While accessible travel is a routine request, information about accessibility can be inconsistent online, according to Fora travel advisors.
Approximately 90% of advisors said this information is incomplete, outdated or contradictory, while 46% said it is "often or always off base."
The findings were part of Fora's recent report on accessible travel, which included responses from 2,592 consumers and 1,359 advisors.
Excursions and activities are the most difficult to find clear information about (47%), followed hotel room and bathroom details (44%) and on-property access (41%), according to advisors.
And while advisors work to confirm these details, 31% said they've also had a client arrive at a property and found an accessibility feature "missing or unusable."
The most common accessibility need among consumers was limited walking endurance or stamina (48%), followed by food allergies or dietary restrictions (37%), medical equipment or medication needs (36%), older traveler requiring additional support (29%) and mobility or wheelchair access (23%). These needs are not limited to older travelers either, as 55% of advisors said less than half of their accessible bookings involved a traveler age 65 or older.
Of surveyed advisors, 910 (67%) had booked accessible travel. Within this group, 34% said accessible bookings account for 10% of all their bookings, while 18% said they account for more than 25%.
Additionally, three quarters of advisors who said these bookings make up more than half of their business also find it difficult to locate properties "that truly meet a client's needs."
"That suggests the problem isn't training but rather the infrastructure and information advisors have to work with," the Fora report reads.
Multigenerational trips are the most likely to have accessibility needs, and more people are booking this kind of travel.
The Fora survey revealed that 56% of consumers are planning a multigenerational trip in the next three years with someone who has an accessibility need. Additionally, 82% said that it would be important to confirm accessibility details before traveling, and 78% would actually pay more to ensure a trip meets accessibility needs.
According to Fora, a PhocusWire Hot 25 Travel Startup for 2023, hotels and suppliers will need to adjust to meet this need and appeal to multigenerational travel groups by marketing accessibility offerings.
"As this report shows, most of these travelers will have someone with accessibility needs in their group—and their willing to pay to have those needs met," the report reads.
And there are some signs of improvement. Roughly half of surveyed advisors said the industry's "accessibility efforts" have improved over the past two years, with hotels earning the title of most improved (40%), followed by cruise (25%). However, the cruise sector received "the most love"; 40% of advisors named a cruise line when asked about their favorite brand to recommend "when accessibility really matters."
Royal Caribbean Group brands, specifically, were noted for accessibility accommodations. Royal Caribbean was cited the most often, specifically for wheelchair and mobility accessibility, service animal handling and autism/sensory accommodations, followed by sister brand Celebrity Cruises.