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Tourism for All's latest survey shows that there is substantial demand among disabled travellers and their families and companions for travel and UK holidays. Already worth £15bn to the domestic market, and making up 20% of all visits to attractions, those surveyed are actively searching out places to visit and stay post lockdown. Coronavirus measures are important but not as important as accessibility and customer service in determining their choices.
The survey was conducted among Tourism for All's panel of over 100 active disabled travellers in the first 2 weeks of June and showed:
- An active desire to take more holidays in the UK this year, upping the level of both weekly holidays, short breaks and day trips, linked to a belief they will be taking fewer foreign holidays in the next 12 months.
- A determination to travel when allowed and a willingness to travel for as long as it takes to get to their chosen UK holiday destination.
- A desire to return to hotels, guesthouses and other accommodation and a willingness to pay for the right accommodation.
- Good customer service and staff training are viewed as of greater importance than coronavirus measures and are the key to securing this group’s business.
Kenny Boyle, Tourism for All's Chairman, said that these results show that disabled travellers and their companions are keen to start holiday-making again and that they provide a good potential market for domestic UK businesses as they open up Post-Covid 19. He said that the total disabled travel market should be on the radar of every business. "If you are accessible and have an Accessibility Guide, then get out there right now and start marketing to this group. If you don’t know where to start, then check out our Travel Planner website and take a listing. You can also look at VisitBritian's website for lots of helpful tips.
"The other thing you should do is look at the training that we offer. Training your staff to provide great service to disabled customers is the single most important thing you can do to improve your accessibility, and is valued highly by customers."
Data from VisitBritain shows the compelling business case for making tourism venues and experiences inclusive. The stats show that people with health conditions and impairments and their travelling companions spend around £15 billion on trips in England each year, but an additional £117 million could be generated from additional trips if accessibility was improved.
To improve the accessibility of your business, get in touch to find out more about Tourism for All training packages, and if you want to reach disabled travellers, make sure to get in touch about appearing on our website.
