An Inclusive, Accessible Recovery
The World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) today has released its new high-level guidelines for inclusion and accessibility in the sector which focus on the experience of travellers with disabilities and will help make the Travel & Tourism sector a more inclusive space.
The guidelines were compiled on the basis of insights and frameworks developed by private sector leaders in Travel & Tourism, travel and disability experts, and research from intergovernmental organisations.
Divided into four pillars, the guidelines follow a similar structure to the High-Level Inclusion & Diversity Guidelines and Mental Health Guidelines WTTC released over the past six months.
The four key pillars include:
- Developing an inclusive & accessible system
- Creating safe spaces
- Designing an engaging & relevant system
- Exemplifying inclusion & accessibility
Highlights from the guidelines include providing training to staff on disability awareness and how to support travellers with disabilities, as well as collaborating with other businesses in areas where there are gaps in accessibility knowledge, experience, and services.
The WTTC report also emphasizes the importance of fostering a respectful environment at all locations and for all activities, specifically reminding staff that their attitude towards people with disabilities plays an integral role in making that customer feel welcome and included.
Gloria Guevara, President & CEO, WTTC said: “The travel and tourism sector is one of the most diverse in the world. As the report shows and according to the World Health Organization, almost everyone will temporarily or permanently experience disability at some point in their life, and about 15% of the global population live with some form of disability. It is therefore imperative that we are inclusive.”
Go to https://wttc.org/Initiatives/Sustainable-Growth for more.
