tourist industry synonym

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noun as in travel for pleasure

Strongest matches

Strong matches

• exploration
• globetrotting

Weak matches

• peregrination

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Example sentences.

Those who transmigrate into the bodies of the less fortunate are accused of tourism, voyeurism.

The pollution closes beaches that are vital to San Diego’s tourism economy.

Covid-19 has brought tourism from China to the UK to a standstill.

Even as most domestic air travel routes have opened now, aviation and tourism experts believe that the country is unlikely to resume international commercial flights before October.

Growth is now expected to collapse in many countries especially those dependent on tourism and resources, such as oil and mineral exporters.

Slowly, two were opened up, and in 2010 the regional government opened all four Brogpa villages in a push for tourism.

Religious profiteering has spread beyond the tourism industry.

Apparently tourism in the country had jumped tenfold since the film hit theaters.

In recent years news outlets have documented the rise of so-called “birth tourism” here in America.

But the site has seen little of the decimation from heavy tourism that has plagued the northern pyramids of Giza in Egypt.

For years too few doctors have seen clearly that gymnastic tourism and sport do more for health than all doctors taken together.

Increasing tourism has resulted in special problems in resort areas.

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On this page you'll find 11 synonyms, antonyms, and words related to tourism, such as: null, travel, exploration, globetrotting, journey, and passage.

From Roget's 21st Century Thesaurus, Third Edition Copyright © 2013 by the Philip Lief Group.

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90 English Tourism Vocabulary Words and Phrases [With Sample Dialogues]

English is the most common language used in the international tourism industry.

People who work in the tourism industry use it to communicate with tourists from all over the world.

If you work in tourism or hope to find a job in the industry, it helps to know the right words and phrases for this type of work.

Interacting with Customers

Greeting customers, asking customers questions , responding to questions, checking for understanding, common scenarios in tourism english, giving recommendations, giving directions , making friendly small talk, jobs in hospitality and tourism, jobs at hotels and resorts, bar and restaurant staff, jobs at travel and tourism companies, more tourism vocabulary in english, how to learn english tourism vocabulary, and one more thing....

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You always want to welcome customers or guests with a friendly, professional greeting :

• Good morning (before 12 p.m.)
• Good afternoon (between 12 p.m. and 5 p.m.)
• Good evening (after 5 p.m.)
• Welcome to… [company name] . My name is… [your name] .

Be sure to always use a respectful term to refer to your customers:

• Miss — Young women (under age 30)
• Ma’am — Mature women (over age 30)
• Sir — Men of all ages

For example, using these terms you can now greet customers in a very respectful way:

• Good morning, miss .
• Good afternoon, sir .

If you are working at a hotel, restaurant or tour agency, you can greet a customer and then ask them this question:

Do you have a reservation with us?

To answer the phone, you only need one simple phrase:

Hello, you’ve reached [company name]. This is [your name]. How may I help you?

If you are working with customers in a hotel, before they go to their rooms you can say one of these phrases:

• We hope you enjoy your stay!
• Please let us know if you have any questions or comments during your stay.

You will want to make sure your customers are safe and happy while they are with you. You can do this by asking friendly and polite questions, such as:

• How are you doing this morning? (or afternoon/evening)
• Have you been having a good time?
• Is there anything else we can do to make your experience more enjoyable?

Customers will have many questions, and sometimes you will not know the answer. You may need to ask a coworker or supervisor. When this happens, you can use the following phrases:

• I will get that information for you right away.
• That’s a great question! I will check with my supervisor and let you know.

As a guide, host or receptionist, you will need to double-check for understanding. These phrases are simple and quick ways to make sure you have understood the guest or customer:

• I heard you ask (about flights) . Is that correct?
• So, you said (you wanted to visit the ruins) , right?
• Okay, I understand that (your flight leaves at 3 PM) . Is that correct?

To ask for clarification

Your guest may use vocabulary that you are unfamiliar with. Likewise, they might have an accent that is difficult for you to understand. Here are some polite ways to ask them to repeat or clarify what they said:

• I’m sorry, I didn’t quite understand that. Can you say that again?
• Pardon my English, but I didn’t understand that. Can you say that again?
• I’m sorry, I didn’t catch that. Can you describe what you mean?

To invite your guests to ask questions

You can make all of your guests feel welcome by encouraging them to ask questions:

• Does anyone have any questions?
• Yes, sir? / Yes, ma’am? Do you have a question?
• Please feel free to raise your hand any time if you have a question.
• So, any questions?

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When working in tourism, you might need to give directions to tourists, share recommendations for a good restaurant or attraction or make friendly conversation.

In these scenarios, you will play the part of the “guide,” but it could be any job where you interact with tourists. Practice these dialogues so you feel confident using these words and phrases in your interactions.

• For (authentic cuisine, family activities, etc.), I recommend…
• My favorite place is…
• Personally, I suggest…

Tourist: Excuse me, do you know a good place for ice cream?

Guide: Oh, yes. For really good ice cream, I recommend Maria’s. It’s located about six blocks from here, and it’s my favorite place. Personally, I suggest the chocolate cherry flavor. I think your family will like it.

Tourist: Great, thanks!

If you work in tourism, you will need to give directions to visitors. Here are some key phrases you might use to explain how to get somewhere: 

• Go straight
• Stop at the…
• Continue until…
• Take the subway (or bus, train, etc.)
• Follow the signs for…
• At the traffic light
• At the next street (or light, block, etc.)
• In five blocks
• Near the hotel (or beach, station, etc.)
• On the main plaza

See this post for more words and phrases for giving directions: 

Asking for and giving directions in English is a helpful skill, and this guide will show you the important vocabulary you need to know, with audio pronunciation included!…

Tourist: Can you tell me how to get to the theater?

