How many guests are you missing out on because your business isn't truly inclusive yet?
, by Annemarie Postma, 2 min reading time
Perhaps more than you think.
Imagine: someone is looking for a hotel, flight or holiday and needs accessibility.
The website looks good. The accommodation seems suitable. But the information is vague. Photos are missing. No one can accurately say how wide the door is, how high the bed is, or whether the bathroom is actually usable.
What does that traveler do?
They book elsewhere.
And often, it's not just that one booking that is lost.
One traveler is often an entire travel party
People with disabilities often travel with a partner, family, friends, or a companion.
So, when you don't provide enough clarity to one traveler, it can mean you don't lose one guest, but an entire booking.
That makes accessibility commercially more interesting than many organizations realize.
After all, you're not just selling a hotel room.
You're selling an experience for a travel party.
The biggest barrier? Uncertainty.
Many travelers with disabilities are used to doing extensive research beforehand.
Not because they want to be difficult.
But because a misjudgment can have major consequences.
A room that's not quite suitable.
A transfer that doesn't work.
A flight that causes a lot of stress.
A hotel where the pool turns out to be inaccessible after all.
That's why these travelers are mainly looking for one thing:
Reliable information.
Not just: “We are accessible.”
But: “This is exactly what you can expect from us.”
Being inclusive therefore starts before booking
Inclusive hospitality is not just about what happens when a guest stands at the reception.
It starts on your website. With your photos. With your booking process. With the information you provide. With the way employees answer questions. And especially with the question: Can we let this guest book with confidence?
You don't have to be perfect
Perhaps you don't yet have twenty fully adapted rooms. Perhaps there are still areas for improvement. That's fine. You don't have to be perfect to be inclusive.
You do have to be honest about what you have, what still isn't working well, and what you're working on. In fact, precisely that honesty can build trust. Show what you already have.
Show what can be improved. And tell them what you're going to change. Make your travelers part of that development.
From missed booking to loyal guest
An organization that takes accessibility seriously not only opens the door to a new target group.
You show that you listen. That you are willing to improve. And that you understand that every guest has the right to a good experience.
This can lead to more bookings, stronger customer loyalty, and above all: a much larger group of people who can actually consider your organization.
So the question might not be:
“Can we afford accessibility?”
But:
“How many guests can we afford to miss out on for even longer?”
At Accessibly Yours, we help hotels, resorts, airlines, travel agencies, and other hospitality businesses answer that question.
We test. We audit. We advise. And most importantly: we help you make accessibility better in practice.
Accessible Travel. Inclusive Hospitality.
Accessibly Yours
blog posts
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, by Annemarie Postma Interview with founder Annemarie Postma
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, by Annemarie Postma Accessibility isn't a checkbox. From 'we have to' to 'we want to'.
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, by Annemarie Postma Accessibility becomes the standard
