European Travellers With Accessibility And Mobility Needs Encounter Persistent Barriers In Travel, New Study Finds

Thursday, July 17, 2025

Travel is simply a gateway to exploration, culture, and individual growth. However, for travellers pinch mobility and accessibility needs, this gateway often remains partially open. A caller study by MMGY Travel Intelligence, successful collaboration pinch nan European Network for Accessible Tourism (ENAT) and nan World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC), sheds ray connected nan persistent challenges faced by European travellers pinch mobility and accessibility needs. Despite their progressive information successful world travel, these individuals brushwood galore barriers that inhibit their recreation experiences

Key Findings

Travel is an entryway to exploration, culture, and self-development. But for those who person mobility and entree requirements, this gateway is often only halfway open. New investigation conducted by MMGY Travel Intelligence, successful business pinch ENAT (European Network for Accessible Tourism) and nan European Travel Commission (ETC), and pinch support from Intercruises Shoreside & Port Services, reveals nan important obstacles that travellers pinch accessibility needs look connected some sides of nan pond. Despite their enactment Accessible Information

Almost half (46%) of European travellers pinch accessibility needs recreation overseas for leisure astatine slightest erstwhile a year. But they sometimes person hurdles to clear earlier they ever battalion their bags. One of nan biggest problems is nan absence of communal and standardised accessibility accusation crossed recreation sites and destination platforms. Travellers are spending measurement excessively overmuch clip search down this accusation piecemeal while emotion disappointment and confused.

Transportation Challenges

The immense mostly of pinch points are travel-related, pinch 80% of nan astir caller trips posing challenges. Even aerial travel, nan astir heavy utilized shape of transit, ne'er rather measures up. Reported problems person included passengers being forced to hold for assistance, unit not being good capable trained, and damaged mobility equipment. Public proscription is nary better, pinch a deficiency of elevators and ramps, fewer accessible taxis, and stations that time off overmuch to beryllium desired successful position of signage aliases assistance.

Accommodation Features

Too often, these see nan astir basal information, specified arsenic step-free access, assistance access, bath access, aliases moreover a elemental clear confirmation that your accessible room has been reserved. That deficiency of clarity makes it intolerable for travellersto cognize what they are booking and negates their expertise to book due accommodations.

Cost and Fair Pricing

The costs associated pinch accessible recreation is becoming an moreover bigger issue, pinch complete 80% of travellers pinch accessibility needs revealing that they allocate astatine slightest 10%—and sometimes arsenic overmuch arsenic 30%—of their full recreation fund to accessibility costs. These further expenses tin screen everything from typical carrier and lodging to gear, etc., making recreation not truthful affordable and accessible for many.

Infrastructure and Destination Accessibility

Despite a increasing liking successful world exploration, mediocre infrastructure remains a awesome deterrent for study respondents. Many destinations deficiency features specified arsenic step-free paths, ramps, lifts, and accessible toilets, making safe and independent recreation difficult. Improving beingness infrastructure is not simply a logistical upgrade but a foundational measurement towards creating genuinely inclusive, welcoming experiences.

Recommendations for Improvement

To reside these challenges, nan study suggests respective actionable steps:

• Enhanced Information Transparency: Travel providers should connection much honest, easy-to-find, and transparent information. Destinations should proactively beforehand accessible accommodations, itineraries, and experiences to heighten accessibility.
• Improved Transportation Services: Airports and nationalist carrier systems request to instrumentality improved boarding and disembarking procedures, heighten unit assistance, and summation nan readiness of accessible seating and abstraction for mobility aids.
• Accurate Accommodation Listings: Accommodation providers tin deepen their knowing of accessibility requirements and prioritise transparent, elaborate listings that let each travellers to book pinch confidence.
• Fair Pricing Practices: The assemblage should reside nan hidden costs associated pinch accessible recreation to make it not only accessible but genuinely affordable and of nan aforesaid quality.
• Infrastructure Enhancements: Investing successful inclusive infrastructure now is important to meet nan needs of an progressively important conception of nan world recreation market.

Conclusion

The results of this study item nan economical and societal request for destinations, work providers, and operators to amended respond to nan requirements of visitors pinch mobility and entree needs. The recreation manufacture tin make room for each travellers by adopting these suggested changes. As recreation looks for ways to beryllium much inclusive, however, we must recognise this audience, perceive to them, and induce them successful connected each facets of nan recreation experience.