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ABTA has launched new guidance to help travellers consider accessibility and assisted travel needs when planning a holiday, travelling on business or visiting family and friends.
The guidance encourages travellers to consider accessibility and assisted travel needs across the whole travel experience, from the planning and booking process, through to travelling and experiencing their destination. It aims to help people consider whether they, or someone they are travelling with, have specific needs due to reduced mobility, access requirements, non-visible disabilities or neurodiversity.
The purpose of the new information is to help customers think about their needs right at the beginning of the planning process, so that travel agents and operators can help find the holiday that best suits them, request any support that may be required and provide advice to support them with their travels.
The guidance also includes a checklist that customers can complete and use as a prompt for discussions with their travel company, to make sure all areas are considered.
ABTA is encouraging members to direct their customers to the new guidance and use it as a practical tool when speaking to their customers about their holiday plans and making the travel arrangements.
The new guidance forms part of ABTA’s wider, ongoing work on accessibility and assisted travel. ABTA is working closely with members, government, destinations and regulators to help improve accessible travel across the whole travel landscape, including different modes of transport and considering at every point of the holiday experience.
ABTA is also developing new guidance specifically for members, to support and strengthen their approach to accessibility and assisted travel, their policies, training, and customer communication.
Susan Deer, Director of Industry Relations at ABTA – The Travel Association said: “We want everyone to be able to travel with confidence, and recognise that if you have a disability, planning and organising travel can be more complicated. However, as an industry we have an opportunity to support travellers and improve access to travel, by helping them plan a trip that suits their needs.
“At ABTA, we’re looking at this across a number of fronts. Our new consumer guidance was developed with the help of members, customers and assisted travel experts to ensure it covers the whole customer journey and addresses all travellers’ needs. We’re also updating our guidance for members, providing practical advice to give them confidence to deliver a great customer experience.”
The guide and checklist are available at: www.abta.com/tips-and-advice/accessible-travel
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