UK travel agency websites ‘fail to meet basic web accessibility guidelines’

UK travel websites fail to meet basic accessibility guidelines, new research shows.

They are falling short of their online business potential and failing to reach a wider audience by not recognising the needs of all users, according to the report by internet research and design consultancy Nomensa.

Ten of the UK’s top online travel websites were profiled and measured against a series of manual and automated testing criteria focusing on web accessibility. Issues such as scalable layout, accessible site structure and compatibility with assistive technologies were measured to determine how the sites are performing.

Nomensa found that an “untapped commercial opportunity clearly exists” with results showing 50% of travel sites fail the most basic accessibility standards.

The research also found that 90% of sites are likely to display inconsistently on portable devices such as PDAs, mobile phones and internet-ready televisions.

The report also revealed that all of the sites fail to produce valid, accessible HTML code, while 90% had poor document structure, preventing users from fully understanding the relative importance of information and how it is structured.

One positive finding was that 70% of sites carry alternative text descriptions for the majority of graphical content.

The research comes against a background of  dramatic growth in the internet as a means of booking travel, with 58% of UK adults buying goods, tickets or services online in the first quarter of the year, according to Nomensa.

The company said: “Taking into account the competitive nature of the UK travel industry, with many online companies undercutting large high street brands, these well-known businesses could gain market share simply by making sure their websites are accessible.

“Over nine million potential customers (the registered disabled alone) are subject to a poor user experience that may even exclude them from booking online travel.”

Nomensa head of accessibility Leonie Watson said: “With so many people using the internet for purchases, banking and leisure activities, we’re surprised to see the travel industry hasn’t kept up to speed with engaging online shoppers.

“Good web accessibility practise isn’t exclusively for the disabled: it caters for anyone using the web. If more people can use your site, more people can buy your services. It is really that simple.”

Managing director Simon Norris added: “A company that focuses on accessibility is ultimately going to reach a larger audience and, in turn, achieve greater market share. Furthermore, this type of thinking is good for companies that want to increase revenues and profitability.”

Report by Phil Davies 

Related News Stories: