What Does Inclusive Travel Actually Mean? And Why I Started Thinking Differently About Travel

When you hear the words inclusive travel, what do you think about?

For many people, the first thing that probably comes to mind is wheelchair accessibility.

And yes, that is absolutely part of it.

But inclusive travel is so much bigger than that.

For me, inclusive travel is about something quite simple:

More people should have the possibility to experience the world.

We are not all the same. We don't have the same bodies, the same amount of energy, the same fears, the same finances or the same needs.

So why do we sometimes talk about travel as if there is only one correct way to do it?

There is no correct way to travel

I LOVE travelling.

And I'm actually quite an active traveller.

I'm not usually the person who dreams about lying on a beach for seven hours doing absolutely nothing. I would probably last about twenty minutes before thinking:

Okay... what are we doing now?

I travel because I want to experience things.

I love amusement parks. I love adrenaline activities. I love culture, unusual attractions, dark tourism and experiences that make me think, I might never get the opportunity to do this again.

Sometimes I plan everything.

Other times I'm ridiculously spontaneous.

There doesn't seem to be much of a middle ground with me.

But I've also learned that wanting to do everything and actually being able to do everything are two very different things.

And that's part of why inclusive travel matters to me.

Accessibility isn't just about whether you can enter a building

A ramp is important.

An accessible toilet is important.

A lift is important.

But what happens after someone gets through the door?

Can they sit down?

How long are the queues?

How much walking is involved?

Are there stairs inside?

Is it incredibly noisy?

Are there flashing lights?

Can someone leave and come back?

Is there somewhere quiet to recover?

Is information available for deaf or hard-of-hearing visitors?

Can someone with limited energy realistically experience the attraction?

What does the hotel actually mean when it says it has an accessible room?

Sometimes the problem isn't even that something isn't accessible.

The problem is that nobody tells you what accessibility actually looks like.

Give people the information and let them decide

This is one thing I would love to see change within tourism.

Please stop just writing:

"Accessible."

Tell us what that means.

Show photographs.

Give measurements where they're relevant.

Tell people how far they'll need to walk.

Explain where the toilets are.

Tell people whether there are benches.

Mention stairs.

Mention noise.

Mention sensory elements.

Mention whether assistance is available.

Because two people with the exact same diagnosis can still have completely different needs.

The goal shouldn't be deciding for somebody:

"You can do this."

The goal should be giving them enough information to decide:

"Can I do this?"

That creates independence.

Inclusive travel can also mean recognising fear

Accessibility isn't the only barrier that can stop somebody travelling.

Fear can too.

Someone may desperately want to travel alone but be terrified of getting on that first flight.

Someone else might struggle with anxiety around unfamiliar places.

Another person may be worried about language.

Or money.

Or food.

Or navigating public transport.

Social media doesn't always show this part.

We see someone standing in Bali looking incredibly free.

We don't see them at home three months earlier googling:

"HOW DO I GET FROM THE AIRPORT TO MY HOTEL WITHOUT GETTING LOST?"

And perhaps panicking slightly.

That's travel too.

Travel doesn't have to look impressive

I think we need to become better at recognising this.

Your first solo trip can be one night away from home.

Your holiday can include rest days.

You can visit one attraction instead of six.

You can go back to your hotel at 4 p.m.

You can take a taxi instead of walking.

You can change your plans.

You can decide that something isn't worth exhausting yourself for.

None of those things mean you've failed at travelling.

Why this matters for Inkluderende Reiser

This is what I want Inkluderende Reiser to explore.

Yes, I want to write about destinations.

I want to share travel experiences.

I want to talk about solo travel, road trips, activities and all the things I love doing.

But I also want to look at travel through a wider lens.

Who can participate?

Who is accidentally being left out?

What information is missing?

What could make this easier?

And sometimes I'll be writing about experiences I personally know very well.

Other times I won't.

And when I don't have that lived experience, I would rather listen to and learn from people who do than pretend I know everything.

Because I definitely don't.

I'm still learning too.

That's actually part of the point.

Inclusive travel isn't about creating one perfect way for everybody to travel.

It's about recognising that we are different, and making room for those differences.

The world is enormous.

There is so much to see.

I think more people should get the opportunity to experience it in whatever way works for them.