In June 2025, the European Commission launched the European Accessibility Act (EAA), a directive aiming to make EU-level products and services more accessible to everyone. So far, it’s only for the EU Member states, but it does set an example and suggest a clear direction towards accessibility in all industries, including travel.

As travel agents, you play a central role in making the industry more accessible and inclusive. Below, we cover some key strategies for you as travel agents to make your travel selling more inclusive, both in digital and physical spaces, for your customers.

Understanding inclusive and accessible travel

Inclusivity and accessibility in travel make sure all travellers can enjoy the experience regardless of their abilities, age, gender, or background.

When we say inclusive and accesible travel, we mean:

• Creating experiences and places that welcome everyone.
• Considering the needs and preferences of diverse travellers.
• Making the travellers feel respected, valued, and included.

Accessibility focuses on the measures that remove barriers. According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), around 1.3 billion people (1 in 6 adults) live with a disability. This is not just restricted to mobility or physical abilities, but a range of invisible conditions too: visual and/or hearing impairments; cognitive impairments; neurodivergence, such as autism spectrum disorder; sensory and emotional conditions; and mental health conditions.

And of course, this means that there are billions of people around the world who require accessible facilities when they go to travel. This could include:

• Ramps, elevators, and step-free bathrooms in hotels and establishments.
• Sensory aids like braille signage, hearing aids, or quiet spaces.
• User-friendly websites that support screen readers, allow keyboard navigation, and more.

This audience, often described as one of ‘the largest underserved minorities’, is a vast, varied and valuable group of travellers and as the market grows and accessibility issues gain more traction, as today’s traveller becomes increasingly DEI (Diversity, Equality and Inclusivity) aware, it’s even more important to ensure that you are accommodating a wide range of requirements as a travel agent. 

However, catering to this audience with a growing portfolio of accessible hotels, for example, is one way to begin providing unforgettable experiences for all travellers.

Our accessible hotels, offered via our travel Booking Engine, are easily identifiable as a result of our tailored filtering system. Simply look for the ‘Accessible Hotels’ filter and quickly refine your search to hotels and resorts that cater specifically to accessibility needs.

Currently, we offer over 135,000 accessible hotels, a number which is consistently expanding as a result of dedicated acquisition campaigns to increase our offering, and the importance of serving accessible experiences for all travellers.

This portfolio is offered exclusively to our valued Bedsonline partners, so sign up today to enhance your offering with thousands of global travel products and better meet today's travellers' needs:

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What are travellers looking for in inclusive travel?

When it comes to inclusive travel, travellers want to feel represented and seen. For this, they may need specific amenities, personalised recommendations from the staff, or adapted transport options. What might this look like?

• Accessible cities: Vienna won the 2025 Access City Award. All metro stations and 95% of bus and tram stops offer tactile guidance systems, low-floor vehicles, and multisensory emergency systems.

• Trained hospitality staff: Educated staff and hostpitality teams on the challenges that travellers with accessibility or inclusivity requirements face, to ensure the use of inclusive language and behaviours for guests, so that travellers feel welcome.

• Mobility-friendly accommodations: Such as step-free access, trained staff, wide doorways, and grab bars. Upon request, they also provide beach wheelchairs and shower chairs, and accept service animals.

• Digital accessibility of websites, apps, and booking platforms: For example, ‘Website Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) are the global standard of accessibility, and in real-life terms, means that information must be: perceivable, operable, understandable and robust. In simple terms, this means that travellers must easily be able to search, book and discover information about key facilities during the booking journey.

• Inclusive and accessible attractions: Many theme parks, such as Disneyland Paris and Universal Studios in Orlando, Universal Studios Japan, and Germany's Europa-Park lead in accessibility with detailed accessible guides, rider swap, sensory-friendly maps, and priority access for guests with disabilities, for example. Alton Towers in the UK is known as one of the world’s leading theme parks for disability access, with extensive accessibility features for various needs. However, parks built with accessibility in mind in the first place, such as Morgan's Wonderland in Northern US, offer the most seamless experiences.

Top tip: Tickets for many of these accessibility-leading theme parks can be booked via our travel booking engine, alongside memorable accommodation to enhance your customers' stay, as well as hassle-free, bespoke transfers to make their journey seamless.

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Inclusive travel in numbers: What it means for travel agents

It goes without saying: promoting inclusive and accessible travel is the right thing to do. But statistics show that it’s also profitable business-wise. Check out the numbers and insights below:

• The demand for accessible travel options is growing rapidly, with an estimated market worth of over $58 billion in the United States alone, and according to the World Health Organisation, over a billion people worldwide experience some form of disability, representing a potentially underserved segment with a huge spending power.

• 73% of luxury travellers from diverse backgrounds don’t feel that the travel industry is inclusive, according to Uwern Jong, editor-in-chief of OutThere magazine, speaking at World Travel Market 2024.

