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Visit Scotland | Alba

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Scotland is a naturally welcoming destination – a fact we’re incredibly proud of. Inclusive tourism ensures that all visitors can have a great experience without barriers.

This page has some top tips and tools to help improve your customer service, information provision and connect with new customers.

 

In this section

  1. Benefits of inclusive tourism
  2. Improving your customer service
  3. Enhancing your information provision
  4. Stay informed
  5. Good practice guides and advice sheets
  6. Further advice and support

1. Benefits of inclusive tourism

  • Increased revenue

    Disabled and senior travellers spend significantly more when they go on holiday than other market groups.

  • Increased loyalty

    Inclusive businesses have higher occupancy rates. They also have a more loyal customer base who is keen to recommend them to their family and friends.

  • Increased demand

    The market is set to increase as the UK’s population ages. The benefits for businesses and destinations catering for inclusive tourism are also growing.

  • Customer satisfaction

    Becoming more inclusive can make life easier for a wide range of customers. Think of:

    • People with hearing loss, mental or visual impairments
    • Wheelchair users
    • Senior travellers
    • Families with young children

Did you know?

Nearly one in five

People in the UK have a disability or an impairment

£249 billion

The spending power of disabled people to the UK economy.

86%

Senior travellers who make a return visit if their needs are met

Sources: Purple and VisitScotland

2. Improving your customer service

Good customer service is important for all customers. But it is particularly important for disabled customers and other individuals who have specific needs.

72% of disabled customers are more likely to visit new places if they feel welcomed by staff.

Do you want to provide an inclusive customer experience and attract new customers? Train your staff and make sure they are confident in inclusive tourism. It will make a huge difference to your customer service.

3. Enhancing your information provision

Access surveys consistently show that a lack of published accessibility information is one of the top barriers. This is true for both disabled people and others with specific access needs.

When planning a trip, 81% of disabled people will check a business’ website before visiting. But 73% have found information on a venue’s website to be misleading, confusing, or inaccurate.

In partnership with VisitEngland, we have developed accessibilityguides.org. This website allows you to work through a tailored questionnaire. This way, it helps you provide relevant information about the accessibility of your venue or service. It’s free, quick and easy to use, and will enable you to provide all the information your customers need to prepare their visit.

 

56% of visitors think that if a venue doesn’t advertise their accessible facilities, it’s because they don’t have any.

Would you like to promote your accessibility to potential customers? Create an accessibility guide and add the link to the homepage of your website.

 

Learn how accessibility guides have benefited these businesses

4. Stay informed

Our Inclusive Tourism Manager is working hard on content to make your business inclusive. Think of quick and easy changes that don’t break the bank, to big infrastructures changes and everything in between. There are so many things you can do to make your venue more welcoming!

Talk to your Quality Tourism Advisor and Industry Relations Manager to discuss what options are viable for you.

5. Good practice guides and advice sheets

6. Further advice and support

  • Euan's Guide

    Provides tips for improving accessibility and helps disabled people know if a venue is accessible.

  • AccessAble

    Offers tailored and practical solutions to improve accessibility. This includes carrying out access audits and creating business access guides.

  • Deaf Action

    Offers advice and training to improve your customer service for deaf people. This includes deaf users of British Sign Language (BSL).

  • Tourism for All

    Offers advice and staff training for businesses looking to improve their accessibility.

  • Dementia Friends Scotland

    A free learning initiative offered by Alzheimer Scotland to raise awareness of dementia.

  • RNIB

    Offers advice and services to help businesses become accessible for people with sight loss.

  • Attitude is Everything

    Aims to improve access to music performances for disabled customers. They do so by supporting live venues, events businesses, and music industry organisations.

Marina DiDuca

Inclusive Tourism Manager

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