New VisitEngland figures released today reveal that hospitality and leisure spend in the UK by disabled customers and their companions amounted to nearly £1b for the first half of the year.
Its figures from the UK Tourism Survey show that overnight trips made by, or accompanied by, someone with a health condition or impairment contributed almost £1b to the English domestic visitor economy in the first six months of the year, accounting for 5.7 million trips in total.
The results show trips made by impaired travellers account for 12% (5.7 million) of all overnight domestic trips in the UK
Ross Calladine, accessibility project manager for VisitEngland, said the results highlighted the importance of hospitality sector, recognising the significant contribution made to the industry by the disabled, those with health problems and their carers.
He added: “These figures are hugely significant. A huge opportunity still exists to cater for their needs – it doesn’t only make sense morally but economically too. Tourism businesses should view accessibility in its broadest sense, as fundamentally it is about understanding and catering for the individual needs of all visitors.”
James Berresford, chief executive of VisitEngland, added: “Many tourism businesses have made great strides in improving the accessibility of their facilities and services but further effort is now required to entice those people with access needs who are not currently enjoying England.”
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By Emily Manson
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