“It is important to consider all aspects of the holiday, in order to identify any potential issues or barriers which might affect the customer’s experience.”
This year, Tourism for All – national charity and UK Voice for Accessible Tourism – will be hosting an ‘Accessibility Clinic’ at the show (stand G66/G67). Here Raymond Veal (CEO of Tourism for All UK) and Brian Seaman (accessibility consultant and assessor) tells us more…
What should tour operators look out for when planning tours and itineraries for disabled tourists and travellers?
Firstly, it is important to ask the right questions to the customer taking the holiday, in order to understand what they might need to ensure that they have a great experience. For example:
– Have they been away before? Where did they go?
– Did they travel with a personal assistant, a carer or a family member?
– What kind of support might they need (if any)?
– Will they be taking their own equipment, or will they be hiring at the destination (e.g. a mobility scooter)?
– If they are taking their own equipment (e.g. a wheelchair), have they made sure it is insured?
– If they carry medication with them, have they obtained a Doctor’s letter?
– If the trip involves air travel, might they need an oxygen supply?
Then, it is important to consider all aspects of the holiday, in order to identify any potential issues or barriers which might affect the customer’s experience. For example:
– What is the transport like at the destination – are there accessible buses and taxis?
– If it is an inclusive holiday package, what are the arrangements for getting the client to their hotel? Might they need a taxi instead of the bus?
– If the holiday is in a historic city, it is likely to have cobbled streets – might this affect their ability to get around?
– As well as the accommodation, what are the restaurants, shops, attractions offering disabled visitors like? Are they accessible too?
– If the trip involves a cruise, can they access the ports of call if a smaller boat is used to transfer from the cruise ship to the shore?
What accessibility issues do tour operators face?
The main issue tour operators face is to make sure that those elements of the holidays they plan, which are under their direct control, are suitable for the requirements of their customers.
Sometimes it will be hard to ascertain whether a destination is accessible for their client, so they will need to check information about access on the destination website. Many destinations now provide detailed information about what disabled visitors can expect. The most important advice here is: “Don’t leave it to chance – check the details”.
Another key issue which tour operators face is to consider those aspects of the holiday which are not under their direct control, and are not necessarily their responsibility, but which could ruin the customer’s experience if they are not right. It is critical to check to ensure that all aspects of the holiday are suitable for the customer’s requirements. Remember, nobody stays in their room for 14 nights, unless they have to.
Two specific aspects of itinerary planning which can be problematic, and which tour operators should take care to address, are:
– Airlines need to be made aware when passengers are going to need assistance.
– Accommodation providers need to be made aware that an accessible room booking is a ‘requirement’ and not just a ‘request’.
Tourism for All works with tour operators to help them understand the requirements of disabled tourists and travellers and how they can address this valuable and growing market most effectively.
Are there any new developments in accessible tourism that we need to watch?
The business case for accessibility has become more widely understood in the last few years, and this has led destinations such as Germany, Flanders, Spain (Barcelona) and Portugal to improve their accessibility. This in turn is encouraging other destinations, including the UK, to raise their game.
Useful insights into developments in accessibility can be gained by following many blogs from disabled tourists and travellers, who will often share details of new or different places they have visited.
What will you be offering in your ‘Accessibility Clinic’?
Tourism for All’s ‘Accessibility Clinic’ will run throughout the show, on Stand G67. Whether you are a visitor to the show or an exhibitor, you can book a 15-minute appointment with our expert, to get advice on specific accessibility issues, to get hints and tips on how to improve the service and facilities your business provides to disabled customers, or to find out what to look out for when you are planning tours and itineraries for disabled tourists and travellers.
What are you looking forward to most at the British Tourism & Travel Show?
Tourism for All is looking forward to meeting some really interesting and ambitious businesses, some of them already doing great things in providing equality of access to all their customers and others who are not so far along the road, and showing them how, working together, we can ‘take the disability out’ of leisure and tourism and achieve our goal of Tourism for ALL.
Book an appointment now through the show Meeting Planner, or come along and see us on Stand G66 or G67, when we can tell you more about what we do and how we can help you to get the most from the valuable and growing accessible tourism and travel market.
British Tourism and Travel Show will return to the NEC Birmingham on the 22-23 March 2017. For more information and to register for a free ticket, please visit www.tourismshow.co.uk (direct link: https://registration.n200.com/survey/3merbygtnzi4j)
Image by: Visit Wales