Accessible Travel and Tourism

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.

• 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
• Making cruise accessible 
• Assessing and improving accommodation accessibility. 

Moderator: Susan Deer, Director of Indusry Relations, ABTA

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.

• Manuel Butler, Director, Spanish Tourist Office 
• Ross Calladine, Government-appointed Disability and Access Ambassador, Tourism; and Accessibility & Inclusion Lead, Visit England
• Angus Drummond, CEO, Limitless Travel 
• Matt Gatenby, Senior Partner, Travlaw
• Rowan Greet, Director of Product & Tour Operations, Limitless Travel 
• Liam Hassell, Business Accessibility Consultant, Hassell Inclusion
• Angie Hills, Head of Destinations, ABTA 
• Ben Kirby, Chief Executive Officer, Enable Holidays
• Jesús Ruiz, Head of Sustainability and Impact, Spanish Tourist Office 
• Tina Sargeant, Accessible Travel Executive in Customer Experience, TUI 
• Marina Snellenberg, Accessibility Manager, TUI
• Dr Belinda Stuart-Moonlight, Chartered Environmental Health Practitioner, Moonlight Environmental - Scientific & Legal Consultancy
• Steve Wilson, Assisted Travel Manager, Jet2.com & Jet2holidays 
• Christopher Wood MBE, Aviation Accessibility Consultant

• 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.

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.

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 have now expired. 

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.

Event partners

At Hassell Inclusion we’re passionate about removing barriers in digital technology, making it accessible to everyone. We work with clients all over the globe to activate and embed digital accessibility into their policies, processes, and digital products (such as websites, mobile apps, and digital workplace tools), to help them meet their business and inclusion goals.

Mobility at Sea is the preferred supplier of mobility equipment to P&O, Cunard, Carnival UK, Celebrity Cruises, Royal Caribbean, MSC, and Princess Cruise just to name a few.

We provide wheelchairs, mobility scooters, powerchairs, hoists, profiling beds, and many other mobility aids to
make your cruise holiday more comfortable. As the preferred supplier of mobility solutions to many of the leading Cruise Lines, not only are you guaranteed a product that fits with the specification of the cruise provider.

Visit www.mobilityatsea.co.uk or call us now on 02392 267 474 for more information.

ABTA Partner+ Travlaw Legal Services Limited are 100% committed to serving the travel and leisure industry – from tour operators and travel agents to airlines, hotel groups, event management companies and their insurers.

We pride ourselves on being one of the top travel law firms in the UK. We are a large, experienced team of highly professional yet approachable lawyers who are tried and tested specialists in advising.

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