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Kristy Durso, owner of Incredible Memories Travel, is a passionate advocate that everyone should be able to travel, regardless of an individual’s unique disability. A full-time wheelchair user since 2019, she has used her own travel experiences (and those of her husband and three children, who also live with disabilities) to dig deeper into the world of accessible travel.
Now known as an expert in this niche, Durso has made it her goal to educate other travel advisors and inspire and advocate for travelers from every walk of life. In this episode of Humans of Travel, listeners will hear about Durso’s own journey as the wife of a military veteran and mother to three children living with disabilities; her path toward becoming Miss Wheelchair Texas in 2022; and her views on the accessible travel landscape (including what the industry does right, and what it does very, very wrong).
Listeners will also hear about Durso’s sales process, including the questions she asks clients with accessibility needs, the conversations she has with supplier partners, and the changes she makes to her trip-planning process depending on the type of disability a client has (mobility, cognitive, hearing- or vision-related limitations and more). She also gives advice to other travel advisors who are interested in marketing to clients within the disability community (which encompasses one-fourth of U.S. adults), and the importance of using person-first language and inclusive marketing materials and tactics for reaching this group.
Want to learn more about this travel niche? Check out our Travel Agent Guide for Planning Accessible Travel.
Kristy Durso, owner of Incredible Memories Travel
Credit: 2023 TravelAge WestResources Mentioned in This Episode
Miss Wheelchair Texas
Incredible Memories Travel
Reach Durso by email: [email protected]
Durso on Instagram: @Kristygoes
Durso on Facebook: Kristy Durso
Accessible Travel Network on Facebook
TravelAbility (creator of the Accessibility Playbook)
Durso’s Video with Wheel the World
A recent movie that Durso likes: The Upside
Inside This Episode
00:45: Weissmann introduces the episode.
2:15: Meet Kristy Durso, owner of Incredible Memories Travel.
3:50: Durso speaks about the Miss Wheelchair Texas competition.
8:00: Durso shares more about her family, many of whom are living with disabilities.
12:00: Durso is an accessible travel expert. What questions are other advisors asking her about this space?
13:20: Durso gives her 30,000-foot-view on the accessible travel landscape.
15:00: What does the Americans With Disabilities Act get right? What does it get wrong?
24:00: What qualifying questions does Durso have when it comes to working with clients with accessibility needs?
28:00: Durso talks about the training she wrote that teaches travel professionals how to better accommodate individuals living with disabilities.
32:00: Weissmann shares some statistics on the disability community, including that more than a quarter of U.S. adults are currently living with some form of disability, and that it is not a homogenous group.
35:41: Accessible travel is considered a niche. Durso reflects on why it shouldn’t be.
36:25: Durso speaks on the importance of using person-first language when speaking to clients with accessibility needs.
41:35: Weissmann encourages listeners to check out TravelAbility and the Accessibility Playbook.
42:04: Weissmann asks Durso a round of rapid-fire questions.
About Your Host
Emma Weissmann is the Managing Editor of TravelAge West, a print magazine and website for travel advisors based in the Western U.S. She is also the co-host of Trade Secrets, a podcast created with sister publication Travel Weekly.
TravelAge West also produces national trade publications Explorer and Family Getaways, as well as events including the Future Leaders in Travel Retreat, Global Travel Marketplace West, the WAVE Awards gala and the Napa Valley Leadership Forum.
About the Show
TravelAge West’s podcast, “Humans of Travel,” features conversations with exceptional people who have compelling stories to tell. Listeners will hear from the travel industry’s notable authorities, high-profile executives, travel advisors and rising stars as they share the experiences — the highs and the lows — that make them human.
