Planning a holiday as wheelchair users often starts with detective work.
Before I think about booking, I’m checking entrance access, bathroom layouts, distances between venues, and how accessible the transport might be. With more browser tabs open than my brain can handle, sending emails to hotels asking questions that should already be answered on their websites.
Is the entrance step free?
Is the bathroom actually usable for someone who moves around in a wheelchair?
Is accessible parking available close by?
For many travellers with access needs, this kind of planning is simply part of the process.
New research suggests just how many people are navigating travel with needs like mine. A YouGov survey of more than 2,000 UK adults, commissioned by Responsible Travel, found that 41% of people travel with access or health considerations in mind.
That includes people with long term health conditions or impairments, as well as carers and those travelling with family members who have access needs. It is far higher than the 25% figure often associated with official disability statistics, and it reflects a reality the travel industry has not fully recognised.
Accessibility is not a niche market. It is a mainstream part of how people travel.
A mainstream market
According to the survey, 35% of UK adults report having a long term health condition, illness or impairment, while a further 6% travel as companions or carers. Together, this represents millions of customers making decisions about holidays each year.
Importantly, these travellers are not looking for a separate version of travel. The research points to strong interest in cultural, nature based and active holidays, particularly when they are designed with access in mind.
Among travellers aged 18 to 54 with access considerations, 77% say they would like to take a cultural holiday designed with their needs in mind, yet 64% say they rarely or never do. A similar pattern appears with nature based trips. More than three quarters rarely or never take these holidays, yet around two thirds say they would like to.
The confidence gap
While rising costs affect everyone planning a holiday, the research highlights another barrier that receives far less attention: confidence.
Beyond financial pressures, “finding travelling stressful or lacking confidence when travelling” was cited as one of the biggest factors limiting holiday choices.
The difference between travellers with and without access needs is significant. Around 23% of people with access or health considerations say lack of confidence limits their holiday choices, compared with just 8% of those without. Among Gen Z travellers with access needs, that figure rises to 32%.
Confidence often breaks down at the planning stage.
I have arrived at hotels described online as “fully accessible” only to find steps at the entrance or bathrooms I cannot use independently. Experiences like that make travellers cautious about booking somewhere new.
When details are unclear, the safest option can feel like staying with destinations you already know.
The information gap
Responsible Travel’s research also surveyed tour operators and found a clear disconnect between customer demand and the information available to support it. Fewer than 8% of tour operators provide accessibility information across all holidays, and only 3% of websites allow customers to filter trips by accessibility needs.
This lack of detail makes planning far more complicated than it needs to be. Accessibility descriptions are often vague. Phrases like “fully accessible” appear regularly but rarely explain what that means in practice.
For travellers trying to decide whether a trip will work, the details matter. Door widths. Distances between activities. Terrain on excursions. Facilities for assistance dogs. Lighting and noise levels.
Responsible Travel Co-founder and Executive Chair Justin Francis says improving confidence often comes down to providing clearer information and better communication.
“Sharing the right information online, great customer service, and listening with care to individual needs can all have a significant positive impact.”
When travel businesses provide clear, honest details, confidence rises quickly. It removes uncertainty and allows people to assess whether a trip will work for them before they book.
Where travel agents make the difference
This is where travel agents can offer something online platforms often struggle to deliver: informed advice.
Experienced agents can ask the right questions, work directly with suppliers and translate accessibility information into practical reassurance for clients.
When I work with agents who understand accessibility, the conversation shifts quickly from “Can this trip work?” to “How can we make this trip great?”
Agents who build knowledge in this area often see strong loyalty in return. Travellers with access needs frequently become long term clients once they find someone who understands their requirements and takes the time to get the details right.
Practical steps can start small. Asking suppliers for clearer accessibility information. Recording accessibility insights after client trips. Sharing knowledge across teams.
Creating space for open conversations about access needs during the booking process is equally important. Many travellers say that simply being listened to and taken seriously transforms the experience.
Rethinking accessible travel
Accessible travel is still often framed as a specialist or niche type of holiday. The reality is very different.
Many travellers with access needs want exactly what everyone else wants from a trip. Cultural experiences. Time in nature. Adventures that feel memorable and exciting.
The difference lies in how those trips are planned and communicated.
For the travel industry, the message from this research is clear. A large and growing group of travellers wants to travel more, but confidence remains fragile.
Businesses that provide clear information, thoughtful planning and knowledgeable support are not just improving accessibility. They are unlocking access to demand that already exists.
