Disability travel generates US$17.3bn in annual spending says new study

accessible tourism USAA US nationwide survey for the Open Doors Organization (ODO) has quantified how much adults with disabilities spend on their own travel. The figure is $17.3 billion annually, up from $13.6 billion in 2002.  Since these individuals typically travel with one or more other adults, the economic impact is actually double, or $34.6 billion. “This new data,” says ODO Director Eric Lipp, “shows that the disability travel market has a greater impact than ever on the industry and the broader economy.”

In Brief
  • In the past two years alone, more than 26 million adults with disabilities traveled for pleasure and/or business, taking 73 million trips.”
  • According to the new research, among adults with disabilities who have traveled by air, 72% said they encountered major obstacles with airlines and 65% with airports, down from 84% and 82% in 2005, respectively.
In Depth
In the Future
Jeremy Smith
Jeremy Smithhttp://www.jmcsmith.com
Jeremy Smith is the editor and co-founder of Travindy. He is a writer and communications consultant working for a more responsible and sustainable tourism industry. He is the author of two books, writes a fortnightly blog on responsible tourism for World Travel Market, and provides consultancy to a wide range of companies and organisations, ranging from National Parks to individual hotels and tour operators.

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