Designing accessible tourism: From compliance to better experiences  

Tourism, by definition, is about people — how they move, explore, connect and experience the world. For that experience to be truly inclusive, it must be accessible to everyone, regardless of their abilities. As the sector becomes increasingly digital, accessibility is no longer a secondary consideration. Marked through Global Accessibility Awareness Day, this shift is reinforced by the European Accessibility Act (EAA), which sets a common framework across the EU to improve access to the services that shape the travel experience.  ​

The European Accessibility Act (Directive (EU) 2019/882) is a European regulation aimed at making certain products and services accessible to people with disabilities. Its main objective is to remove barriers created by inconsistent national rules and ensure a more inclusive, user-friendly and harmonised market across Europe. For tourism, its relevance lies especially in the digital customer journey — how travellers search, understand and book services before and during their trip. 

• The European Accessibility Act has applied since 28 June 2025 

• It affects services offered to consumers in the EU, including digital travel services 

• It also applies to companies based outside the EU if they serve EU customers 

• It focuses strongly on digital accessibility and customer interaction 

• Accessibility includes not only disability considerations, but also clarity, usability and language access.

• Regulatory exposure, as national authorities can request corrective action or apply penalties depending on local enforcement 

• Commercial consequences, with accessibility increasingly considered in partnerships, distribution agreements and procurement processes 

• Customer experience barriers, particularly in booking, payment and information access, which can directly affect conversion and satisfaction 

• Reputational risk, as accessibility is closely linked to inclusion, trust and ESG expectations across the tourism ecosystem 

The EAA focuses primarily on services provided to consumers, particularly those delivered digitally. In the tourism ecosystem, this includes: 

• Online booking platforms and reservation systems 

• Travel websites and mobile applications 

• Electronic ticketing and payment processes 

• Customer information and communication channels 

 These touchpoints are central to the traveller journey, making accessibility a core part of how tourism services are experienced.  Beyond technology, accessibility also depends on how these services are designed, communicated and managed by people. Building awareness and providing training across teams — especially those working on content, product, digital and customer interaction — helps ensure accessibility is applied consistently in everyday operations. 

Accessibility is often associated with technical elements such as screen readers or visual contrast. While these aspects are essential, in tourism accessibility goes further. It is also shaped by: 

• Clarity of information, helping travellers understand options and make decisions 

• Consistency across channels, avoiding confusion between platforms 

• Language access, particularly in a global, multilingual sector 

• Ease of navigation, especially in booking and payment journeys 

In practice, many accessibility barriers in tourism are not purely technical, but related to how information is structured, written and communicated. 

Accessibility is already being actively addressed across the organisation. HBX Group teams are implementing accessibility requirements in practice, combining technology, partnerships and training to support compliance with the European Accessibility Act and improve real user experience.  This includes: 

• Working with specialised partners to address web accessibility at code level  

• Supporting solutions that cover multiple accessibility needs  

• Developing accessibility statements aligned with the EAA  

• Applying accessibility standards to B2C digital services  

• Sharing learnings through training and cross‑team knowledge 

We invite you to watch a short video featuring the Roiback and Talent teams, sharing how accessibility is being implemented in practice through partnership, technology and training. 

With the EAA now in force, the priority is practical implementation. Small, targeted actions — such as reviewing key digital journeys, improving content clarity and aligning with recognised standards — can significantly improve accessibility and the overall customer experience. 

These guidelines provide a clear, widely recognised framework for understanding what to apply and how.