turismo accesible, accessible tourism, turismo inclusivo

1. Corporal Mark
Reid’s next challenge
is touring England
At your service
Your business case and
guide to improving
accessibility for customers

2. Now more than ever before, you Investor 1: So you’re saying roughly You: Pretty much everything
In the beginning
want to run an effective and one in every five people in England I’ve investigated will increase my Imagine being offered a loyal,
efficient business. Your limited has an impairment? That’s a lot of opportunities to win more business. growing market which makes you
time and available cash have to wheelchair users. First off, I want to make my website stand out from your competitors.
add value and put more money more accessible which will also Be honest; you’d be interested
You: Wheelchair users are only one
in the bank. Because that’s what increase my Google ranking. I want to in that market wouldn’t you?
part of the market. There are many
business is all about, right? put in a ramp which will be good for So why do many tourism
more people with less obvious
elderly people or anyone using businesses overlook improving
disabilities such as poor vision,
Imagine yourself in the hearing loss and learning disabilities. crutches or pushing a buggy. their accessibility?
television programme Investor 2: OK, so it’s a large market. Investor 1: Benefits for older people There are many reasons for
Dragons’ Den What about the income potential? and children as well - I’m impressed. businesses to become more
accessible. This booklet is a starting
Standing in front of the investors You: Overall it’s worth over £2 Investor 2: What about competitors?
point to guide you. To reap the
you put forward a pitch for a small billion a year to tourism businesses What can you tell me about them?
business benefits outlined here
investment in your tourism business. in England. I’d like a share of that. You: Most businesses don’t see the forget your assumptions. Be open
Investor 2: What do you propose? potential. They wrongly assume you to the opportunities available to you.
You: I run a small tourism business
always need to have a lift or make Gain confidence and a share of this
which, with your investment, I You: I’ve achieved quite a lot already, huge investments. They don’t realise lucrative and growing market.
believe I can grow by 25%. at little or no cost to the business. For how many of their customers have
Investor 1: 25%? How are you going to example, I’ve completed an access Hungry for business?
access needs.
do that? statement using a free online tool Disabled people have the desire,
provided by VisitEngland. Investor 1: Sounds like a wise the means and the time to travel.
You: I want to make the business investment to me – I’m happy Travelling can be for leisure or
more accessible - it’s a big market – Investor 2: I can see you’ve looked to invest! business. Nothing new there then.
11 million people in England and into this market carefully. What
The main difference is that disabled
there are even more from abroad. comes next?
people tend to stay longer than
average (3.6 nights as opposed to 3
overall) and to spend more than
average (£173 compared to £168
overall)1. Many prefer to travel at
off-peak times.
1
UKTS 2009 www.visitengland.com/access
02 www.visitengland.org/improveaccess www.visitengland.org/improveaccess 03

3. A market for winning…
Most people love travelling – age
and disability generally don’t
change that. What does change
is the need for careful planning.
Visitors with access requirements
need to know that certain facilities
are available – accessible parking;
a grab rail by the toilet. They can’t
afford to leave anything to chance.
When you invest in general visitor
facilities such as flat screen TVs you
mention it – on your website, in your
leaflet, maybe even on your Twitter
feed. So if you have a vibrating
pillow alarm clock or a hearing loop
system, it makes sense to promote Bottom Line
them too. These facilities may be the 1. se large print (minimum 14
U
deciding factor between you and font) and typefaces such as
your competitor. Arial or Verdana when writing
about your facilities and services.
An accessible business: 2. how that you welcome
S
ecognises the size of the
•R assistance dogs by requesting
market and its value. a free window sticker -
01844 348100.
•M
akes itself attractive to
the widest range of potential
customers.
•S
ees customer loyalty and “ e learnt British Sign Language without
W
profits grow. realising it would gain us extra business.
Q. ow much do international
H
visitors to England with a
We now welcome many guests with a
health condition or hearing impairment. I would advise any
impairment spend each year? tourism business to consider making their
E
stimate based on doubling of 6 month provisional premises more accessible.”
A. £300million2
2
figures from the International Passenger Survey
(Jan-Jun 2010 inclusive) Pauline Roberts – Atlantis Holiday Apartments – Torquay
04 www.visitengland.org/improveaccess www.visitengland.org/improveaccess 05

