Accessible Travel & Tourism

Illustration of diverse travelers, including a person in a wheelchair and a child with a parent, set against a backdrop of a globe with location markers and an airplane in flight, symbolizing inclusive and international travel.

December, 2025

During this holiday season, some of us will be looking to take advantage of the time off and travel either home or abroad. For many, travel can be difficult or stressful at the best of times, but it can be especially hard for people with disabilities. Limited accessible travel options and destinations can limit what is available to them. Aiming to provide more accessible travel options, Canada has partnered with several countries to remove barriers to accessible tourism.

Global Partnership

Last month, Canada spearheaded an alliance with Australia, The United Kingdom, Japan, New Zealand, India and Uruguay in a global partnership with the aim of providing accessible travel by removing barriers. The partnership will focus on countries sharing resources and knowledge to create barrier-free travel.

Each member country has a commitment to accessibility that has resulted in legal frameworks and accessible guidelines being developed that promote accessibility.

Canada:

The federal “Accessible Canada Act” covers all areas of life in Canada and protects the rights of its citizens with disabilities. For new visits to the country, its tourism site has a “Travelling with Disabilities” section which provides travellers with information on what they can expect during their travels to Canada

Australia:

A nationwide “Accessible Tourism Strategy” has been set up and its “THRIVE 2030” programme aims to make Australia the most accessible destination in the world by the year 2030 covering infrastructure, services and accessible resources.

United Kingdom:

“VisitBritain”, a pre-information website for visitors to the UK contains an “Accessible Britain Guide” which outlines accessibility across the UK. Additionally, the extensive “Accessibility and Inclusive Tourism Toolkit for Businesses” launched in 2023 gives business owners guidelines on how to make their goods and services accessible.

Japan:

Its Tourism policy aims to ensure that “Everyone, regardless of age or physical ability, can explore and travel throughout the country without concern”. Japan has compiled a database that provides a list of accessible areas throughout the country as there can be varying levels of accessibility between urban and rural areas.

New Zealand:

Its visitor website includes a section on inclusive and accessible travel with a specific highlight to nature tourism as many of the national parks and reserves have been made with accessible routes.

India:

The Ministry of Tourism has released its own “Accessible Tourism Guidelines” to provide transparent and up to date information on the accessibility of the country and its landmarks.

Uruguay:

Currently improving its infrastructure, including accessible transport options and barrier-free beaches, and is pushing to develop frameworks and guidelines around accessibility.

Accessible Market Reflection

Countries around the world are now waking up to the needs of travellers with disabilities and improving their infrastructure, accessible amenities and information provision. The accessible travel market has been projected to have a potential global revenue of nearly €90 billion. Countries looking to improve their accessible tourism will not only be making the lives of their citizens and foreign travellers better but also accessing an untapped market.