VisitScotland has announced the completion of an inclusive tourism project with AccessAble to deliver 100 Detailed Access Guides for accommodation providers and attractions across Scotland.

The 100 new Detailed Access Guides are for tourism businesses located across Aberdeen & Aberdeenshire, Edinburgh & Lothians, Fife, Dundee and Angus, and South of Scotland.

AccessAble's trained surveyors assessed each of the businesses to help create the guides which are listed on the AccessAble website – used by over 5 million people each year – and on the business’ listing on visitscotland.com.

The project was funded by VisitScotland, with additional financial support from Angus and East Lothian councils to engage with further businesses in those areas.

Inclusive tourism is an incredibly valuable market for Scotland. It covers a wide range of people, from those with hearing loss, mental or visual impairments, and wheelchair users, to senior travellers and families with young children.

Disabled people tend to travel in larger groups and stay longer, and the average senior traveller spends 35% more on leisure and hospitality than other age groups.

Image credits: Chris Watt, Visit Scotland 

The latest statistics from the Great Britain Tourism Survey (GBTS) show that in the 12 months from July 2022 to June 2023, UK visitors with an impairment took 2.9 million overnight trips to Scotland, spending £730 million.

AccessAble is an organisation that provides essential detailed accessibility information for venues across the UK and Ireland and hosts more than 70,000 Detailed Access Guides for hotels, attractions, restaurants, and more on its website.

These Detailed Access Guides let users know what access will be like when they visit a venue, from the route getting in, to what is available inside.

The creation of the guides coincides with the launch of a new inclusive tourism toolkit on VisitScotland’s industry website, visitscotland.org, with advice and information for businesses.

Marina Di Duca, VisitScotland’s Inclusive Tourism Manager, said:

“Scotland is a naturally welcoming destination, which we’re incredibly proud of, and we must ensure the visitor experience matches that world-famous welcome.

“We were delighted to work in partnership with AccessAble on this project. Providing clear and easy to access product information, in the form of an accessibility guide, is the simplest but most effective way our industry can engage with disabled customers.

“Inclusive tourism is a hugely valuable market and a key part of VisitScotland’s responsible tourism strategy. Tourism offers so many rewarding experiences which we want to be accessible to everyone.”  

 

Carrie-Ann Lightley, leading disabled travel blogger and AccessAble’s Head of Marketing, said:

“We were delighted to work in partnership with VisitScotland to create Detailed Access Guides to tourism venues across Scotland. The AccessAble website will enhance the experience for everyone, giving people access to crucial detail on the go. 

We hope that other organisations will look to follow VisitScotland’s example and partner with us in our mission to enable disabled people to have greater freedom in exploring visitor destinations.” 

If you're planning a trip to Scotland, use AccessAble's search function to find Detailed Access Guides and venues that are suitable for your access needs. Find out more about AccessAble here!