Start of Something Exciting For Spanish & UK Accessible Travel
For many of us with accessibility needs, going on holiday can be a daunting process. The great news is that the Spanish Tourist Office “Spain for All” initiative released its findings this week (13/08/2024) from a panel headed up by themselves, which included members of the UK & Spanish travel industries, people with a lived experience within the disability community. This included access organisations, travel agents & travel industry personnel.
The report has some very interesting & useful information on how this collaboration has opened up a whole new opportunity for both the UK and Spain to improve and ensure “Spain for All” is a success in ensuring accessibility needs are improved.
The panel conducted surveys and held panel sessions with those from the disability community with a lived experience, to highlight where things needed to be improved or introduced. Common themes, challenges and solutions emerged from the data and the findings were highlighted under 5 main areas:
1. Defining Accessibility & Ensuring Inclusivity
2. Closing the Information Gap
3. Collaboration & Consultation
4. Data
5. Adapting the Customer Journey
Some of the key things we can all relate to are below:-
– Not defaulting disability to wheelchair users, ensuring to include all disabilities including non visible, neurodivergent community, sensory impaired & mental health.
– Better accessible information for Tour Operators, Travel Agents, Tourist Boards, Private organisations & charities, to ensure correct information is easily accessible and all the parties play a part in this.
– All documentation and information to be translated accurately ensuring better advise for those who are booking, promoting tourism and the travel sector
– Consultation & Collaboration is key towards transformation, partnering with other organisations, such as charitable enterprises, universities and specialist consultancies, to ensure a data driven approach to adapting services for accessibility
– Consulting with communities with lived experience to identify solutions
– Some great findings from data collected included work with Barcelona & Valencia Metro services. Accessibility should be data driven to deliver better access for all in Accessible Tourism
– Entire customer journey needs to be adapted, from transport, booking platforms, airport experience, services and staff.
– Accessibility within travel and tourism needs to be considered beyond just accommodation
– Digital Accessibility & websites play a major role and should be adapted to suit different accessibility requirements inc. audio, visual and descriptive captions
Overall the report is very informative and gives many people the opportunity from within the UK & Spain, to forge fantastic partnerships to enable travellers to have better accessible holiday experiences.
Its exciting and their next steps are too :
The “Spain for All” project will continue consulting with experts and those with lived experience within the disability communit. The Spanish Tourist Board will continue with monthly accessibility advisory panels to feedback further information and findings.
The great news is they are looking to expand the panel to a variety of people within the community with lived experience of disabilities, from all areas, including neurodiversity, the Deaf and Hard of Hearing community, sensory impairment, visual impairement, mental health & also the Aviation, Hotel and Transport sectors. If you’d like to be involved, get in touch on info@worldaccessibleholidays.co.uk and we can connect you with the Spanish Tourist office contact.
In the meantime, if you would like to read the detailed report the link is below
FIRST ACCESSIBILITY FINDINGS REPORT
If your looking to book a holiday, or need some further advice please contact us on 02921 283143 or info@worldaccessibleholidays.co.uk