The tourism industry is being urged to recognise the economic importance of catering for travellers with disabilities or health conditions.
VisitEngland has issued a report showing that almost £2bn was generated for the English domestic visitor economy in 2009 by overnight trips made by people who either have or are accompanied by someone with a health condition or impairment.
Over 11 million such trips were made last year, equating to 11% of the total volume of domestic overnight tourism in England.
VisitEngland said trips by this group tend to be longer than average and as a result their spend per trip is higher.
“Tourism businesses should view accessibility in its broadest sense, as fundamentally it is about understanding and catering for the individual needs of all visitors and in doing so providing a high quality and memorable experience which in turn will generate repeat bookings and visitor loyalty,†said James Berresford, VisitEngland chief executive.
By Bev Fearis