   

• This sentiment was echoed, despite the year’s progress in areas, at this year’s WTM London, where Richard Thompson, CEO of Inclu Group, suggested that despite travellers with disabilities ‘spending more, staying longer, and telling 10 times more people’ once they’ve had a good travel experience, disabled travellers are the ‘last untapped market’ comprised of billions of people.

   

• Nearly 3 out of 4 underserved travellers are more likely to book with companies demonstrating a commitment to diversity and inclusion. This highlights the importance of diversity in travel marketing, especially if you’d like to attract a broader audience.

• 96% of respondents to a recent survey said that if they had accessibility information in advance, they’d be more likely to visit somewhere. When recommending travel packages, detail the accessibility of each hotel, attraction, and transport option, so travellers have the full picture and feel confident to book.

How travel product choice impacts accessibility

Besides the different types of accessibility needs (physical, digital, auditory, neurological, and more), you’ll need to consider how they work into different types of travel products. Here are some examples:

Destinations: For LGBTQIA+ travellers, check the local legal framework, such as whether same-sex marriage or partnerships are recognised and travellers will feel safe. For accessibility, explore whether public transport is step-free, if major attractions and cultural sites are accessible, or if it’s easy to find accessible accommodation.

Hotels: Check whether hotels offer step-free access, ramps, elevators, and accessible bathrooms. For neurodiverse travellers, sensory-friendly spaces or quiet zones can make a big difference.

Transportation: Confirm whether public transport can accommodate wheelchairs. If not, consider organising private transfers.

Activities: Tours and attractions should offer accessible paths, adapted equipment, and trained staff.

B2B platforms: If you’re using a booking partner to search for travel experiences, work with a platform that has a diverse portfolio of accessible experiences. On our travel booking platform, for example, you’ll find over 135,000 accessible hotels.

As always, personalisation is key, especially for today's traveller, many of whom are increasingly looking for hyper-personalised recommendations and personalised experiences when they travel. This becomes even more important when tailoring trips for travellers with additional accessibility or inclusivity requirements.

Ensure that you are tailoring your customer service to their unique needs, delighting and reassuring your clients that you understand and can accommodate their specific requirements. Ask the necessary questions, and then go beyond the superficial level to find out what your customers really want; this is the mark of a great travel agent.

Explore key communication skills to better identify your customers' needs and apply them to your travel selling with our travel agent skills article, here.

Strategies for travel agents to sell inclusive and accessible experiences

If you want to offer more inclusive and accessible travel experiences but don’t know where to start, here are three steps you can take today:

Broaden your portfolio through a travel partner

Finding the right travel products is always time-consuming, and even more so when you need to take inclusivity and accessibility into account. That’s when a B2B travel partner like Bedsonline can come in handy. On the travel agent booking engine, you’ll find 135,000+ accessible hotels, along with filters for reviews, price ranges, and amenities.

Invest in training and resources

The more informed you are, the more confidently you can guide clients. Organisations like The Accessible Group, ABTA, and Global Sustainable Tourism Council offer training programmes on inclusive tourism. These programmes often include a completion certificate, which you can showcase on your website and marketing materials.

Create personalised itineraries

Each client has their own interests and needs. For example, if you’re working with a traveller with reduced mobility, don’t stop after booking a wheelchair-accessible hotel. Ask what excites them about the trip. If they love art, consider researching art museums with step-free access or recommend a private, guided tour with accessible transport included.

Benefits of selling accessible and inclusive experiences

Here are three ways being an accessible travel agency will benefit you:

Build your reputation

When you provide exceptional experiences for travellers, they’re more likely to recommend you to others. Especially in sensitive topics like inclusivity and accessibility, positive word-of-mouth and reviews will improve your reputation and repeat bookings.

Increase customer satisfaction and retention

During the booking journey itself, around 72% travellers indicated that high-quality photos depicting accessibility facilities significantly influenced their booking choices. While limited information on the accessibility of hotels, transportation and attractions caused frustration, and dissuaded a booking.

Customer advocacy is one of the most influential and impactful methods of positively influencing your business reputation (and vice versa). So, giving high consideration to accessible needs during the booking journey can boost customer satisfaction and therefore retention, which ultimately leads to increased business growth and market share.

Inclusivity is the way forward…

…in all industries. The European Accessibility Act is a good reminder of that. As travel agents, you can take action today. Start by browsing training programmes for yourself and your team, personalising offers for your clients, and using tools like our travel booking engine and Insights to make your job easier.

Looking for more inspiration on business growth? Don’t miss our upcoming 2026 Travel Trend Predictions to learn more about what’s shaping travel in the year ahead, and how inclusivity isn’t going anywhere...

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