Accessible Holidays EASY ACCESS
Some 11 million people have a hearing, vision or mobility impairment, so there's a highly lucrative market for astute agents, says Mike Swindell
vision or mobility impairments and most modern cruise ships are very accessible and will offer adapted cabins and bathrooms. I have also seen ships with swimming pool hoists. "Fly/cruise options can be difficult for wheelchair-bound passengers who prefer not to fly for long distances and itineraries that include transfer boats are not the best choice because of the difficulty in managing passengers."
pension fund managers but they represent the sunlit uplands for those in the travel industry prepared to take on the challenge of providing holidays for those with special needs. European and UK regulations aimed
S
at making life easier for travellers with hearing, vision or mobility impairments also make it easier for holidaymakers who need a bit more room, extra help or adapted facilities. A well-attended seminar on accessible
travel at last year's World Travel Market demonstrated a growing awareness of the importance of the niche-adapted travel holiday market. Tourism for All chief executive
Jenifer Marian Littman told delegates that the core market of British people with a disability that qualifies under the Disability Discrimination Act is 11 million – around one in five – with annual spending power of £50 billion. On top of that, there's the question of Britain's ageing population. Currently there are 20 million people
over 50 and 11 million over state retirement age. By 2025, more than a third of the UK population will be over 55, many of
Cruising is a good option for people with impairments. Above, Independence of the Seas and a specially designed cabin
tatistics relating to the UK's ageing population might make uncomfortable reading for
whom will be helped by elements of the accessible travel movement. And according to Littman, people with hearing, vision or mobility impairments tend to be loyal customers who give repeat business with the right welcome. But that welcome needs to be
extended from the travel agent through the tour operator and into the resort or destination, so it is quite a big ask to get everything absolutely right. Co-operative Travel remains the only
major agency to offer significant training to staff on how to handle accessible travel enquiries, with 100 of its 400 branches now listing a specialist. Whether the training programme continues following the Thomas Cook merger remains to be seen. Virgin Holidays is seen as the best
of the mainstream tour operators although Thomson and Kuoni also offer special assistance teams. Specialist tour operators including
Can Be Done and Accessible Travel & Leisure are leaders in their sector but Can Be Done has achieved most in integrating with mainstream agencies. It currently has commission
agreements with TTA Worldchoice, the Co-op, Travel Counsellors, Hays Travel and a number of other independents. Cruising is seen as the easiest option
for people with mobility problems because wheelchair-bound clients tend to shy away from longer flights. But that is not so say that mobility-
impaired holidaymakers will not fly. Can Be Done has clients for holidays
to South Africa, Japan, Mexico, the US and Canada, with Canadian itineraries taking in the Rocky Mountaineer train and Amtrak in the US.
From The Front Line NEIL WALLACE,
specialist services manager, Virgin Holidays "We probably have about
a thousand bookings a year that need something very specific which requires us to contact resorts. On top of that there are many more clients that need a bit of advice or help, like assistance on to aircraft. We try to introduce new products and have bought beach wheelchairs to in the most popular resorts in the Caribbean."
MARTIN HAY, ACE-accredited home worker with Go Cruise "Southampton and Dover,
which have direct ramp access to the promenade decks of ships, are good access options for people with hearing,
Where To Book It ROYAL CARIBBEAN INTERNATIONAL – 0844 493 3061
www.royalcaribbean
.co.uk A14-night Mediterranean Treasures cruise-only aboard Independence of the Seas is from £1,169pp based on two people sharing an inside accessible cabin. The cruise departs from Southampton and calls at Gibraltar, Provence, Barcelona, Palma de Mallorca, Alicante, Malaga, Lisbon and Virgo before returning to Southampton. Meals and entertainment onboard and all relevant cruise taxes and fees are also included.
CAN BE DONE – 020 8907 2400
www.canbedone.co.uk A two-week New York State tour by train, with accessible excursions in Rochester, Buffalo and Niagara Falls is from £3,175 pp based on two sharing a room. The tour spends four nights in New York City and three days at The Inn on the Lake in Canandiagua. Flights from LHR on are with American Airlines and state-wide touring with Amtrak. •
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www.sellinglonghaul.com • January 2012 57
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