Michael Parker, co-founder of ROADBOOK
Forecasting from recent growth, accessible tourism will be worth more than 100 billion USD by 2027. Depending on definition, different authorities corroborate that people with physical, mental or sensory accessibility needs are between 15 and 30 per cent of all people. Ageing populations are a multiplying factor on demand for accessible tourism, as well as average trip frequency and spend. After three decades of basic rights legislation, goal setting and policy making by governing bodies, tourism suppliers have in general met a small fraction of demand for accessible tourism and, until recently, with little inspiration, holistic design thinking or true sense of the market potential.
We predict the accessible tourism segment will outgrow total market growth in 2024 by a factor of at least three times. Meanwhile an unprecedented number of industry events and awards will be dedicated to accessible tourism in 2024 and the digital ecosystem will see digital accessibility apps evolving. So the question begs, which hotels, transport carriers and tourism destinations will go beyond minimum requirements to meet the demand for accessible tourism in 2024?
A new wave of young bleisure travellers
Robin Chadha, Chief Marketing Officer for citizenM hotels
More than a third of Gen Z and millennial business travellers now say they plan to extend a business trip to enjoy leisure time before or after work obligations – this has been a noticeable shift among citizenM guests, and a trend we think will continue into 2024 and beyond. We’re seeing an increasing demographic of younger professionals on the move, looking for an inspiring place to meet and work. A trip no longer has one purpose – guests want to be able to discover somewhere new, have fun, get their work done, and truly rest.
