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Unlock This CourseWhen planning a holiday, access to appropriate services and facilities can make or break a tourist's experience. Different types of tourists have varying needs and tourism providers must understand and cater to these requirements to deliver excellent customer service.
Key Definitions:
Good access to services and facilities isn't just a nice extra it's essential for many tourists. Around 15% of the global population lives with some form of disability. In the UK alone, the accessible tourism market is worth over £12 billion annually. When tourism businesses improve accessibility, they're not just being inclusive they're tapping into a significant market opportunity.
Tourism businesses that provide excellent access can expect:
• Increased customer base
• Higher customer loyalty
• Competitive advantage
• Compliance with legal requirements
• Enhanced reputation
• Longer tourism seasons (as many people with accessibility needs travel in off-peak times)
Different tourists have varying needs when it comes to accessing services and facilities. Understanding these needs is crucial for providing excellent customer service.
Around 1 billion people worldwide live with some form of disability. These tourists may require specific adaptations to fully enjoy their travel experience.
Requirements:
• Wheelchair ramps and lifts
• Accessible toilets
• Wider doorways
• Adapted transport
• Ground floor accommodation
Requirements:
• Braille signage
• Audio guides
• Guide dog facilities
• Tactile maps
• Staff trained to offer verbal descriptions
Requirements:
• Visual alarms
• Subtitled videos
• Induction loops
• Sign language interpretation
• Written information
VisitEngland launched an "Accessible Tourism" campaign that helped businesses improve their facilities for disabled visitors. They created detailed accessibility guides for attractions and accommodation providers. The result? Participating businesses reported a 14% increase in visitors with accessibility needs and an average £12,000 increase in revenue per business. The campaign also produced free online training tools for tourism staff to better understand and serve tourists with different access requirements.
Families travelling with children have specific needs that tourism providers must address to ensure a stress-free experience.
• Family rooms or connecting rooms
• Cots and high chairs
• Child-friendly menus
• Baby changing facilities
• Safe play areas
• Childcare services
• Age-appropriate activities
• Family discounts
• Pushchair access
• Child-friendly toilets
• Rest areas
• First aid facilities
The ageing population represents a growing segment of the tourism market. These tourists often have specific access needs but may not identify as having a disability.
Common requirements include:
Tourism providers must also be aware of cultural and religious needs that affect access to services.
• Halal food for Muslim tourists
• Kosher options for Jewish visitors
• Vegetarian/vegan choices
• Gluten-free and allergen-free meals
• Clear labelling of ingredients
• Prayer rooms
• Information about local places of worship
• Respect for religious dress codes
• Awareness of religious holidays and customs
• Gender-segregated facilities where required
In the UK, tourism businesses must comply with the Equality Act 2010, which requires them to make "reasonable adjustments" to ensure people with disabilities can access their services. Similar legislation exists in many countries worldwide.
Key legal obligations include:
Scandic Hotels in Sweden has become a leader in accessible tourism. They developed a 159-point accessibility standard that all their hotels must meet. This includes everything from height-adjustable beds to vibrating alarm clocks for hearing-impaired guests. They also train all staff in disability awareness. The result? Scandic has seen a significant increase in bookings from guests with disabilities and has won multiple awards for accessibility. Their approach demonstrates how accessibility can become a core business value rather than just a legal requirement.
To excel in providing access to services and facilities for all tourist types, tourism businesses should:
• Provide clear information about accessibility in advance
• Train staff to communicate effectively with all customers
• Use multiple formats (text, audio, visual)
• Ensure websites meet accessibility standards
• Create accessible booking systems
• Conduct accessibility audits
• Install ramps, lifts and accessible toilets
• Ensure clear signage
• Provide accessible parking
• Create sensory-friendly spaces
• Train all staff in disability awareness
• Develop cultural sensitivity
• Teach appropriate language and terminology
• Ensure staff know how to assist without being patronising
• Create clear procedures for handling access requests
As technology advances, new opportunities are emerging to improve access to tourism services and facilities:
• Different tourist types have varying access needs that must be understood and addressed
• Accessible tourism is not just about physical disabilities but includes families, elderly people and cultural considerations
• Legal requirements set minimum standards, but best practice goes beyond compliance
• Improving access benefits businesses through increased customer base and loyalty
• Staff training is essential to deliver excellent customer service to all tourist types
• Technology is creating new opportunities to enhance accessibility