The need for accessibility in travel, and in life in general, is great and isn’t openly discussed often enough. If you’d like to learn more about the challenges faced by so many people today, I would highly recommend Disability Visibility: First-Person Stories from the Twenty-First Century. I recently read this and found it eye-opening to learn about the diverse needs of people with physical, mental and emotional disabilities in both their daily lives and their travels.
When I thought about my own experiences with accessibility in travel, I immediately thought of my friend Lisa Zwissler who is a successful travel advisor and has faced physical challenges for a couple of decades. In spite of that, she’s personally traveled far and wide and has also made her clients’ dream vacation a reality—whether they’ve had any specific accessibility needs or not. I virtually sat down with Lisa to dive into her experiences with accessible travel, here’s what you need to know.
Brief Bio–tell us a little bit about yourself. How long have you been in travel, what kind of travel do you specialize in, any favorite destinations to sell or visit?
My name is Lisa Zwissler, and I have worked for Beach Bum Vacation for 15 years. I specialize in luxury travel, family vacations and destination weddings in the Caribbean, Mexico and Europe. I absolutely love the beach, history and food & wine so I love my beach vacays but I’m also always looking forward to vacations where I can experience the local culture, history, eat and drink! I love to plan bespoke vacations that really provide my clients with unique experiences; memories that will last a lifetime but also provide them a taste of the world, sometimes literally.
What is your personal experience with accessible travel? Do you have specific needs when you personally travel?
I had an accident in college that left me partially paralyzed in my feet as well as chronic back pain. While thankfully I am not wheelchair bound, I do have mobility issues so rooms that are centrally located are very important to me. I also have issues at night if things are not well lit, as well as well-maintained sidewalks, etc. I tend to fall pretty easily so hotels that have well marked and well lit paths, stairs with handrails, etc. are very important to me as well as comfortable beds.
While everyone’s back can ache at times, I’m particularly sensitive to it. It can be difficult as you cannot tell I have mobility issues when looking at me, but they are there nonetheless, and I think it is important to remember that when planning vacations for our clients, particularly if clients are older or have certain conditions. While they may not need a wheelchair, living with my condition, gives me a better sense of anticipating needs that people have that they may not even realize they take for granted in their day-to-day life, such as handrails. For example, large grand staircases are beautiful, but it can be difficult for those of us who need those handrails and have to walk on the smaller part of the stair at the very edge.
In your 15 years in the travel industry, have you noticed any progress that has been made in making travel more accessible for more groups of people?
I have noticed a difference though I still think there is a lot of room for improvement. More hotels are offering the beach wheelchairs and pool chairs. Hotels are doing a better job of keeping paths well lit, having ramps and having restaurants throughout the hotel and not always in a concentrated area. One may not think that is an issue, but it certainly is helpful depending on how the client feels that day or how far they want to go. Sometimes we may be capable of doing it, but the energy that it requires to walk a long distance is exhausting.
I also see more bathrooms that are wheelchair accessible and have more room in the bathrooms overall. If I had clients with very specific needs, I would try to only book a U.S.-based hotel chain as they are required to be ADA accessible, and other countries do not have the same stringent requirements, but it is getting better so people have more options now. I have also seen an uptick in third party companies that can provide resources for client needs while at the hotel.
Have you ever helped your clients with their accessible travel needs? Any specific occasions stand out in your memory of when you were able to make a difference for your clients with accessibility?
Two situations come to mind: one is a client who was wheelchair bound and her favorite thing to do is sit on the beach. She cannot walk at all so having a beach bed close to the sidewalk was important so that her husband didn’t have to carry her very far. Hyatt Ziva Cancun came through and ensured that she had a beach cabana close to the sidewalk and that food/drinks were delivered to the cabana so that she was able to have the vacation she dreamed of! It is seemingly such a small request but can completely change the entire tone of a vacation.
Another instance is a client who was not wheelchair bound but who has MS. She is mobile but can’t walk far distances. This was not conveyed to me before booking. Once they got to the hotel, they realized their room was not located in an area that was feasible for them. They contacted me, and the hotel immediately switched rooms, provided the attention they needed, gave them restaurant reservations so they didn’t have to stand and wait, and they really turned a potentially negative vacation into a very positive situation. This also highlights the importance of clients letting us know what they need. I always ask if people have any physical requirements, and they said “no” at the time. However, from that situation I learned to better word my questions. Instead of just asking if they have any physical requirements; I also ask if they have any preferences on room location and/or room needs to ensure a stress-free vacation.
Do you have any favorite travel suppliers that excel at accessible travel?
Any U.S. hotel chain. Playa Resorts in particular has the most comprehensive ADA accessibility for clients. AMResorts has gotten MUCH better throughout the years, and they provide great resources and fact sheets about their ADA rooms on their agent page so it makes them easier to sell. Their management team is great about getting back quickly if you have specific questions, too.
Transportation companies are doing a much better job of having a variety of vehicles, but I would still like to see wheelchair accessible vans listed as an option to book as a transfer rather than having to request it. Iberostar Selection Cancun is also a great hotel for accessibility. I personally love boutique properties, such as Zoetry hotels, for people with mobility issues as it makes it very easy to get around the property. Disney is always a great option for families too as they have an entire department dedicated to meeting individual needs.
Are there any features in VAX that make it easier for you to book accessible travel?
I love that VAX has an array of hotels that state ‘ADA accessible’ so you know right from the start if the room is going to meet their needs. This is a huge help and improvement from when I first started working as a travel concierge. Being able to efficiently find, quote and book the rooms I want is imperative.
What do you see for the future of accessible travel? Have you noticed any recent trends that you think will continue to grow?
Growing awareness of accessible travel is happening, and I’m thankful for articles such as this to address this issue because so many times people associate accessible travel with only wheelchair bound people, but it goes so much deeper than that. There are so many conditions that people can have including just getting older where we have different needs.
So, increasing this awareness and anticipating these needs is huge for hoteliers, tour operators, DMC’s and travel agents.
I hope hoteliers continue to maintain their properties and realize when building new properties that small things such as even sidewalks, ramps, well lit areas, access to food and drink without having to climb stairs, bathrooms in the restaurants or very close by, etc. are all very important to ensure a client’s experience is relaxing and enjoyable. Hotels are also starting to provide more information upfront on ADA rooms so I hope that continues to get better and more room types are offered as ADA accessible. I would also love to see guaranteed first floor rooms so we don’t have to hope that our requests are met but know that they will be from the start. Continued education and conversations will be key for these improvements.
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