A new organisation, touted as “more than a specialist accessible travel company”, aims to galvanise the industry to drive a sea change in the way disabled customers book and experience travel.
A group of accessible and inclusive hospitality experts have created luxury hospitality and travel group Inclu, encompassing a family of B2B and consumer brands and services created to realise their vision of enabling travel for all.
The business aims to engage “at scale” with hotels, restaurants, travel providers, agents and service suppliers.
Inclu is the vision of co-founder and chief executive Richard Thompson, who is spinal cord injured and an advocate of total guest inclusion in global travel, hospitality and leisure.
He has developed a complete ecosystem of services, solutions and support, set to “transform travel opportunities” for disabled people.
Thompson is working with co-founder and web accessibility pioneer Ian Carter, and leadership team of travel, technology and education experts including head of travel services, Alison Pearson, and Namai Bishop, founder of travel concierge firm LuxePrive.
The Inclu brand family currently comprises new concierge-led discovery platforms Inclusive Luxury Hotels and Inclusive Luxury Table; B2B training and strategic business solutions services, Inclu Academy and Inclu Consulting; and expert-led evaluation, education and transformative programme, IncluCare.
Thompson said: “An organisation’s capacity to welcome and delight disabled guests is overwhelmingly determined by its provision of an impeccable, personalised and consciously inclusive service delivered by an aware, empowered and confident workforce, facilitating access to the full range of amenities and experiences that it has to offer.
“Inclu is the culmination of nearly three decades of endeavour and expertise in removing barriers to travel freedoms, equality and inclusion for disabled people across the globe.
“Until now, options within the accessible and inclusive travel sector have been way too limited; isolated pockets of inclusivity excellence that occasionally capture attention.
“We created Inclu to shift perceptions and shine a light on what is possible when established adventure meets adaptive innovation.
“When trusted, tried and tested tours of the mind, spirit and body are formed to wow and delight the one sixth of the world’s population who live with physical, sensory and neurodivergent exceptionalities – many of whom will surely dare to venture into a world of intrepid inclusion in travel, if only we give them, authentically, the confidence to do so.”