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Abta held its latest Accessible Travel and Tourism Seminar earlier this month. Juliet SEMINAR


Bond with your clients to ease accessible travel stress


A


strong bond of trust and understanding between travel agents and clients with reduced mobility


is key to reducing holidaymakers’ stress levels, according to a panel discussion on accessible travel. Speaking at Abta’s Accessible


Travel and Tourism Seminar this month, holidaymaker and Alzheimer’s sufferer Keith Oliver said his confidence to travel had been helped by the relationship he enjoyed with his local agent. He said: “Te choice is


overwhelming, and booking and researching online is beyond my capabilities now. Te Canterbury branch of Flight Centre has been fabulous since I was diagnosed. “Te manager identified three


members of staff who were best placed to help us.” He added: “It’s about trust, knowledge, understanding,


It’s about


trust, knowledge, understanding, awareness: these are key elements


awareness: these are key elements for any business to support people like me.” Disability equality consultant


Geoff Adams-Spink, born with multiple impairments as a result of thalidomide, said that as well as developing an understanding relationship, agents and suppliers could reduce stress levels for disabled travellers simply by asking questions. He said: “Te best way to deal


with any customer, whether they have additional needs or not, is just to ask. Tere is always a certain level of anxiety, but things can be done to


reduce them. Having confidence and a relationship with your provider is key.” Angus Drummond, chief


executive of tour operator Limitless Travel, was diagnosed with muscular dystrophy at the age of 22. As a supplier, making sure clients


feel confident is crucial, he said. “Oſten people come to us


with a high level of needs and low confidence. Travel can be full of stress and worry; making sure you get that accessible room, for example,” he said. “Sometimes the worry is so big


you don’t enjoy the holiday. “We put confidence at the heart of


everything we do.” Marina Snellenberg, Tui Group’s


manager for people with reduced mobility and accessibility, said the company had changed the language its agents used. She said: “We used to advise our agents to say ‘confined to a wheelchair’ until we were told they would prefer ‘wheelchair user’.”


Angus


‘Information, language and imagery are key’ 53%


Travel companies have been urged to develop websites with relevant information and inclusive language to atract and retain clients with accessibility needs. VisitEngland head


of business support Ross Calladine


stressed information was key. In Te Access Survey


Ross


Calladine, VisitEngland


12


in 2018 by Euan’s Guide, 53% of those questioned said they avoided going to new places if they could not find relevant access information.


23 MAY 2019 Calladine said: “Websites are key and information


needs to be up to date.” He urged travel firms to think of themselves as


‘accessible’ rather than ‘disability-friendly’. “A lot of people with reduced mobility will not think


of themselves as having a disability. When you are describing facilities, call them accessible rather than using the word disabled,” he said. Use of images that feature people with additional needs also helped, he added.


Avoid new places if they cannot find accessibility information


Drummond, Limitless Travel


‘Industry is missing huge


Te industry will miss out on a “huge, commercial opportunity” and a “bright, rosy future” if it does not open up to the needs of customers with reduced mobility, according to leading figures in the sector. Chris Veitch, the government’s


disability champion for the tourism sector, said catering for clients with accessible needs was a “powerful thing to do for a business”. “We should see it as a business tool, improving the quality of the experience


travelweekly.co.uk


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