Travel advisors make magic happen for their clients. They open doors travelers didn’t even know existed. This superpower extends to accessible travel, but many advisors might not know where to start, or what questions they should ask, or what to look for. Fora offers advisors training and certifications specific to accessible travel — barrier-free journeys for travelers of all abilities — to help provide some of this information.
We spoke with Fora Advisor and accessibility expert Aashima Ratti about best practices and important considerations when booking accessible accommodations for clients. Here’s how she plans the best trips for all her clients — regardless of seeming limitations.
When booking for a client with accessible needs, where should an advisor start? What are some key questions they should ask?
No two accessibility clients are the same, so make sure you are asking as many questions as possible. What does travel look like for them? What kinds of devices might they need to bring? Will they need to rent anything on arrival? A favorite question of mine is “Describe a trip that went really well — what worked about it?” Or you can ask the inverse — “Describe a trip that went horribly wrong. What happened?”
When it comes to accessible hotels, what does great look like?
The best accessible hotels go beyond accessibility services like ADA rooms and (working) pool lifts, and have trained staff who are truly empathetic to the client’s needs and are willing and able to make accommodations.
I stayed at a property once that was NOT accessible, but they knew it, acknowledged it and brought staff to carry me up and down the stairs. Was it ideal or comfortable? Not really. Would I recommend it to most clients? No. But even in that case of a non-accessible property, having staff recognize the shortcomings and come up with a solution meant so much to me.
How do you research accessibility information for destinations and partner properties?
Images courtesy of Aashima Ratti
Talking directly to the property is your best bet. Some websites will have dedicated accessible room categories or accessibility filters. Others have information in the FAQs. And some have nothing written at all but may still have accessible features. Connecting directly with the team is the best way to confirm the details.
What are the steps an advisor should take before, during and after their client’s trip to ensure they’re comfortable?
Check in regularly with your client to see if any of their requirements have changed. I cannot encourage travel insurance more for this segment of travelers! I always make sure to flag to the property what the needs of the clients are and will check in with them on arrival day to make sure there aren’t any problems. Checking in early and often gives you time to make adjustments on the fly. It takes a bit of extra effort, but is well worth it.
What are the most common misconceptions clients have about accessible travel?
Clients believe they are restricted to large, touristy destinations. They also believe they are relegated to the bottom of the barrel in terms of room categories and hotel brands. While elements of both of those things are unfortunately true, as trusted advisors, we can shine light on more authentic and luxury experiences they might not have known existed.
What's the biggest gap you see in the travel industry's approach to accessibility?
Partners have yet to see the potential economic impact of catering to accessible clients. This segment is large and growing, and the biggest challenge is helping surface the information in a way that is usable. This is where travel advisors can play a big role in bridging the gap.
As we start booking more accessible trips (which, by the way, you may already be doing for your multigen clients that need small adjustments here and there), partners will see the value of the investment they’ve made in accessibility upgrades, or will be incentivized to continue to invest in infrastructure changes and training. Our early conversations with properties have been exceptionally positive. Everyone wants to help serve these clients — we just need to actually start doing it!
What advice would you give to travel advisors just starting to focus on accessible travel?
Use the resources and trainings available to you, and ask a ton of questions, both of the client and the partners. But above all, don’t be afraid to take on these clients. They are oftentimes desperate for someone to listen to them and empathize with their needs. And unfortunately, they are so used to settling that by showing them a relatively small amount of extra attention, you can make an ordinary trip feel like the trip of a lifetime.