Able2Travel, an accessible travel concierge service, will be promoting accessible tourism in South Africa at the AccessAbilities Expo in Dubai. The expo is in its 4th year and is expected to attract over 12,000 attendees from around the world, with more than 50 countries represented.
Tarryn Tomlinson, founder of LiveABLE Access Consultants and Able2Travel says, “We are excited to be showcasing South Africa as an accessible destination at the AccessAbilities Expo as we want to highlight the fact that people with disabilities are able to explore and enjoy all that our country has to offer in terms of destinations, accommodations, restaurants, tourism activities and wildlife. Our aim is to create awareness of the need for accessible travel and to show that with proper planning and preparation, travel is possible for everyone, regardless of ability.”
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), approximately 15% of the world’s population lives with disabilities – that’s around 1 billion people worldwide. In terms of South Africa, with a population of around 60 million people, according to Statistics South Africa’s 2019 General Household Survey, some 7.5% (4.5 million) of the population has a disability.
Despite the large population of people with disabilities worldwide, the travel industry has been slow to tap into this market, with many people with disabilities facing significant barriers when travelling. These barriers include inaccessible transportation, accommodations, and attractions, as well as a lack of accessibility information and staff training.
“We hope that our participation in the AccessAbilities Expo will help to raise awareness of this important issue and encourage the travel industry to step-up, become more inclusive and accessible and by doing so, tap into this unexplored, niche market of travellers with disabilities,” says Tomlinson.
Able2Travel is actively seeking partners to exhibit with them at the AccessAbilities Expo and invites hotels, tourist attractions and other travel-related businesses to showcase their accessible facilities and services alongside them. Various packages are available to cater to the needs of partners ranging from booth space, static and digital to complete travel packages.
