Barcelona, Valencia and San Sebastián are the great Spanish referents of accessible tourism, oriented to people with disabilities, for the amount of adapted infrastructure they possess and for their commitment to this group, around 8% of the current Spanish population.
This has been one of the data revealed in Fitur 4allthe day dedicated to accessible tourism sponsored by Mallorca and held within the frame 9,500 companies And it has been visited by more than 250,000 peoplebetween professionals and individuals.
Travelers with special needs make up a market with a lot of potential, since it is very poor only They are 9.2% in the European Union (EU), according to the latest data available.
Globally, accessibility It depends on the degree of development of countriessince, for example, more than 90% of US hotels comply with national regulations in this regard, and in Toronto (Canada), 100% of public transport is accessible, while, on the contrary, in countries In development, only 20 % of the main tourist attractions are adapted.
The holiday market for people with disabilities, which includes the elderly with mobility problems, among others, does not stop growing and is formed by some 139 million people throughout the EUalmost 65% of which are over 65, according to this data.
Besides, It is a more profitable tourist For companies, since more than 90% have to travel accompanied, and they are also very faithful to hotels and destinations when they find some that offer them what they need.
A well planned trip
Accessible tourism requires thorough planning that contemplates the specific needs of each traveler, as happens for example when locating a group of people with motor disabilities, remember the sources, which add that airlines usually allow between two and four wheelchairs per path.
Likewise, groups that include people with disabilities often need companions formed and knowledgeable about the needs of these people, to guarantee them a safe experience.
This has been explained by the leaders of Tur4all Travel, a pioneer agency in this tourism sector, which It belongs to the platform promotes equalityorganizer of the Fitur 4all day, which develops personalized solutions that ensure an experience without barriers to their clients.
As stressed from Fitur 4all, the main novelty of this 2025 edition has been the Presentation of the new good practices guidea document that collects success cases in global tourist accessibility.
This guide, they say, will serve as Inspiration for destinations and companiessince it will facilitate the implementation of concrete measures to guarantee the inclusion “throughout the tourism value chain”.
Besides, Fitur 4all has given its awardswhich were born last year to recognize innovative projects that are leading change towards more accessible tourism and generating “an important precedent in the industry.”
Specifically, Valladolid, Peru, Iurban and green roads of the foundation of the Spanish Railways, are the winners of the second edition of these awards in the categories of national, international destination, company and inclusive organization, respectively.
This year’s edition has had the participation of outstanding national and international speakers that have addressed issues such as inclusive digitalization, universal design and synergies between sustainability and accessibility.
These experts have assured that accessible tourism is a opportunity to reposition destinations and generate a positive impact on both local communities and visitors.
They have also considered that accessibility can be integrated into all aspects of tourist experiencefrom infrastructure to personalized treatment.
Spain without barriers
In this context, the platform promotes equality and its Tur4all Travel agency, have presented their “discovers Spain without barriers” program, which includes itineraries designed to highlight the cultural, natural and patrimonial diversity of the country and make it accessible to people with disabilities.
He Tourism with purposewhich seeks to generate a positive impact on host communities, has been one of the main axes of Tur4all Travel work.
The itineraries designed by this agency They guarantee universal accessibility and promote circular economysince they work with local suppliers and minimize the environmental impact, a philosophy that relies on that “it is possible to create an inclusive tourism that benefits both travelers and destinations,” they argue.
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