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Destinations International and TravelAbility Launch “Accessibility Playbook”

Comprehensive toolkit to make travel easier and better for people of all abilities

WASHINGTON, DC, USA (July 17, 2024) – Destinations International (DI), the world’s leading association representing destination organizations and convention and visitors bureaus (CVBs), and TravelAbility, the leading conference and media company dedicated to making travel easier and more enjoyable for people with disabilities and the aging population, today launched the “Accessibility Playbook.” This comprehensive guide equips destinations and travel businesses to improve their accessibility and inclusion initiatives for travelers with disabilities.

Accessibility is a significant opportunity for the travel and tourism industry. The World Health Organization estimates that 1.3 billion people, or 16% of the global population, live with disabilities. Leisure and business travelers with disabilities continue to face many barriers related to travel, from initial travel research to visitation. Improved accessibility can make travel easier and better for people of all abilities, as well as benefit residents and local communities.

Now available online for purchase by DI members, the Accessibility Playbook is a comprehensive resource containing technology recommendations, use-case scenarios, and data to inform accessibility strategy and decision. The Playbook includes more than 90 tips vetted by leading disability advocacy organizations, in addition to “TravelAbility Trusted” innovations, amenities, and a directory of third-party providers that can help destination organizations and travel businesses assess and scale existing accessibility efforts.

“Accessibility is a critical and growing focus for our members,” said Don Welsh, president and CEO of Destinations Internation. “It’s important to visitors as well as residents, and a key component of a welcoming and thriving community. We’re delighted to have TravelAbility as our trusted partner in developing this invaluable resource to help destination organizations and travel businesses worldwide advance accessibility in their local communities.”

“This is a win-win for travel organizations and the millions of travelers who can benefit from more accessible and inclusive travel experiences,” said Jake Steinman, founder and CEO of TravelAbility. “TravelAbility is thrilled to partner with Destinations International to advance the cause of accessibility in the travel industry. What excites me the most is that this partnership opens the door to reaching more than 750 destinations worldwide to help them become more inclusive.”

For more information about this partnership or The Accessibility Playbook, contact Sophia Hyder Hock, Chief Inclusion Officer, Destinations International, at [email protected], or Jake Steinman, founder and CEO of TravelAbility, at [email protected].

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About Destinations International
Destinations International is the world’s largest and most trusted resource for destination organizations, convention and visitors bureaus (CVBs) and tourism boards. With more than 7,000 members and partners from over 750 destinations, the association represents a powerful forward-thinking and collaborative community around the world. For more information, visit www.destinationsinternational.org.

About TravelAbility
TravelAbility provides thought leadership in accessible travel to improve the lives of people at ALL abilities and ALL ages and aims to inspire and educate the travel industry to provide accessible experiences to help people with disabilities enjoy travel as much as everyone else. For more information, visit www.travelability.net.