Accessible Tourism: A Market Often Overlooked

Why travel that works for disabled and older people is both a right and a large business opportunity that many destinations miss.

Travel should be for everyone. Yet many disabled people face barriers at every stage of a trip: inaccessible booking websites, hotels without step-free rooms, attractions with no audio description, and staff unsure how to help. Accessible tourism means designing travel so that people with disabilities, older people and others with access needs can enjoy it fully.

A large market

The World Health Organization estimates that around 1.3 billion people, about one in six of the world’s population, experience significant disability. As populations age, the number of travellers with access needs grows. Disabled people also often travel with family or friends, so an inaccessible destination loses whole groups of visitors.

A study commissioned by the European Commission estimated that accessible tourism demand in the EU was very large, and that improving accessibility could significantly increase tourism spending and jobs. Many businesses underestimate this market.

What accessibility involves

For blind and visually impaired travellers, accessible tourism includes:

Accessible websites and apps that work with screen readers.
Clear information about accessibility before booking.
Audio guides and audio description at museums and attractions.
Tactile maps and models of sites.
Braille and large-print materials.
Staff training in guiding and communicating with blind visitors.

Other needs include step-free access, accessible bathrooms, hearing loops and quiet spaces.

A museum adds audio description

A museum introduces free audio description guides and a set of touchable replicas of key exhibits. Blind visitors, who previously skipped the museum, begin to come with family and friends. Sighted visitors also use the audio guides. The cost of the guides is small compared with the new ticket, café and shop revenue from groups who now feel welcome.

Information matters

Surveys of disabled travellers consistently find that a lack of reliable accessibility information is one of the biggest barriers. Even when a hotel or attraction is accessible, travellers may avoid it if they cannot confirm this in advance. Clear, detailed accessibility information is one of the cheapest and most effective improvements.

Thinking accessibility is only about wheelchairs

Step-free access is vital, but disabilities are diverse. Blind travellers need accessible information and audio or tactile experiences; deaf travellers need captions and visual alerts. Good accessible tourism considers many kinds of needs.

Key takeaways

Around 1.3 billion people experience significant disability, forming a large travel market.
Disabled people often travel with others, so inaccessible places lose whole groups.
For blind travellers, accessible websites, audio description and tactile materials matter.
Reliable accessibility information is one of the cheapest and most effective improvements.