4. …Or a market for losing
Don’t lose out. Let’s talk numbers. Your visitors’ needs and expectations
People with impairments tend to be are changing, so small adjustments
accompanied by partners (50%), that make your business more
children (20%) or companions accessible may benefit far more
(20-25%)3 which increases the people than you imagine.
number of visitors and creates extra
revenue. In England there are 11
million disabled people – around
one in five people4. This includes an
increasing number of service men
and women.
£2bn
Bottom Line
1. ind three no cost business
F
improvements that you can
action in the next 30 days from
the ‘Easy does it’ business guide –
www.visitengland.org/
Add to that people who are not improveaccess
included in the official figure, such as
those with broken limbs, a bad back or 2. Disabled people, like everyone
those recovering from surgery. Or the else share their experiences.
potential market of at least 78 million Every month 4.5 million people
American and 75 million European in the UK use TripAdvisor –
disabled visitors, friends and family .
5 what are they saying about
With a market this large the range of your business?
potential access needs is huge. It is
beyond the scope of most small
businesses to meet every access need
and cover every eventuality. So what
can you do to enjoy a share of this Q. pproximately what
A
market worth over £2bn? percentage of UK residents
with a limiting disability do
UKTS 2009 www.visitengland.com/access
3
not take a holiday that lasts
H
ealth Survey for England 2001
4 at least a week each year?
5
w
ww.realising-potential.org/case-studies/industry/the-
travel-industry.html A. 50%6
6
D
CMS Taking Part Survey 2007/08
06 www.visitengland.org/improveaccess www.visitengland.org/improveaccess 07

5. “ ou need to look regularly at how
Y What’s driving
visitors use your attraction and ask: if we
changed something how would it improve accessibility?
the visitor experience? There are benefits
What makes you decide to invest
for everyone.” in particular facilities? Customer
Dr George Muirhead, feedback? Legal obligations? Your About us
Locomotion: The National Railway Museum at Shildon
own experience? Why did you decide
to offer vegetarian options? Because Kim and Terry Lord run
your customers weren’t prepared to The Ramblers, a six bedroom
VisitEngland 4 star guest
accept only a cheese omelette and
house near Mablethorpe on
moved to your competitors who
the Lincolnshire coast.
already offered more imaginative
options? Your disabled customers’ We speak to all our visitors and
ability to travel, to enjoy and to share soon pick up if there’s anything we
experiences has escalated and with can provide which will improve
it their expectations of businesses their stay. For example, some
like yours. visitors with arthritis find a full size
kettle too heavy so we provide
travel kettles as an alternative.
An accessible ATTITUDE: To accommodate one person’s
•
Always asks - never assumes. condition we were asked to move
•
Sees the person not the disability. the bedroom furniture around. We
•
Understands that accessibility didn’t make an issue of it and
and quality go hand in hand. rearranged the room to suit. Now
that visitor stays with us four times
Bottom Line a year and we’ve welcomed two
other families directly from her
1. atch the VisitEngland video
W recommendation. It cost nothing,
featuring businesses from around just 10 minutes of our time but our
the country talking about their business gained over £1,000 from
experiences in improving that one satisfied visitor.
accessibility www.visitengland.
org/improveaccess
2. heck page 15 for your starting
C
point to improve accessibility.
08 www.visitengland.org/improveaccess www.visitengland.org/improveaccess 09

