Inclusivity and Accessibility in Hotels: 7 Key Areas to Focus on

Inclusive travel is more than a trend. It’s a redefinition of what it means to truly welcome every guest. Hotels can join in by creating spaces and experiences that cater to all travellers — think features like smart room controls, activity recommendations for people with physical disabilities, or trained staff who are aware of diverse needs. These thoughtful touches show that your hotel values inclusivity, which in turn attracts guests.

What are inclusivity and accessibility in the tourism industry?

Inclusivity and accessibility in the tourism industry refer to making travel experiences welcoming, safe, and enjoyable for everyone, regardless of their background, physical abilities, age, gender, or other personal circumstances.

The importance of inclusive and accessible travel

Not everyone experiences travel the same way.
 

Expedia’s Journeys for All report sheds light on the travel experiences of four underserved communities: Black travellers, Latino travellers, LGBTQIA+ travellers, and travellers with disabilities. Some key statistics from the report include:
 

• More than 80% of travellers from underserved communities prioritise destinations where they feel safe and welcome.
   
• Nearly half of them feel their identity restricts their travel options.
   
• Only 15% of underserved travellers feel well-represented in travel ads.
   
• 68% would like to have advanced accessibility filters when booking online.
   

For these travellers to have a smoother experience, inclusive and accessible travel needs to be more widespread in hotels, tours, and transportation.

Increased accessibility benefits not only travellers, but also businesses. In fact, in 2025, UN Tourism called accessible travel a “game changer for improving mid- and low-season performance.” Indeed, an inclusive, accessible hotel attracts a wider range of loyal guests, while also strengthening your brand reputation.
 

Making your hotel an inclusive place: 7 key areas to focus on

To create a hotel that’s welcoming for everyone, you may need to make some modifications to your property, invest in staff training, and explore partnerships with diverse travel partners. Here are the key areas to look at:

Improving your hotel’s accessibility

Consider different types of accessibility in tourism. For example, physical accessibility supports guests with mobility challenges, and sensory accessibility helps travellers with hearing and visual impairments.
 

Then, look for ways to improve your hotel’s rooms, common areas, and services. These include:
 

• Making sure there are ramps and lifts, or at least rooms on the ground floor
   
• Placing warning buttons, phones, and sockets at a height that wheelchair users or travellers with reduced mobility can reach
   
• Keeping hallways and corridors obstacle-free
   
• Offering leaflets written in braille for visually impaired guests
   
• Using bright, visual fire alarms and alarm clocks to make your hotel hearing accessible
   
• Providing assistance upon arrival, including help with luggage and check-in for guests with mobility or sensory impairments

Training your staff on inclusive practices

For your hotel to attract diverse travellers, your staff needs to be aware of the challenges faced by different groups and how to address them. This is best done through professional training programmes, such as:
 

• Cultural sensitivity training: Staff learn about respecting dietary needs, cultural preferences, and communication styles of guests from different backgrounds.
   
• LGBT inclusion training: Programmes like Travel Proud by Booking.com familiarise customer-facing staff with the challenges faced by LGBT travellers.
   
• Accessibility training: Staff learn how to support travellers with disabilities or specific accessibility needs. A good example is The Accessible Group’s Inclusion Training, which offers role-specific guidance for all hotel staff, including housekeepers, receptionists, and marketers. 
   

Creating an inclusive work environment

A truly inclusive hotel embraces diversity, equity, and inclusion from within. Make sure all your employees feel valued and supported, and aren’t discriminated against based on their race, gender identity, sexual orientation, religion, age, disability, or background. This means hiring people from diverse backgrounds, offering equal opportunities for everyone, and gathering feedback from employees.

Representing diversity in your marketing

In Expedia’s Journeys for All report, 70% of the underserved travellers said they would be more likely to plan trips when they see people they relate to in travel ads. It may be time to reassess your marketing initiatives. Do your website, social media, and promotional material reflect the diversity of the guests you want to attract? Or does it focus on a single demographic?
 

Here, you’d want to represent diverse guests without reinforcing stereotypes or appearing inauthentic. Since this is a delicate balance, consulting hotel marketing experts will be a good idea.
 

Personalising guest experience

AI and hyper-personalisation techniques can help make your hotel more inclusive. Here are some examples of how:
 

• Use a Customer Relationship Management (CRM) system: This will allow you to gather data from guests’ bookings, room and service preferences, and satisfaction surveys. You can then filter this data to identify recurring needs, which could be anything from wheelchair-accessible rooms to braille menus.
   
• Make tailored recommendations: You can use AI and machine learning to suggest meal options for vegetarian or vegan guests, recommend accessible travel activities to travellers who use a wheelchair, or create personalised loyalty programmes. These are only some examples.
   
• Consider voice-activated assistance and chatbots: Voice assistants can read out hotel information, services, or menus, while also helping guests control the room without moving around. This makes the hotel more accessible for low-vision guests and travellers with reduced mobility. As for chatbots, they can be helpful for guests with hearing impairments, as the output is usually text-based. International guests who don’t speak your language would also appreciate this feature, as chatbots can answer in different languages.
   

Working with inclusive travel partners

As the experiential tourism trend suggests, travellers want to connect with a destination and a culture instead of just ticking off tourist attractions. Your hotel can help guests find the best experiences through a wide range of partners, including travel agencies and tour operators. If you’re welcoming diverse guests, you’ll want to make sure these partners are inclusive and offer accessible experiences. For example, for nature travel activities, this could mean working with tour operators that offer wheelchair-friendly trails.
 

You can connect with these travel partners on Hotelbeds — we have 50,000 travel agencies and 3,500 tour operators, including companies that prioritise inclusivity and accessibility.

Updating your facilities, services, and reviews regularly

Travellers will want to research in advance to make sure they’re welcome in a specific destination or hotel. And this is no easy task.
 

Recent reports suggest that finding information is difficult for diverse travellers. To be exact, 73% of Black travellers, 74% of Latino travellers, 71% of LGBTQIA+ travellers, and 67% of travellers with disabilities said finding travel information should be easier.
 

Make sure your website includes detailed information about all your features, such as wheelchair-accessible hotel rooms, pet-friendly policies, and dietary requirements. You’ll also want to show reviews from diverse guests to build trust and make travellers’ research easier.
 

Next steps for inclusive hospitality

Every traveller deserves to feel safe, welcome, and cared for. By prioritising accessibility and inclusion in your hotel, you’d be doing your part. And your hotel would benefit from it in many ways — new guests, more travel partners, and an increased reputation.
 

Hotelbeds makes it easier to reach inclusive travel companies and high-value guests. Become our partner today or log in to your account to get access to over 60,000 travel distributors operating in 190 source markets.
 

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For more insights on this year’s travel trends, download our Travel Trends Report for 2025 below!