p42-43 know feature mar13 10/3/09 17:56 Page 42
knowledge disability awareness
ttglive.com
Training
Access
disabled
clients
A tie-up between TTG and online directory Good Access
Guide has highlighted a lack of progress by travel firms
when it comes to booking often lucrative holidays for
disabled people. Olivia Hemmings asks what can be done
W
hen TTG and disabled travel “It’s a sector that’s neglected across the passengers that go with them – they very
specialists Good Access Guide board. There’s still a lack of training and rarely travel alone. If you give them good
agreed to join forces on an knowledge because it’s undervalued as a service, you’ve got them for life,” he adds.
innovative Mystery Shopper target market,” she says.
project, the aim was to highlight which To get an idea of the current situation, TTG Breaking the law
travel firms and sales channels were on sent out a mystery shopper – who is also a Following EU rulings which came into force
top of their game when it came to booking full-time wheelchair user – in search of a in July last year, disability-awareness and
holidays for people with disabilities. one-week holiday in Madrid. They checked disability-equality training are now legal
Unfortunately, what it highlighted is out two high street agencies, a website
that there still appears to be a huge gap in and a company advertising in a national
knowledge and understanding about the newspaper. Not one was able to offer a
MYSTERY SHOPPER’S
requirements of disabled clients. product that met their requirements or
And not only does that mean agencies and deliver a totally satisfactory service.
FIRST-HAND EXPERIENCE
operators alike are missing out on a lucrative Agent Richard Thompson from Travel
opportunity, it also means they could be Counsellors specialises in travel for disabled
“The salespeople showed a lack of product knowledge
and service skills stemming from a lack of training.
putting themselves at risk of prosecution people and is director of Good Access Guide.
Without meaning to be, a couple were quite patronis-
and fines under anti-discrimination laws. “This story doesn’t surprise me,” he says.
ing. One agent was trying to be helpful but was more
“I’ve been in the industry 20 years and “The industry is terrified of disability. It’s
focused on price matching. The others had no idea to
used to be an agent. If someone with a equated with problems. There’s very little
ask specific questions about what facilities I required.
disability came in, we used to run a mile,” awareness and understanding.”
“They also made assumptions about what facilities
would be available – but it’s not something I can leave
admits Wendy Takman. However, Thompson doesn’t believe firms
to chance. The problem is that websites say a hotel
Now a training consultant for Good Access would consider it a cost or burden if they
offers disabled facilities but don’t clarify what those
Guide, which provides access and disability- were aware of the “scale of opportunities” –
are. There is a vast range of disabilities out there so a
related training, marketing and consultancy the sector is estimated to have annual
general statement like this is not helpful. It’s sad that
services to the leisure and hospitality indus- disposable income of £80 billion.
in this day and age, even with all the new legislation,
nothing really has been put into place.”
try, Takman says little improvement has “It doesn’t make sense to ignore one in six
Read the full report: Mystery Shopper, p46
been made since she was selling holidays. of the population. And that excludes the
42 13.03.2009
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72 |
Page 73 |
Page 74 |
Page 75 |
Page 76 |
Page 77 |
Page 78 |
Page 79 |
Page 80