Janet Redler Travel & Tourism has welcomed a new campaign from VisitEngland which aims to raise awareness of accessible accommodation and visitor attractions in England and to help promote England as a leading tourist destination for disabled people.

With funding of €125,000 from the European Commission, VisitEngland – the country’s national tourist board – has been working with partners to create a series of disabled access guides covering coastal, countryside and city destinations. The areas covered by the project to date are Kent, Birmingham, Lincoln, Northumberland, Peak District and Derbyshire, Nottinghamshire and Brighton.

56 businesses are involved in the Access for All campaign, including a mix of accommodation and attractions such as Lincoln Cathedral, Chatsworth House in Derbyshire and Vindolanda Roman Fort in Northumberland, and the businesses involved have worked hard to make positive changes to improve perceptions of disabled access in England.

VisitEngland research shows that, over the past few years, overnight trips by disabled travellers and their companions have increased by 19 per cent, with spend up by 33 per cent. This demonstrates what a huge opportunity accessible tourism presents to businesses and destinations in England.

Some of the initiatives supported by the project include those introduced by Brighton & Hove Buses (part of the Go-Ahead group) which now provides wheelchair access to 100 per cent of their fleet. They are trialling the use of hearing loop systems on a bus, have a Helping Hand yellow card scheme, offer a wheelchair taxi guarantee if someone cannot get onto the bus and have many innovations to help disabled visitors use their buses.

VisitEngland Chief Executive, James Berresford, said: "The accessible tourism market is worth a sizable £12.1 billion to the English economy and many tourism businesses are realising that catering for disabled customers is not only a necessity but a wise investment that brings a host of business benefits. Many of the changes businesses make may be small, but combined contribute significantly to the visitor experience." 

Janet Redler, Chief Executive of Janet Redler Travel & Tourism, added: “It’s good to see that the tourism industry in England recognises the importance of access for all and this new VisitEngland campaign is helping businesses make the necessary changes to improve access for disabled people. At Janet Redler Travel & Tourism we are proud to offer disability access consulting and we are keen to help as many businesses as possible in the travel and tourism industry improve access for those with a disability.”

To find out more about the VisitEngland Access for All project, please click here. For more information about the disability access consulting services offered by Janet Redler Travel & Tourism, please visit our trade services page.