Accessible travel is not just ‘the right thing to do’

Last week I had the privilege of moderating Clia’s 2026 Cruise Conference in Southampton where one of the highlights was an Ask the Experts session, in which I posed our panellists a series of questions sent in by travel agent attendees.

We had hundreds of submissions so our session really only scratched the surface, but nonetheless I was struck by the huge number of questions we received on the subject of accessibility.

Travel Weekly has been writing about accessible travel for many years and we published our first edition dedicated to the subject in 2023, but it feels like the penny is starting to drop that this is a real area of opportunity as well as simply “the right thing to do”.

Our fourth accessible travel-themed edition includes a range of news stories, agent testimonials, expert comments and longer features on different aspects of the topic, all of them designed to increase your knowledge and give you the confidence to sell more.

And I would particularly encourage you to read two really insightful first-person articles – one featuring two agents with first-hand experience who discuss their travels with our edition sponsor Tui and another written by blind traveller Sassy Wyatt, who travelled to Alaska with Princess Cruises and describes exactly why it was a trip with a difference.

As Tui’s Jill Cunningham says, developing an understanding of accessible travel is not about being perfect, it’s about continually listening and learning to ensure the incredible product and experiences our industry creates can truly be open to all.