It was not that long ago that accessible travel was considered a niche within the travel industry. However, as our latest cover story shows, these days, a successful travel advisor must have at least a basic understanding of the available options for all sorts of accessibility issues.
More than a quarter of U.S. adults have some form of disability, and that number is growing. The importance of this demographic is further borne out by our recent Need to Know survey, which showed that 63% of advisors currently have clients with special needs, and 81% feel that more education on accessible travel will help their business.
Nobody is suggesting that advisors need to be the ultimate experts on every type of challenge. The hope is that agents will at least know enough to assist with a range of needs and understand when they are in over their heads and could use more help.
These days, a successful travel advisor must have at least a basic understanding of the available options for all sorts of accessibility issues.
The cover story provides techniques advisors can use to help them work with these travelers — including asking very direct questions about their needs — as well as industry resources that are available for more education, but it’s important for advisors to also know when they might need more assistance for their clients. If that’s the case, there are many associations and organizations that can help.
As Jake Feinman, founder of TravelAbility, says in the cover story, some businesses simply have a “mindset of fear” when it comes to working with these clients. Rather than avoiding clients with unique needs, agents should view these experiences as opportunities for growth, personally and professionally.
After all, if you never rise to the occasion, you will not know the reward of helping someone who thought it was impossible make their travel dreams a reality.
