

That's why becoming more inclusive is a more appropriate goal for the tourism industry than focusing just on "accessible tourism" (which can be vague and hard to define - accessible for whom?).

An inclusive tourism business or destination works to offer positive travel experiences to people with different needs by addressing them from various perspectives, and by providing design and service solutions that aim to cover as many different groups as possible.

Universal Design: Designing for Everyone, Being a Good Host

When it comes to being inclusive and promoting Tourism for All, a key concept that underlies the solutions to be implement by tourism businesses and destinations is Universal Design.

The definition of Universal Design is as follows:

Universal Design is the design and composition of an environment so that it can be accessed, understood and used to the greatest extent possible by all people regardless of their age, size, ability or disability. An environment (or any building, product, or service in that environment) should be designed to meet the needs of all people who wish to use it. This is not a special requirement, for the benefit of only a minority of the population. It is a fundamental condition of good design. If an environment is accessible, usable, convenient and a pleasure to use, everyone benefits.
 
- Centre for Excellence in Universal Design, "What is Universal Design"


To understand where you need to improve in order to offer universally accessible experience for everyone's benefit, take some time to reflect on the whole customer journey from the perspectives of guests with different access needs and mobility requirements.

Think about how they experience travel - from the customer finding your business, to booking their trip, to arriving in your destination, to getting around during their stay. 

Are there steps to enter the restaurant that will make it difficult for customers with limited mobility? Does your hotel offer an accessible and easy-to-follow process for guests with disabilities to check in/out and get around within the property? And is your website designed for users with different needs (e.g. individuals with hearing or vision impairment)?

Businesses often have barriers that make it difficult for customers with particular access or mobility impairments to enjoy a certain product or service, because of the lack of awareness that those barriers exist.

And in some cases, businesses may be "rejecting" prospective customers without ever knowing. The 2016 Click-Away Pound study found that "71% of customers with access needs will click away from a website that they find difficult to use".

With all the different types of accessibility requirements, it may seem difficult or impossible to anticipate and accommodate the various needs of your customers. But it's important to remember that in tourism we are in the business of providing services to welcome guests; and that it is in fact your responsibility as a host to cater to the needs of your guests and to make them feel welcome.

It's part of being a good host.
 

By considering the diverse needs and abilities of all throughout the design process, universal design creates products, services and environments that meet peoples' needs. Simply put, universal design is good design.

- Centre for Excellence in Universal Design, "What is Universal Design"

Inclusive Growth and Sustainable Development

With the growing importance of the accessible tourism market, and especially the spending power of this market segment including the "multiplier effect" (each traveler with impairment is likely to influence the purchase decisions of multiple members of their party), there is a strong economic imperative to be considered. To remain competitive, your tourism business and destination should be investing in universal design and inclusive solutions.

Beyond the economic imperative, however, there are also key reasons why inclustive tourism should be part of the global sustainable tourism agenda.

With an estimated 15% of the world population living with some forms of disabilities (World Health Organization, World Report on Disability 2011), and the changing demographic of the "rapidly ageing" populations around the world (WHO, Aging and Life Course), sustainable development can only be achieved through an inclusive approach to creating solutions and opportunities.

The United Nations' "Disability and Development Report: Realizing the Sustainable Development Goals by, for and with persons with disabilities" (2018) recognizes that "striving to achieve disability-inclusive development is not only the right thing to do, it is also the practical thing to do," as "the success of the 2030 Agenda requires a participatory and inclusive approach in which all stakeholders, including persons with disabilities, are engaged."

And that's why Tourism for All is highlighted in the Global Sustainable Tourism Criteria, the baseline standard for sustainability in travel and tourism.


Source: Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC)

And in the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO)'s Global Code of Ethics for Tourism.


Source: UNWTO, Global Code of Ethics for Tourism

Accessible Tourism Resources for the Tourism Industry

Here are some examples of organizations and resources that are useful for destinations and tourism businesses seeking to deepen their understanding of accessible tourism:

  • ATTA "Designing Accessible Adventure Travel": Tips and resources for adventure travel professionals, "change the environment, not the body"
  • International Association for Handicapped Divers (IAHD): an internationally recognised diving organization that is specialized in training disabled people to dive.
  • Wilderness Inquiry: a non-profit adventure travel organization working to connect everyone to great places through inclusive outdoor adventure travel activities worldwide.
  • European Network for Accessible Tourism: a non-profit association for those engaged in the study, promotion and practice of accessible tourism.
  • UNWTO "Accessible Tourism for All": Information about UNWTO’s accessible tourism resources, under the Ethics and Social Responsibility section.
  • Fáilte Ireland Accessible Tourism*: Resources and case studies on good practices in future-proofing tourism for everyone.
  • Visit Scotland Inclusive Tourism Toolkit*: tips and tools to help tourism businesses improve customer service, information provision and connect with new customers.
  • Disabled Go / Cavan: "Disabled Go" by This is Cavan is an online accessibility audit, which gives visitors to Cavan detailed information on over 500 businesses and activities in the town and county, helping empower people with disabilities to make informed decisions with an understanding of the facilities and levels of access they are likely to encounter.
  • Accessible Beaches Australia: Accessible Beaches advocates for Australia’s world-famous beaches to become more accessible and to make the necessary equipment available to those who need it.

*With thanks to The Tourism Space, whose April 27th, 2023 newsletter highlighted tips and resources on accessible and inclusive tourism.

Inclusion in the Work Place

Having understood the importance of striving for universal design and working towards becoming more inclusive, what can tourism businesses do to get started? What are some of the first steps?

