Accessible travel: not a niche but a growth market.
, by Redactie, 3 min reading time
Accessible travel is still too often seen as a social responsibility or a relatively small niche. But a look at the numbers tells a very different story: a large, growing, and commercially attractive market.
Globally, an estimated 1.3 billion people live with disabilities; approximately 16% of the world's population. The European Union has about 90 million people with disabilities.
And that's just talking about the traveler themselves.
Don't think of one customer. Think of a travel party.
People with disabilities rarely travel alone. On the contrary: accessible travel often influences the choice of a partner, family, friends, or caregivers.
European and international studies indicate that travelers with disabilities often travel with one or more companions. A recent publication by AccessibleEU/UN Tourism mentions a multiplier of 2 to 3 people per traveler with a disability.
Commercially, this means something important:
You don't just sell a room to one guest. You can win an entire booking.
An accessible hotel room can therefore determine the choice of a couple.
Or of a family.
Or of a group of friends.
Or of a traveler with a caregiver.
And if your accommodation turns out not to be reliably accessible, the entire party might choose a different provider.
The market is already spending billions
In the United States, figures from the Open Doors Organization clearly show how large this market has become. In the most recent study, 25.6 million travelers with disabilities made a total of 76.9 million trips over a two-year period, spending nearly $50 billion on their own travel.
During that period, American travelers with disabilities spent approximately $10 billion on air travel alone.
And that's on top of the expenses of their travel companions.
So, the question is not whether this target group spends money.
The question is: does this target group choose you?
And therein lies the opportunity
One of the biggest problems is not the lack of interest from travelers, but the lack of reliable information.
A hotel says a room is accessible.
But what exactly does that mean?
Is the door wide enough?
How high is the bed?
Can you get next to the bed?
Is the shower truly usable?
How do you get to the pool?
How accessible is the restaurant?
And what about the transfer?
The American study shows that 74% of adults with disabilities who stayed in a hotel or motel reported one or more accessibility barriers.
That's not just a problem for the traveler. That's a missed commercial opportunity for the hospitality sector.
Trust sells
Anyone who genuinely organizes accessibility well and communicates clearly about it makes it much easier for a traveler to book.
Not with a general icon on the website.
But with concrete information, honest photos, clear dimensions, and an experience that matches what was promised beforehand.
That creates something that is perhaps the most important thing in hospitality:
trust.
And trust leads to bookings, repeat visits, and recommendations.
Accessibility as a competitive advantage
The travel industry doesn't have to approach accessibility solely from legislation or social responsibility.
It can also be a clear business case.
More potential guests.
Larger travel parties.
More trust.
Stronger customer loyalty.
A distinctive offering.
And a target group that is still far too often underserved.
UN Tourism explicitly calls accessible tourism a business opportunity for destinations and companies.
From ‘must’ to ‘want’
That's exactly what Accessibly Yours helps organizations with.
We test, audit, and assess the accessibility of hotels, resorts, airlines, cruises, railway companies, and travel organizations.
Not just from regulation.
Not just from a checklist.
But from the question:
“Would a traveler book here with peace of mind?”
We highlight what's going well, where opportunities lie, and what can concretely be improved.
Because ultimately, it's not just about accessibility.
It's about winning trust — and thus winning customers.
Accessible Travel. Inclusive Hospitality.
From social value to commercial advantage.
blog posts
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, by Annemarie Postma Accessibility is not a destination. It is a process.
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, by Annemarie Postma Accessibility legislation: what does your organisation need to know?
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, by Annemarie Postma Interview with founder Annemarie Postma
