I have been travelling for over 20 years, going back even further with my family from age 6. It’s a fair bit of travelling and has become inclusive for everyone. But is it inclusive enough? Maybe you’ve been on an adventure and struggled to find a hotel that caters to your needs, worried about whether your culture or beliefs will be respected abroad, or felt like the industry doesn’t see you. You’re not alone.
The good news? Change is finally happening, and it’s happening whilst you read this. I recently attended the TTG “Fairer Travel Event,” and there was a real push to break down barriers and make travel more inclusive. From accessible holidays for people with disabilities to better options for halal travellers, the conversations showed that the industry is starting to listen.
The Hidden Truth About Accessible Travel
TTG has emerged as a significant and strong voice for change in an industry that has previously been viewed as elitist and inaccessible, actively fighting to eradicate elitism and support diversity in the travel sector. They have continuously brought together industry leaders and changemakers to discuss challenges through specialised events such as the “Fairer Travel Event”.
These events provide an important venue for open, strong information exchange and the creation of meaningful plans to build a smarter, better, and more equitable travel landscape for everyone, from employees to customers.
TTG’s team did a recent in-depth report surveying nearly 140 travel agents before the event regarding accessible travel, which means ensuring that people with disabilities, diverse needs, and varying abilities can participate in and enjoy travel experiences without barriers. The result was interesting, revealing both the promise and the pain points of selling inclusive travel. It told us what’s working, what’s not, and where the genuine opportunities lie.
The report makes you consider whether agents are sleeping on the chance to generate more revenue, including from halal tourism, which is often misrepresented, misunderstood, or overlooked despite its rapid growth.
Why Accessible Travel Is a Priceless Opportunity
The event featured numerous speakers, including Hafsa Gaher, founder and CEO of Halal Travel Network, with whom I work closely daily to enhance the halal tourism sector. She shared her wisdom on inclusive travel and what she felt businesses needed to do going forward. The key message that kept coming out from every discussion I saw was that it was time to kick elitism out of the industry, which has been widely discussed over the years.
TTG’s report also told us that only 10% of agents regularly sell accessible travel, making me wonder whether the business’s criteria fit the purpose. Also, only half say they do it fairly often, so the market is there, but there’s still work to be done. A third of the agents feel confident in certain situations, whilst newer agents feel underprepared altogether. That’s a training gap many businesses need for the good of the industry. If that can be improved, then you are taking a step closer to making the industry more inclusive.
Travel agents must pay attention to accessible travel because the clients, judging from the report and during the discussion, suggest that they are very loyal. 70% of the agents have said these clients are more likely to book again, which is the kind of loyalty that is priceless in today’s market.
Cost vs Care
Cost is also an issue, according to the agents, who believe accessible travel is more expensive because it requires specialist suppliers, bespoke experiences, and hidden fees. Again, the agents need sufficient training to manage expectations, be upfront, and offer genuine value.
Hafsa Gaher gave inspired insight during her breakout session talk and panel discussion. What I was doing during both of those sessions was seeing whether people sitting in their seats were showing genuine interest, and all of them were impressed. When I spoke to Ashley Quint, TravelTime World director, he shared, “She had some interesting points, and it’s something that needs an infrastructure approach. It’s all in the delivery. As we work with tour operators, it’s a case of them understanding this as well.”
Gaher’s message was simple and reassuring to the audience that inclusivity doesn’t require a massive overhaul. With 10% of the 140 agents surveyed by TTG booking accessible travel, it’s really about listening, getting the proper training, and adjusting to offer halal tourism to their clients with care.
Quint did add that, given his demographic as a local travel agent in the home counties, a halal traveller isn’t the right audience. There will be agents who will have this dilemma, but the vast majority won’t.
From Empathy to Action
The flip side to all of this is that if we genuinely want an inclusive travel industry that caters to all types of travellers, then we’ve got to go deeper than just celebrating the opportunity. One industry insider-turned-writer during the event told me (someone who used to be in PR and wants to stay anonymous) that there’s still a long way to go before any real change can be seen. A lot of the progress will get stalled, not because of a lack of ideas or demand, but at the end of the day, as most of the speakers alluded to, a lot of the time, it’s all about the bottom line in mind, rather than the bigger picture.
There is still that sense that favouritism, closed circles, and the influence of big players with even larger deep pockets still hold the reins. It’s the classic “who you know” culture, and that’s tough to dismantle.
However, if there are more events like the one TTG put on, and being bold and loud, others will follow suit. The prime example is Intrepid Travel. They are a commercial entity that is really trying to make a difference within a diverse community.
A Blueprint for a Better Industry
When I spoke to the Head of Events from TTG, Charlotte Mann, to get an idea of how the company felt the event went, she shared, “We couldn’t have been more thrilled with the success of our Fairer Travel Event. This year, we took a different approach to how we host our sustainability and DEI-focused conferences, and we wanted to create a new platform for travel’s changemakers to connect and inspire each other to make a positive difference across the industry. To have hosted more than 120 delegates on the day was brilliant, and the event was incredibly well received by both attendees and partners, with feedback some of the strongest we’ve ever seen.”
If you look at how some niche markets have grown over the past year, it will only give you optimism. It’s about trying to pressure people at the top, the ones with the power to make things move. Kick elitism out was the call, and to do this, our leaders need to take centre stage, stop talking about inclusion, and start showing us what it looks like in action.
It comes down to the same thing: empathy, knowledge, and action.
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Shebs Alom
Shebs is a Broadcaster, Travel Writer, Podcaster, and Co-Executive Producer. In 2024, he was a BGTW Broadcaster of the Year Finalist and Travel Unity’s DEI Champion Finalist. His work has been featured in the BBC, The Times, The Express, Travel Magazine, and Marriott Bonvoy, to name a few. He hosts an award-nominated travel podcast, Take a Wander with Shebs.