6. 60 is the new 40 Q. hich of the following
W
celebrities have a learning
We may try to resist but ultimately disability?
we’re all getting older. By 2025 T
om Cruise/Cher/
more than a third of the UK’s Whoopi Goldberg
population will be over the age of
557. Older people may be surfing A. All of them
the internet and bungee-jumping
13m
but they still benefit from more
accessible accommodation,
attractions and restaurants. They
may welcome a large print menu,
more places to sit down or a support
rail next to the toilet, even if they’d
never dream of asking for it.
The Generation Game
The make-up of ‘family groups’ is
changing and it’s imperative your Bottom Line
business recognises this. It is common
to see extended families travelling 1. ake sure you appeal to older
M
together. They may include different visitors – can you provide a
generations and different access needs. magnifying sheet/magnifying
glass or a spare pair of reading
Increasingly grandparents are becoming
glasses?
the main carers for children. Over 13
million grandparents act as the chauffeur 2. mall changes make a difference
S
for a holiday or short break and they – lever taps on sinks can be
clock up 3.8 billion miles per year8. easier for all customers to use.
3. heck your policies are flexible
C
BArriers ARE Bad e.g. can you fast track those
•
TVs without subtitles can unable to stand in queues?
“ ccess statements I have read focus on
A
access for people with reduced mobility. exclude deaf people from 4. t’s an opportunity for off-peak
I
I need information for people who are enjoying television. business – are you offering
deaf: induction loops, captions on videos, •
Lack of space to move is a problem incentives or packages with other
for wheelchair users, pushchairs businesses to capture this market?
subtitled TV, BSL signers etc.” and suitcases alike.
Access to tourism: disabled people’s views, 2010 Office for National Statistics
7
Sky Motoring, 2009
8
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7. The world is watching
We don’t always associate disabled
people with sport but that’s changing.
In 1948, the UK started the world
Paralympic movement. The British
Paralympic team’s success in
2008 brought it to our attention
and this will increase when we
host the London 2012 Olympic
Games and Paralympic Games.
These events bring a media
magnifying glass that extends
beyond sport to focus on our
heritage and culture as well as our
warmth of welcome, customer
service and facilities. Are you ready
to show the world how accessible
and welcoming you are? Bottom Line
1. ake sure you are at ease and
M
confident with disability – sign up
Adjustments are good for disability awareness training.
•
They are as simple as large 2. heck out the key skills and
C
print menus or hypoallergenic knowledge templates devised
bedding. for your front line staff and
•
They are quickly recognised management team –
and rewarded on TripAdvisor www.visitengland.org/
or Facebook. improveaccess
2012
“ ccessible restaurants and pubs which
A
provide excellent customer service will
attract disabled people, their friends and
Q. pproximately what
A
percentage of disabled people
family. 18% of disabled customers visit
use a wheelchair? restaurants at least once a week and 22%
visit at least two or three times a month.”
A.8%9 (Only!)
C
ited in Disability in the UK, 2010 (DoH/Papworth Trust)
9 Pizza Express
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8. Where can I find…?
Every journey begins with information. “ always find out essential
I
Inaccurate or non-existent information information such as level
is unhelpful at best, damaging at access and availability of
worst. If someone looks for a business cabs before I go, mainly
where there’s room to manoeuvre via the internet.”
a wheelchair or buggy or where
Access to tourism: disabled people’s views, 2010
the menu accommodates dietary
requirements – will they find you?
Bottom Line
Assumptions are bad 1. ake information easy to
M
find, welcoming and inspiring
•I
“t’s too expensive and I never
– have your web developers
have disabled customers” –
followed the World Wide Web
are you sure?
Consortium guidelines? (W3C)
•“It’s irrelevant because the law “ ll investments in greater accessibility
A
www.w3.org/WAI
doesn’t apply to me” – the have repaid themselves within one or two
2.
Check information is Accessible,
Equality Act 2010 applies to all years. And the recent update of access
Accurate, Available, and
tourism businesses.
Appropriate. Would your access
information on our website repaid itself in
information pass a Vischeck three months.”
test? www.vischeck.com Magnus Bergland – Scandic Hotels.
14 www.visitengland.org/improveaccess

9. Your map through access Customer service and training
To access the tools and resources below visit Banish the fear factor, gain confidence
through training
www.visitengland.org/improveaccess
eview checklists to identify the skills and
R
knowledge required in your business.
ccess for All (online).
A
atch the Profiting
W ccessible Travel Made Easy (online).
A
through Accessible orldHost Customers with Disabilities (half day).
W
Tourism video elcome All (1 day).
W
Hear from other
tourism businesses.
Information, communication and marketing
Shout about what you do well
Create an Access Statement
ead Easy does it
R A description of your facilities services to
Simple, low-cost inform people with access needs.
changes.
Join OpenBritain
Be confident - A
published guide and website used by disabled
Get started concentrate on these visitors and tourists.
three areas
Enter the Enjoy England Awards for
now the law
K Excellence and/or the Cateys
T
he Equality Act 2010 Promote your business using national
replaces the Disability accessibility awards.
Discrimination Act
Check your website is easy to navigate
1995. Does design meet W3C guidelines?
heck out business
C Facilities
case studies Small changes can benefit many
Find out what others
are doing.
Apply to VisitEngland for One Step Ahead and the
National Accessible Scheme (Accommodation).
Apply to VisitEngland for the Visitor Attraction
Quality Assurance Scheme (Attractions).
ommission a professional access audit.
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www.visitengland.org/improveaccess

10. This booklet has been produced The Forum was set up in 2008 to
on behalf of the DCMS Accessible bring stakeholders in the tourism
Tourism Stakeholder Forum for industry together to help drive
the 2012 Games. It builds on and forward work to improve tourism for
updates information and statistics disabled visitors.
set out in Accessible tourism:
making it work for your business.
Published by VisitEngland The information in this publication
1 Palace Street, London, SW1E 5HX is given in good faith and every
T 020 7578 1400 effort has been made to ensure its
F 020 7578 1405 accuracy. VisitEngland can accept
www.visitengland.org no responsibility for any error or
misrepresentation. All liability for
VisitEngland incorporated under the loss, disappointment, negligence or
Development of Tourism Act 1969 other damage caused by reliance
as British Tourist Authority on the information contained in this
© British Tourist Authority publication is hereby excluded.
(trading as VisitEngland) 2011 Printed in England
Photography credits
Britainonview - Pawel Libera
P12 © London Organising
Committee of the Olympic Games
and Paralympic Games Ltd.
For a large print or plain text version of this
document email qad@visitengland.org
With thanks to: