WTM Africa Panel Highlights Accessible Travel as High-Spend, Underserved Market Opportunity
A panel discussion on accessible travel at WTM Africa 2026 in Cape Town on 14 April highlighted the significant commercial opportunity available to travel agents willing to make relatively small adjustments to how they communicate with and serve travellers with disabilities and neurodivergent needs. The global accessible travel market - encompassing elderly travellers and persons with disabilities - was valued at over $1 trillion in 2025 and is projected to reach $1.9 trillion within the next decade, according to market research firm Dataintelo. In South Africa alone, approximately 2.5 million people live with disabilities, representing close to 10 per cent of the population. Panellists noted that travellers with disabilities often have higher spending patterns than the general market due to specialised transport, mobility, and communication requirements - but remain widely underserved by the travel trade.
Practical recommendations from the panel centred on improved information sharing and communication rather than wholesale operational overhaul. Cape Town TV presenter and deaf solo traveller Jabaar Mohammed called for instant messaging capabilities between travellers, agents, and suppliers, pre-written activity instructions for excursions, and website content that includes captions and visual cues. Diedre Gower, Founder of Warriors on Wheels, highlighted the importance of detailed accessibility information on supplier websites, including slope gradients, doorway widths, and bathroom configurations.
Source: South Africa's Travel News
