Disabled people are not holidaying at home because not enough of Britain’s tourist attractions are wheelchair accessible, according to a Government-backed study.

It found thousands of customers who were planning ‘staycations’ were being turned away from hotels and self-catering accommodation because there are not enough suitable rooms to meet demand.

Research published by the Department for Work and Pensions today found travel companies said it was easier to arrange holidays for disabled people overseas than in Britain.

Two thirds of Britain’s top 100 tourist attractions were not fully wheelchair accessible and little more than one in ten said all staff receive disability awareness training, according to Vitalise, a respite charity.

Mark Harper, the minister for Disabled People, said: “Everyone needs and deserves to enjoy a summer holiday – and people with disabilities are no exception. I’m calling on everyone in the British tourist industry to look at what more they can do to better cater for disabled travellers.”

Eleven million people in Britain – with an estimated combined spending power of £80billion – have a disability, he said. Research also showed that disabled people tended to stay longer on holiday than able-bodied people.

Mr Harper added: “So, as part of our long-term economic plan, improving the accessibility of hotels and self-catering apartments and tourist attractions for disabled travellers is a no-brainer.”

The Disability Holiday Directory, Britain’s biggest disabled holiday company, said it was unable to accommodate 20 per cent of its clients looking to holiday in the UK every year because of a shortage of accessible accommodation.

Accommodation was particularly hard to come by for disabled people in coastal areas like Devon and Cornwall where half of those with a disability were told they have to choose somewhere else, stay at home or travel abroad.

Sir William Lawrence, the chairman of Tourism for All, said: “When disabled people go away they are much more likely to travel with family and companions, stay for longer and spend more money.

“But before booking, they want to know they are going to be catered for. Even the smallest and inexpensive of changes, like a hearing loop or hand rail, can make your business more disability-friendly. It doesn’t necessarily need to cost the earth, but could be the deciding factor between you and a competitor.”

Paul Nadine, the managing director of the Disabled Holiday Directory, added: “The situation is quite bad at the moment.

“It’s often easier to arrange a holiday for someone abroad than it is here in Britain. Many will want to go abroad, but for those with more serious disabilities or who prefer to enjoy what Britain has to offer, it’s become more and more difficult.”

Source: Telegraph

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