One of the key challenges when considering steps to becoming more inclusive is to understand the diverse needs of your customers and your prospective customers. The barriers that prevent some people from having a positive travel experience - whether they may be steps that cannot be climbed, signs that cannot be read, or buttons that cannot be reached - are hard to notice unless you put yourself in the position of those with particular disabilities and impairments.  

One of the most effective ways for businesses to understand the various accessibility needs of their customers is to have team members who know and represent the perspectives of those customers. In short, hire people with disabilities. Empower them to help make your business more inclusive, both within your operations and through your products and services.

The UNWTO report "Recommendations on Accessible Tourism" (2013) states that "the staff of tourism establishments and related services should be prepared to know, understand and address the needs of customers with disabilities", and "the staff should include employees who know how to communicate with persons with sensory disabilities."

"The hospitality industry serves travellers from all over the world. The diversity of cultures implies a diversity of customer expectations as well. The hotels with a diverse workforce to cater to such a wide customer base hold a strong competitive advantage over others. ... [To] have employees that understand the needs and requirements of the customers and provide key insights into making properties progressively accessible is also a crucial element of the overall business strategy."

- Hospitality Workers Training Centre, "Disability Inclusion in the Hospitality Industry Makes Business Sense"

Business Examples: Staff Diversity and Inclusion

Lemon Tree Hotels Limited, India

Photo: Lemon Tree Hotels

Winner of the 2019 Tourism for Tomorrow Awards, in the category "Investing in People", Lemon Tree Hotels have focused on creating a socially inclusive work environment, bringing together people of different backgrounds, abilities and ethnicities to work as a unified team with a common goal. Lemon Tree supports "opportunity deprived" workers, including those with physical, social or economic disabilities, by creating and offering opportunities to realize their full potential and live with dignity.

Ilunion Hotels, Spain

Photo: Ilunion Hotels

Fifty percent of ILUNION Hotels' employees have disabilities. The hotel is committed to integrating its approach to universal accessibility not just in its services for customers with disabilities, but also throughout its business model, including its employees and suppliers. Illunion Hotels received the 2016 UNWTO Ethics Award for its work in the area of accessible tourism for all and its contribution to change attitudes, break down social barriers and make the accommodation industry more inclusive.

Einsmehr Hotel


Photo: hoteleinsmehr

Located in Augsburg, Germany, Einsmehr Hotel is an inclusive hotel with about half of its workforce consisting of people with disabilities. The hotel works with a local association "einsmehr" ("one more"), which supports people with the Down Syndrome in the surrounding area, seeking to create jobs and a labor market for people with (mental) disabilities.

SV Tenacious

Source: Martin Heng

Operated by the UK-based Jubilee Sailing Trust (JST), SV Tenacious is the largest wooden tall ship, and the only one of its kind designed and built to be fully accessible for people with disabilities or impairments (including wheelchair users).

Martin Heng, who joined Tenacious’ voyage from Sydney to Melbourne in 2018, describes his experience in this Lonely Planet blog:

"There are no passengers on JST voyages, only crew – made up of nine permanent crew members and 30 to 40 voyage crew – and everyone is expected to fulfil their duties to the best of their ability, whatever that ability is.

Experiencing a voyage on Tenacious (or her sister ship Lord Nelson) is an object lesson in the benefits of inclusion and accessibility. People living with a disability can challenge themselves, experience adventure and explore what they are capable of given the opportunity, while able-bodied crew members are shown that disability doesn’t necessarily mean incapacity."

- Martin Heng, "Setting sail for accessible adventure on the SV Tenacious" (Lonely Planet)

This amazing example of SV Tenacious is a good reason for all of us in the tourism industry to be asking, as Martin challenges us, "If they can do this, what excuse do we have not to make mainstream tourism operations more accessible?"

So a better question here, instead of “How can tourism become more inclusive?”, may be, “what are we not (yet) doing to make tourism more inclusive, and how are we going to push for change?"

Accessible Tourism Examples and Inspirations

Here are some more inspiring examples of accessible tourism in action.

Planet Abled: Helping Everyone to Enjoy Travelling

Planet-Abled provides accessible travel solutions and leisure excursions for people with different disabilities, giving them the freedom to travel and explore their interests, through unique, safe and enjoyable group travel opportunities.

The Special Traveler: Accessible Eco-Adventure in Brazil

The O VIAJENTE ESPECIAL ("The Special Traveler") project is a virtual accessible tourism guide highlighting wheelchair-accessible eco-adventure destinations and activities in Brazil, personally experienced and evaluated by Adriana Braun.

Wesemann Travel: Connecting Deaf Communities around the World

Wesemann Travel is a company organizing tours in direct cooperation with the local deaf community destinations, offering travel experience where everyone involved - "from the guides to the hosts, to the people you encounter" - is directly associated with the deaf world.

New York Museum of Modern Art (MoMA): "Please Touch the Art"

Here's another exciting concept for inclusive and accessible tourism: museum art tours for the blind. In MoMA's "hands-on" art tours for the blind, participants are allowed to touch the museum's art - with plastic gloves and strict guidance of an expert guide, of course. As described in this article, the experiences of the blind museum-goers are a fascinating illustration of different ways people appreciate, interpret, and interact with art: those without sight may have insights and impressions that those with sight won't be able to access. Connecting those two groups of art lovers, for example by having the visually impaired guide the general public, therefore, can greatly enrich the museum experience for all.

The Schoolhouse Hotel: Accessible Facilities and Amenities

The Schoolhouse Hotel (West Virginia, USA) strives to ensure "all persons will have access to the hotel and its restaurants and amenities", and provides a detailed listing of the hotel's accessibility features, from interior design to sign language interpretation, from fire alarm devices to access for guide animals.