Fora’s First Accessible Travel Report Finds Accessibility is Driving Demand

A report drawing on a survey of 1,359 Fora advisors and a nationally representative survey of 2,592 U.S. consumers turned up staggering results confirming that accessible travel is not niche, travelers are willing to pay more to have accessibility needs met, and that the lack of accessibility information is still the main barrier making or breaking a trip.

More than half of consumers (55%) planning a multigenerational trip in the next three years say someone in their group will need an accessibility accommodation, whether it’s a wheelchair ramp, a walker-friendly itinerary, a gluten-free menu, or an autism-friendly kids’ camp. Of those families, 78% say they’d pay more to make sure those needs are properly met.

“Accessible travel is not niche, travelers are willing to pay more to have accessibility needs met, and that the lack of accessibility information is still the main barrier making or breaking a trip.”

Advisors are already living this shift. Two-thirds (67%) have booked a trip for a client with an accessibility need, and 18% of those say such trips now make up more than a quarter of their business. These aren’t small bookings, either: 44% of advisors say their largest accessible booking in the past year topped $10,000.

“In my own business, I’ve more than doubled my sales this year, driven by multigenerational trips,” says Karen Morales, Accessibility Program Lead at Fora. “This is a growing, important segment, and it requires a personal touch.”

Multigenerational travel groups are driving the demand, but the senior population isn’t the only group requiring accommodations. Out of those needing accommodations, “more than one in three (36%) say a parent or another adult (age 18 to 64) in their group would need an accommodation, and almost one in four (23%) say a child or teenager would.”

The need is high, and the gap is wide. Surveys showed gaping chasms between what’s advertised as accessible and what truly is. Examples included overlooked steps and bathrooms that couldn’t fit a wheelchair.

How will you meet the growing demand and fill the gap to welcome all?

The TravelAbility Summit takes a deep dive into the accessibility gap and how to fill it. Attendees will leave with practical information that can be implemented immediately to initiate real change and meet real needs. Register here.