Abta has launched a new ‘accessible and assisted travel guide’ for its members to help disabled customers and companions when planning a holiday, travelling on business or visiting family and friends.

The new member guidance is the second phase of Abta’s wider work to make travel more inclusive and complements its customer guidance and checklist which was published earlier this year.

Abta is working closely with members, government, destinations and regulators to help improve accessible travel across the whole travel landscape, including different modes of transport and considering every touchpoint of the holiday experience.

To support members in their approach to accessibility and assisted travel, ABTA has produced this practical guidance to help them guide their customers and work with accommodation providers, cruise, transport providers and other stakeholders. The objective is to deliver holidays and travel arrangements that meet customers’ needs, whether they or someone they are travelling with, has reduced mobility, access requirements, a non-visible disability or neurodiversity.

Making travel accessible is about removing barriers to meeting this objective, such as buildings or travel hubs without lifts, busy environments which lack quiet areas for neurodiverse people, or a lack of training for staff in understanding the accessibility needs of customers. Assisted travel is focused on providing support for customers across a range of areas, with examples including booking assistance, or support in physically moving around an airport.

This guidance explores how members can support their customers and consider the whole experience or journey, from door-to-door, and back again, including transport, accommodation, access to facilities, resort areas and taking trips or excursions while they are away from home.

The new member publication is available in the Member Zone on Abta.com