Group Tour Magazine - August 2023 - 14

Inclusive Group
Tour Operator-
For 25 Years
While new and exciting
developments are happening
all the time, there also are tour
operators who have been providing
accessible options for many years.
Israel4All, founded in 1998, is an
Israel-based tourism company with
a focus on inclusivity.
" Our goal is to find creative
solutions to enable tourists
with physical disabilities and
special needs to travel and
enjoy themselves in friendly and
accessible surroundings, " says Chief
Growth Officer Deb Lust Zaluda.
" We aim to be the sole provider of
the full range of accessible travel
in Israel, accommodating all types
of travelers with differing needs,
including mobility, cognitive,
neurodivergent, hearing, and/or
visual impairments. "
While Zaluda does notice a trend
toward greater inclusivity, allowing
those who travel to do so in a way
that's right for them, she also admits
she's surprised the issue isn't being
more universally addressed. Also,
she has noticed a narrow focus
exclusively on physical accessibility.
Her organization, she says, expands
the services it provides to support
a wider range of needs that
includes physical, sensory, and
communication access. " By focusing
on all three, we open up a world of
possibilities for everyone who wants
to travel here, " she says.
Even with those grim statistics, things
are changing. " The number of initiatives
that we learn of regularly is encouraging, "
Weiss says. " More and more destinations,
including Visit Greater Palm Springs and
Visit Willamette Valley, are becoming Certified
Autism Centers. Costa Rica has accessible
beaches, Legoland New York has adult
changing tables, and Tennessee has colorblind
leaf peeping in the fall. Another
great example is The Thompson Okanagan
Tourism Association in British Columbia, "
he adds. " They're doing great work to build
a bridge between the needs of travelers and
helping the industry meet those needs with
inclusive experiences. "
SERVING DIVERSE POPULATIONS
A clever understanding of what your customers
expect and need just makes good
business sense, says Jake Steinman, founder
14
AUGUST 2023
of TravelAbility, which works with the travel
industry on becoming more accessible for
people with disabilities. " Many group tour
operators focus on either younger students
or the elderly, " he notes. " For those dealing
with an aging client base, there's an important
opportunity to help those prospects and
customers with accessibility issues. "
His advice to tour operators: Don't force
your prospects to do detective work in order
to understand how your tour will meet their
needs. " Let people know how you can make
accommodations for those with mobility,
vision, or hearing issues, for example. Invite
people with disabilities on some of your
tours, and then capture still images and
video to use as testimonials. "
Alex Stratikis, a 20-something autistic
adult, is a travel writer, blogger, and photographer.
He founded Autism Adventures
Abroad to inspire and encourage autistic
ILLUSTRATION ADOBE/VIRINAFLORA
Group Tour Magazine - August 2023

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