Almost half of European travellers with accessibility needs take at least one leisure trip abroad
per year yet still face challenges within the travel sector.
The European Association of Service Providers for Persons with Disabilities (EASPD) announced the winners of its 2025 Innovation Awards at its Spring Conference in Gandia, Spain. Six innovative practices were recognised for their efforts to make cultural, recreational, leisure and sporting activities accessible to people with disabilities on an equal basis with others.
UN Tourism and the European Accessibility Resource Centre (AccessibleEU)joined accessible tourism champions at the FITUR Spanish Tourism Fair to advance policies, standards, incentives, skills and business strategies, making inclusion a reality for millions of people.
Research carried out in the United Kingdom in 2022 shows that to save time and energy when researching a trip, people with accessibility requirements want to make "shortlists" of places to stay and visit based on key accessibility features. They then want to be able to view a Detailed Access Guide to make their final decision.
The European Capital of Smart Tourism and European Green Pioneer of Smart Tourism Awards recognise outstanding achievements in smart and sustainable tourism.
UN Tourism (the UN World Tourism Organisation) offers 6 free guidelines for accessible travel, containing recommendations for key players in the tourism sector.
The Spanish Tourist Office has published its first Accessibility Findings Report following a series of panel discussions with a dedicated travel industry advisory board on accessibility.
