Accessible Tourism in Action: Strategies, Innovations, and Success Stories from the UK
Recently, the tourism industry has been focusing its efforts on responding to existing and emerging challenges, such as over-tourism, climate change mitigation, taking more meaningful steps towards sustainable practices as well as accessibility and inclusivity.
Inclusive tourism means making sure everyone can enjoy their travel experience without facing obstacles or limitations. It focuses on enhancing the experience for a variety of travellers who might need extra support or specific facilities—like people with disabilities, families with young kids, older adults, or those dealing with health conditions.
Thanks to the ongoing advocacy work of accessibility and inclusivity representatives, destinations and companies are making accessibility a top priority when planning tourism and creating travel experiences (UNTWO). A valuable model of this is the new tourism strategy launched by Spain with its “Spain for all” program which focuses on improving access to sites, attractions and activities for disabled visitors.
In recent years, the UK has also made big progress in making tourism more accessible and inclusive for everyone. With inspiring examples from historic sites to natural attractions, there’s a growing push to make sure all visitors feel welcome, no matter their age, mobility, or sensory needs. Leading the way in the UK is the national tourism agency offering a detailed guide to business through the Visit England Accessible and Inclusive Tourism online Toolkit for Businesses. The kit aims to give businesses practical hints and tips to move forward inclusively. The resources available introduce the legal, commercial and ethical importance of accessibility.
A big ally to accessibility and inclusivity strategies and initiatives is, without a doubt, the addition of digitalisation. Technology has transformed accessible tourism for travellers with disabilities, making it easier to plan, book, and enjoy trips. From apps and websites with accessibility info to innovations in hotels and transport, tech is helping remove barriers and improve the overall travel experience.
Some UK destination management organisations (DMO) are actively committed to creating more accessible tourism offers by launching dedicated campaigns or by providing information and support to the local stakeholders on how to provide a more accessible offer. This is the case of DMOs such as the City of Belfast and Visit Scotland. A recent and inspiring example comes from the DMO Destination North East England, which is promoting their “Everybody welcome” program as part of their regenerative tourism policy. Here, local tourism development organisations are working to create a new online tool. This tool helps businesses upload important accessibility details, which are then automatically shared on tourism websites making it much easier for visitors to find up-to-date accessibility info and plan their trips with confidence.
However, there are already a few very useful tools out there available specifically to make tourism more accessible.
Transreport, the UK's fastest growing accessibility technology company and whose mission is to enable transport providers to offer inclusive and equal travel experiences for disabled and older individuals.
Tourism for All UK gathers information and makes easily available offers regarding accessible products and services to travellers with specific needs, whether they're on the move or at home.
There are also practical examples of good practice, such as:
Euan’s Guide—a website that collects reviews and accessibility information to help reduce the stress of everyday experiences for Disabled people.
Euan’s guide collaborated on an accessible tourism project with the city of Edinburgh and the result is the Accessible Highlights Guide , a new guide to the best things to see and do in Edinburgh, plus travel tips and info on places that offer support for different accessibility needs.
The National Trust’s Saltram house in Plymouth is the first UK outdoor cultural site to trial NaviLens, a free app that helps blind and partially sighted visitors navigate more independently. The app uses special codes placed along a garden route, which were tested by the RNIB. The trial aims to improve accessibility to heritage and nature, and may lead to the technology being used at other National Trust sites. NaviLens also supports multiple languages, making it useful for international visitors.
Overall, the UK tourism sector has made great progress in improving accessibility, with projects like NaviLens and strong efforts from DMOs supporting stakeholders in creating more inclusive travel experiences. However, there’s still more to do to make accessibility a consistent part of tourism across the board.
Looking ahead, growing these initiatives, building accessible designs into all aspects of tourism, and making smart use of technology will be key to making travel fair and inclusive for everyone.
If your business would like to understand more about Diversity, Equity and Inclusion within the travel industry or needs expert guidance in developing more accessible and inclusive tourism offers, please visit the Inclusive Travel Forum and become a member to gain access to exclusive training sessions and resources such as toolkits and policy templates designed to help your organisation work towards a more sustainable future.
Learn more about our membership options HERE
You are also invited to attend our official Launch Event happening on the 10th June 2025!
This event will bring together travel professionals, changemakers and industry leaders for the opportunity to build connections, share ideas and perspectives and hear from some of the voices that are working towards making the industry a better place for both workers and travellers.
If you’re interested in attending please find the event information and registration link below!