Last month, some of the Adido team attended ABTA’s flagship Travel Marketing Conference in London. Among the usual array of brilliant sessions and panels, two particular stats emerged that stuck in my head for a good few days afterwards:
- 73% of luxury travellers from diverse backgrounds don’t feel that the travel industry is inclusive. (Uwern Jong, editor-in-chief of OutThere magazine)
- Only 0.9% of ads feature disabled people. (Dom Hyams, CEO of Purple Goat Agency)
Neither statistic makes for great reading. And this is on top of another stat shared at a recent ATAS conference which outlined that the disabled traveller base could be as much as 1.5 billion people globally, representing a total spend of over $10 billion per year.
While in many areas of the travel industry (and beyond) we have come a long way, there remains a lack of representation in travel marketing (i.e. we are still overwhelmingly presented with image of the stereotypical white, nuclear family) and advertising as a whole still fails to be fully reflective of the world we live in today.
You will be hard pressed to find a travel brand out there who claims not to offer an inclusive customer experience, but when looking at the stat above from Dom Hyams, there is a huge number of travellers with disabilities who might beg to differ. Likewise, the number of luxury travellers from diverse backgrounds who don’t feel the industry is inclusive demonstrates we’ve still got some way to go.
OK, so there are some things no brand can change. We can’t alter the winding, uneven staircases of a medieval castle in Prague or the deep-rooted conservative beliefs of some countries, but there is plenty the industry can do to create a more diverse, personalised and welcoming experience for all travellers.
1. Demonstrate visual diversity
The images you choose for your marketing material should reflect the diverse customer base you are seeking to attract. Visuals help to shape perceptions and sets the tone for what your brand stands for, which is why including a wide spectrum of travellers should be at the heart of any campaign, helping all customers feel seen and valued.
If your website or brochures mostly feature images like this…
or like this...
…you risk leaving a large proportion of potential customers feeling unrepresented and undervalued.
Showcase real stories, photos and reviews from diverse travellers who have used your services. This not only adds credibility and demonstrates social proofing, but also provides relatable content for a wider, more eclectic audience.
2. Make accessibility a priority
For travellers with disabilities, detailed accessibility information can make or break their decision to book with you.
Far from a niche sector (as the statistic earlier demonstrated), this is a community with both significant influence and spending power, yet it’s currently still overlooked by many brands within travel. How often, for example, do we still see headlines like this?
Or like this…
Accessibility should not be a token tick box in your marketing strategies. It needs to be treated with the same importance as any other service commitment. For instance, hotel or cruise ship websites should include specifics such as door widths, heights of beds and toilets, availability of visual and auditory aids, as well as step-free access.
Below is an example of a hotel in North Devon getting it right:
Customer service teams should be trained to confidently answer accessibility-related questions. Offer virtual tours or detailed photos of accessible rooms and facilities and only work with travel partners who prioritise accessibility too, to ensure a seamless experience.
Additionally, from what we’ve heard on this subject, it’s much better for a travel brand to be open and honest about the restrictions in place with its products. Being honest about the limitations that certain venues or experiences might have is better than not addressing them at all. That way, you can allow the individual to make a choice about a travel product rather than letting them find out it’s not suitable when it’s too late, causing both you and the customer unnecessary frustration.
3. Use inclusive language
The language and terminology you use is essential for creating a welcoming and representative experience for all. This can be as simple as avoiding gender-specific terms and opting instead for gender-neutral alternatives such as ‘guests’ or ‘passengers’.
One airline demonstrating its commitment to inclusivity is Finnair, who trained its crew to use personalised, representative language for all its customers. What I liked in particular was the brand's recognition that this is a learning curve and sometimes, missteps can occur – it’s how we learn from those errors in order to create a better experience going forward:
4. Engage and work with diverse communities and groups
Engaging with a diverse range of communities can help you avoid missteps and enables you to gain a deeper understanding of what matters most to them. This could include liaising with DEAI organisations or individuals, all of whom can provide you with first hand insights into the needs and preferences of different travellers. Hire diverse talent within your marketing team to bring varied perspectives to your strategies and consider partnering with DEAI influencers and content creators, such as the example below:
5. Train your staff on inclusivity and personalisation
From hotels and cruises to airlines and travel agents, your workforce is the face of your brand. These are the people who will be interacting with customers, so ensuring they not only understand the importance of inclusivity but reflect those values in the service they provide is critical to a business’s success.
New team members should participate in training sessions that address topics such as unconscious bias, hidden disabilities, cultural sensitivity and accessibility, upskilling them on how to communicate effectively and confidently with all travellers. Empowering your brand representatives to create a welcoming and comfortable experience for everyone will leave a lasting impression and help to foster brand loyalty going forward.
Final thoughts
The desire to travel is not confined to able-bodied, attractive, twenty something couples or white, middle-aged businessmen – yet why does it sometimes feel like these are the only groups some travel brands target in their marketing? Ethically and financially, this approach just doesn’t make sense and seems extremely archaic looking through today’s colourful lens.
And while the process of becoming fully inclusive IS a learning curve, there is a lot to be said for being proactive rather than reactive wherever possible. Why wait for the opportunity to be a force for good?
By ensuring your brand adopts more inclusive marketing strategies, you’ll not only be seen as a forward-thinking, representative brand, you'll also tap into a wider travel audience, many of whom will be happy to use you time and time again if they feel they are getting a service tailored to them. After all, travel is all about connections and expanding horizons – so how will you expand yours?
