It was International Day of Disability on Tuesday, the perfect time for Spinal Life Australia to call on the Federal Government to boost their funding and resources to make 2025 the national year of accessible tourism.
“With $6.8 billion of the spend attributed to those living with disability in Australia, the sheer demand for accessible tourism is clear,” the organisation’s CEO Mark Townend said.
It’s true that there’s already a National Disability Plan in place until 2031, but there’s some disparity between the states and territories, many of whom are still developing their own plans, Townend believes.
Over 20% of Australia’s population lives with a disability. That’s 5.5 million Australians who would probably love the ability to go on a great holiday that addresses their needs.
“While we see other states continue to put a focus on their respective tourism industries, such as NSW adopting a more ambitious goal of $91 billion in annual visitor economy expenditure by 2035, or Victoria’s visitor economy being worth $21.7 billion, what we don’t see, is a continued focus on ensuring this industry is accessible to all Australians, and international tourists alike,” Townend continued.
I interviewed Fiona Donaldson of Supported Travel eXperiences (STX) for her opinion on the matter. STX is a specialist provider of travel for people with disabilities and their families.
“Our business aims to connect people with disabilities with exciting, interesting and fulfilling travel experiences across Australia and the world. We have struggled in the past to identify great options for our customers, living with disability and their travelling companions,” she told travelBulletin.
Donaldson pointed out that much of the industry believes that accessible travel is a niche market.
“The reality is that the number of travellers with disabilities and diverse needs is significant and growing. Ignoring this segment means missing out on a valuable opportunity,” she said.
In addition, Australia has a rapidly ageing population who have their own needs, but also often the money to spend on travel. What company doesn’t want to cash in on that?
“Some also assume that catering to accessibility needs is too complex or costly. While it requires a shift in perspective, there are resources and training available to help businesses adapt. And the return on investment can be significant,” she said.
“Another misconception is the focus on ‘visible’ disabilities. It’s important to remember that the majority of disabilities are invisible. Travellers with sensory sensitivities, chronic illnesses, or cognitive differences deserve equal consideration.”
In other news, on Thursday, it was announced that travel consultants, travel agency managers and tour guides are now eligible occupations for skilled migration on the federal government’s Core Skills Occupation List (CSOL).
The Australian Travel Industry Association (ATIA) played a key role in getting the updates across the line, as the industry struggles to keep up with the increased travel demand from consumers.
“This is a landmark achievement for Australia’s travel industry. It recognises the critical skills shortage we face and offers a practical solution to help meet demand, alongside the important work we’re doing to train Australians locally,” said Ingrid Fraser, ATIA Director of Public Policy and Advocacy.
“ATIA’s consistent advocacy has delivered this outcome, and we will continue working to ensure members have the information and support they need to navigate these changes.”
Our Cruise Weekly Editor Myles Stedman is currently onboard the spectacular Silver Nova, which has sailed all around the country thus far.
He might be enjoying the views of Sydney Harbour right now, but Myles Stedman didn’t miss a beat when he broke the news of Hurtigruten and HX’s leadership restructure.
Damian Perry will now lead a dedicated Hurtigruten Norway APAC team, while Marisa Jones will be promoted to Hurtigruten Head of Marketing.
HX’s Australian leadership team will be guided by Steve Smotrys, who will work with Director of Sales Amber Wilson.
The move will ensure the two cruise lines maintain a strong presence in Australia, and can progress further ambitions for their guests from the region.
Earlier this week, a new report from Expedia TAAP revealed that travel agents are now looking for more tools and tech with all-in-one functionalities. Agents want the ability to plan, book and manage trips all within one portal.
In other news, Helloworld has launched a new wholesale brand called Viva Gold, an extension of Viva Holidays. Viva Gold will focus on luxury products and destinations, with a new brochure to be unveiled early next year
Qantas stock crossed over the $9 mark again this week, as the airline continues its strong recovery following the leadership shake-up that saw Alan Joyce step down early and Vanessa Hudson take over as CEO.
There’s nothing like talk of the NDC to get the travel industry all hot and bothered, and on Monday, Riann van Schooer, founder of travel data platform Agentivity, added fuel to the fire when he shared his disbelief of the new NDC that Qantas plans to roll out in July 2025.
“It has elements of the failed SAS Scandinavian Airlines NDC plan (which never took off) and the most recent and well-known failed NDC model of American Airlines, in that it’s almost as complex, and has a ‘by invitation only’ level,” he wrote.
When describing the way in which Qantas unveiled the new distribution model, van Schooer did not mince his words.
“The marketing lipstick over this very ugly pig has been spread on very thick indeed.”
Oof. It reminds me of an interview our publisher Damian Francis did for a story we ran in our tech special report recently on NDCs, when one agent simply said: “NDC is a shit show, happy for you to quote me on that”.
By the way, if you haven’t read the story (or indeed, the tech report), I highly suggest you do. That particular article explored the different sides of tech and how agents really feel about using it.
Ending the week on an exciting note, the much-awaited Virgin Australia/Air New Zealand codeshare officially kicked off. Travellers can now directly book VA flights operated by Air New Zealand with a VA flight number into Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch for travel from 09 December.
And in good news for Queenslanders, Delta’s new direct service to LA touched down at Brisbane Airport yesterday, with the three-times weekly service to offer enhanced connectivity between Australia and the US. The Queensland capital now boasts the highest seat capacity into America compared to the rest of the country, with January 2025 shaping up to deliver 125% of pre-pandemic availability.
Lastly, don’t forget to keep your eyes peeled for Travel Daily’s Year in Review special report. It will come out next week and will be jam-packed with all the biggest stories from 2024.
Enjoy the weekend,
Jo.
