And not only because this is 1 in 3 people in the world, but also because the travel habits of the elderly and people with disabilities distinguish them from other tourists:
They favour deseasonalisation: many of these clients do not have work responsibilities and travel at any time of the year.
They are multi-clients: 96% travel with a companion and plan longer stays at the destination due to its accessibility requirements, according to the Universal Accessibility Observatory of Tourism in Spain of the ONCE Foundation.
They consume tourism: worldwide, the population over 50 years of age spends 109 billion euros a year in sectors directly related to tourism, nearly 3% of GDP. It also contributes to the creation of 100,000 jobs a year and generates greater economic growth in other sectors of the economy, according to the European Union's Silver Economy study.
They are prescribers of accessible offerings: they repeat the experience and are more loyal customers than other tourists.
What should destinations and companies do to attract customers with accessibility requirements?
Know the level of accessibility of your tourist facilities and services in order to inform your clients objectively and truthfully.
Train tourism professionals in customer service with accessibility requirements. Highlight the accessibility of their environments and services in their promotional and marketing media.
Incorporate accessibility criteria into your management and quality systems so that it can be maintained and continuously improved.
The World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) estimates that the tourism sector will achieve record figures in 2024, contributing US$11.1 trillion to global GDP, an increase of 7.5% compared to the previous record, reached in 2019. Accessibility not only helps to increase these figures, it also enables the creation of better quality tourism experiences for all people.
ILUNION Accesibilidad is part of the International Social Tourism Organization (ISTO) and has a team with first-hand experience, as 70% of its staff are people with disabilities. Together with the Central American Tourism Promotion Agency (CATA), they promote and encourage accessible tourism in Europe and Latin America.
Source: CATA Centroamérica.