Seminar

Accessible Travel and Tourism

    06 February 2025
    9:30-16:15
  • Venue:
    ABTA Ltd, 30 Park Street, London, SE1 9EQ
  • Book online

Event details

ABTA’s Accessible Travel and Tourism seminar will provide guidance and insights into how you can ensure your business, services and products are accessible to all. 
Hear from speakers across the travel supply chain on how to embrace all customer needs, and enhance customer service and revenue by doing so.

About the event

Early bird rates will expire on 13 December. 

ABTA’s Accessible Travel and Tourism seminar will provide guidance and insights into how you can ensure your business, services and products are accessible to all. Hear from speakers across the travel supply chain on how to embrace all customer needs, and enhance customer service and revenue by doing so.

Whether physical disabilities, invisible disabilities, temporary illnesses, older age or those with partial sight loss or hearing difficulties, accessibility can mean different things to everyone. Attend this one day practical event and explore how to set and achieve accessibility standards as part of your ongoing responsible tourism strategy.

Hear from experts on topics such as your legal responsibilities, tour design inspiration, providing clear information about the accessibility of your products, inclusive customer service and marketing accessible travel. Listen to inspirational case studies from travel businesses, destinations and suppliers on how they have created exceptional accessible products and processes.

Accessible travel should be a key part of any business’ responsible tourism strategy, but also provides often untapped business opportunities and potential for a broader target market. Moderated by ABTA, this event will provide up-to-date guidance and insights into this important and continuously expanding sector.

Sessions

•    Accessibility today: pathways to improved accessible travel for all
•    Digital accessibility: providing clear and accessible information online
•    Panel discussion: Transport accessibility
•    Destination perspective: ensuring equal access in destination
•    Improving accessibility for neurodiverse travellers
•    Customer service excellence: talking to your customers with accessibility needs
•    Allergies: tackling an emerging industry concern
•    Legal responsibilities and regulation. 

Speakers

Moderator: Susan Deer, Director of Indusry Relations, ABTA

susan deer

Susan joined ABTA in 2016 as Senior Solicitor, providing legal advice to ABTA Member businesses, as well as services to support ABTA’s public affairs and trade relations activity.  She has extensive experience in the travel industry, having worked in hotel reservations, tour operating and business travel before beginning her legal career. Since October 2019, as Director of Industry Relations, Susan is responsible for managing relationships with UK travel industry stakeholders, FCO and destination government liaison and overseeing sustainability, operations, crisis management and health & safety in destinations.

Speakers at last year’s seminar included:

  • Pete Bricknell, Chief Product Officer, Hassell Inclusion
  • Hayley Collier, Safety & Risk Data Analyst, Tui and Member, Heathrow Passenger Forum
  • Susan Deer, Director of Industry Relations, ABTA
  • Dean Eales, Head of Partnerships, AccessAble
  • Claire Farley, Managing Director, 2by2 Holidays
  • Jon Fletcher, Chief Executive Officer, The Wheelie Good Travel Company
  • Ben Kirby, Chief Executive Officer, Enable Holidays
  • Fara Muneer MA IAAP, Head of Business Development, Centre for Accessible Environments 
  • Anna Nelson, Chief Executive, AccessAble 
  • Stephen Roby, Sales Manager - UK Leisure, Eurostar
  • Tina Sargeant, Accessible Travel Executive and DEI Employee Network Lead, TUI
  • Marina Snellenberg, PRM & Accessibility Manager, TUI
  • Eleni Skarveli, Director, Greece National Tourism Organisation
  • James Sterry, South Regional Manager, Disability Snowsport UK
  • Dominique Smith, Barrister, Deka Chambers
  • Danny Waine, Head of Membership, ABTA

Benefits of attending

  • Understand the breadth of customers who benefit from accessible tourism
  • Learn how different accessibility needs can be catered for 
  • Explore the potential target market for accessible travel and how to demonstrate the business case
  • Understand how to embed accessibility within your organisation and make it a mainstream aspect of your travel products and services
  • Ensure the products and services you offer are accessible to all, from the first contact to the post-trip review
  • Learn from best-in-class case studies from other companies offering accessible travel products
  • Get inspired on how to incorporate quality and design with accessible travel products.

Who should attend?

This event is designed for all travel professionals who want a deeper understanding of accessible travel. The training is designed to benefit both large and small companies and is ideal for all levels of seniority. The event is especially suitable for: 

  • PRM and accessibility teams
  • Customer and guest relations teams
  • Product, sales and innovation teams
  • Marketing and communications teams.

Event prices

ABTA members/Partners:
Early bird member rate - £249
Standard member rate - £279 

Non-members:
Early bird non-member rate - £389
Standard non-member rate - £419 

Early bird rates will expire on 13 December. 

This includes lunch and refreshments throughout the day, all delegate materials, presentations and an attendee certificate. 

Make payment by credit or debit card. 

View our booking terms and conditions here.

Discounts

  • Book three places and get 50% off the third place.
    (This discount will be automatically applied when you book online.)
  • If you are looking to book for a larger group please contact events@abta.co.uk for a bespoke discount.

*To qualify for the ABTA member/Partner discount you must have a current ABTA member/Partner number or your application must be in progress when the event takes place.

Non-members are welcome to attend. For information about becoming a member click here.

Sponsorship

For information on sponsorship opportunities please contact Sara Dolan on 07766 517 611 or email sdolan@abta.co.uk.

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Testimonials

"Best ABTA event I've been too. Interesting and inspirational speakers. It should be compulsory for all travel related companies to attend."
Jane Stuart Palikika
Ionian Weddings
"Amazing to get such varied insights into travel, and making travel more accessible both for those with physical and invisible disabilities eye opening and highlighted the importance of what we do."
Sarah Neads
Limitless Travel