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Disabled agent calls for more ‘accessible’ facts


Juliet Dennis juliet.dennis@travelweekly.co.uk


A disabled agent has called on operators for more accessible travel information for the trade having returned from only his third fam trip in 18 years.


Harry Wales, assistant manager


at Viceroy Travel in West Wickham, Kent, made the plea for more information in brochures and a central resource after a recent US educational with Premier Travel. Wales, who has muscular


dystrophy and uses two walking


sticks and a wheelchair, said: “Operators should be more proactive and include more information in brochures. Why not tell us how wide the doors are? “Recommending a hotel for someone with additional needs could be the difference between a booking or not; it’s not rocket science. “It’s an untapped market but


agents need more answers and training. We’ve lost bookings because operators cannot guarantee accessible rooms.” Premier introduced details


on adapted rooms in its short-haul


brochure last year, while since September 2018, Tui has labelled properties ‘suitable’ for clients with reduced mobility – including step-free access and adapted rooms on request – or ‘not suitable’. Premier sales and marketing


irector eie ofin si ore accessibility booking advice for agents was needed. “The best way to incorporate this is a few lines in brochures and on websites next to specific resorts or otes se si. Tui is compiling information on 60 accessibility features at


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Harry Wales: ‘Agents need


more answers and training’


hotels, such as pool access. A spokeswoman said: “We are orkin on kin finin accessibility information easier.” A spokesman for disabled


holiday specialist Enable Holidays said: “A central hub for agents is sadly lacking.” Abta already offers an accessible tourism e-learning tool and has practical guides for agents. It said: “Abta has been taking an active role in supporting members to help customers with accessibility needs.”


5 Tanzer: Avoid no deal at all costs


Harry Kemble harry.kemble@travelweekly.co.uk


Abta’s chief executive has implored the government to do everything it can to avoid a “very detrimental” no-deal Brexit, with a month to go before the UK’s departure.


In a letter to the prime minister, her ministers and shadow cinet fiures rk ner said Parliament must “exhaust all alternatives”. He said Abta was meeting


government representatives “on a daily basis” in a last-ditch lobbying effort to convince it to secure a deal with the EU. Tanzer’s plea came as the government, for te first tie epicit si fits ou continue uninterrupted in a no-deal Brexit when aviation minister Liz Sugg said: “Passengers can continue to ook fits it confience. MPs will vote on Theresa May’s


deal by March 12. If rejected, MPs will vote for or against no deal.


6travelweekly.co.uk28 February 2019 BREXIT


Abta said in December it was confient fits ou continue uninterrupted and made that clear to members and consumers. Its Brexit advice page attracted 120,000 views and the campaign reached 1.8 million people.


But as Brexit approaches,


it is ramping up its campaigning by publishing an


updated version of its contingency planning guidance for members. Agencies have used marketing campaigns to reassure customers.


Fred Olsen Travel group retail manager Paul Hardwick said his marketing team had “anticipated” customers’ Brexit fears. He credited strong peaks sales – the agency claims a 24% year-on-year increase from January 1 to February 20 – with initiatives such as a Q&A in its magazine to reassure customers. Hardwick noted a move to long- haul and Turkey, adding that sales of Tui, Jet2holidays and Thomas Cook were “not doing so well”. Online agency lastminute.com launched a campaign on Monday “to tackle post-Brexit travel stigma”.


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