HOTTOPICSin travel ACCESSIBILITY
Accessible travel has also risen up the agenda as industry-leading organisations recognise their responsibility to reduce barriers for people with disabilities or other additional needs – and as more people with disabilities work in travel companies to drive the change from within. Tui has partnered with AccessAble, an organisation that works with disability groups, to create detailed accessibility guides for many of the hotels and resorts it features in its programme. The operator has also added an ‘accessibility filter’ to its website to make it easier for customers to find hotels that suit their needs. You’ll also find everything from wheelchair-accessible cabins on the likes of Royal Caribbean’s and Celebrity Cruises’ ships to adapted ski holidays with ‘sit-skis’ for those with physical disabilities. Many family resorts meanwhile offer kids’ clubs geared up for children with autism and other
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Many travel companies are investing more in accessibility
neurodiverse needs. These are all steps in the right direction, but there’s still a way to go until they become truly mainstream. Phil Thebridge, a recent
graduate of University College Birmingham and winner of the Institute of Travel & Tourism student of the year award 2024, has cerebral palsy and dreams of a career in the travel industry (see Q&A, opposite). He says there is little support for people with disabilities working in the travel sector and a misconception that everyone who is disabled uses a wheelchair. He has urged the industry
to offer more work experience and internships for people with disabilities so both the candidate
and the employer can see if they are a good fit for each other, and for companies to recognise the value disabled applicants can bring to a business. Thebridge adds: “Accessibility and inclusion are starting to come to the forefront of tourism companies’ agendas, so hopefully this means they need more employees with disabilities to advise them.”
DIVERSITY
A diverse workforce breeds new ideas and drives innovation, and a growing number of travel organisations are championing diversity to ensure their workplaces better reflect the modern UK, and ensure
that race, gender, sexuality or background are never barriers to a successful career in the industry. Edwina Lonsdale, owner of specialist travel agency Mundy Cruising, is running a programme for more than 20 Year 12 students that aims to create greater social mobility, diversity and inclusion in the travel and cruise industry. She says the Compass
Project will “bring in a more diverse group at entry level who will act as guides and mentors to a far more diverse group of potential applicants”. Lonsdale adds: “It troubles me that in an industry that is totally focused on building relationships between people, so many actively involved in the UK
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PICTURE: Tui
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