Guide: Sure! The theater is near the train station. You need to go straight down this street for one block. At the next street, turn left. Continue until you see a sign for the theater, in about five blocks. If you’re lost, you can follow the signs for the train station. Does that make sense?

Tourist: Yes, thank you!

Here’s a helpful video to practice basic phrases for giving directions:

Here are some phrases that you can use when you want to make friendly conversation with a guest or visitor:

• So, are you enjoying your time in (Paris) so far?
• Tell me, what is your favorite part of the city so far?
• What do you think of the (architecture, food, beach, festival, etc.) ?

This vocabulary will help you a lot when you are working in the tourism industry or searching for jobs. 

• Bellhop / baggage handler — the person who will open the front door for guests and carry their bags to their rooms
• Concierge / receptionist — the person at the front desk who welcomes the guests, gives out room keys, helps guests make reservations and takes payments for reservations
• Maid / housekeeper — the person who cleans the hotel rooms ( see English vocabulary for housekeeping here ) 
• Janitor — the person responsible for cleaning everything outside of hotel rooms, such as the lobby and other common areas 
• Groundskeeper — the person who takes care of all the plants outside the hotel
• Maintenance worker — the person who fixes anything that stops working in the hotel 
• Manager / supervisor — the person who makes sure everything goes well at the hotel, hires employees, teaches new employees how to do their jobs and makes sure that guests are happy
• Event planner — the person who makes sure the hotel is ready for big events such as business conventions (meetings) or weddings 

Here are a couple of vocabulary guides for working in hotels:

Practicing English for receptionists can help you greet and assist hotel guests with ease. By studying the right phrases, you can prepare yourself to handle common…

Knowing hotel vocabulary in English is essential if you want to work in the hospitality industry. Check out our list of 100+ vocabulary words and phrases on everything…

These jobs might exist at a hotel if it has a bar and/or restaurant. 

• Bartender — the person who makes and serves drinks at the bar 
• Host / hostess — the person who stands at the entrance to the restaurant and welcomes guests, brings them to a table and takes reservations on the phone and in person
• Server / waiter / waitress — the person who serves customers who are eating at the restaurant (“waiter” refers to a male, “waitress” refers to a female and “server” can refer to any gender)
• Busboy / busser — the person who makes sure that tables are clean and ready for customers
• Chef / cook — the person who prepares food at the restaurant

If you work or want to work in a bar or restaurant, check out this vocabulary guide next:

Click here to learn English for restaurant staff! Here, we have information about six essential restaurant positions, the common phrases used by each one and study…

There are entire companies that exist just to help travelers book their trips. If you work for one of these companies, you will either work in an office or outside the office helping travelers enjoy their time in your city or country.

• Secretary / administrative assistant — someone who takes care of the whole office by organizing paperwork, making and receiving phone calls, organizing the office schedule and taking reservations for tours and trips
• Travel agent — someone who helps people find the most affordable flights, hotels, etc. and helps them buy tickets and make reservations before they travel
• Tour guide — someone who goes out with tourists and takes them on adventures to explore towns, cities, farms, mountains, jungles and more
• Taxi driver / private driver — someone who drives tourists in a taxi or private car between different places, and sometimes on a tour around the area
• Shuttle driver — someone who drives a large vehicle (usually a small bus or large van) to transport groups of people between places, such as from the hotel to some popular tourist destinations or between the hotel and the airport
• Airline agent — someone who works at the desk of an airline (a company that owns airplanes and provides transportation services with them)
• Flight attendant — someone who takes care of passengers on airplanes by serving food and drinks and giving safety instructions ( see English vocabulary for flight attendants here )
• Cruise attendant — someone who takes care of people on boats and ships by doing the same things as flight attendants, providing services like food and drinks and giving safety instructions
• Translator — someone who translates between different languages in writing, such as for tourism guides or flyers 
• Interpreter — someone who translates between two languages by listening and speaking, often to help tourists and visitors understand and speak with local people
• Recreational guide — someone who goes with tourists to do activities like yoga, surfing, cycling, running, hiking and climbing mountains

Here is a list of common tourism-related English words. You might be asked questions with these words or you might need to use them yourself. Make sure you’re familiar with them and can use them in full sentences.

• Tourist – someone who travels to different places for enjoyment or to see new things
• Attractions — places of interest that are often visited by tourists, such as museums or amusement parks
• Landmark – a special or famous place that people can easily recognize, often used for giving directions
• Destination – a place to which people travel for leisure, business or other purposes
• Guide – a person who helps tourists by showing them around and giving them information about a place
• Guidebook – a book that provides information for travelers about a particular destination, including attractions, hotels and restaurants
• Souvenir – a small item that people buy to remember a place they visited, like a keychain or a postcard
• Itinerary – a plan or schedule that shows the activities or places someone will visit during their trip
• Accommodation – a place where travelers can stay overnight, such as a hotel, hostel or campground 
• Transportation – the way people travel from one place to another, such as by car, bus, train or airplane
• Passport – a document issued by a government that proves a person’s identity and nationality, allowing them to travel internationally
• Visa – a stamp or document given by a country’s government that allows someone to enter or stay in that country for a certain period of time, usually for tourism, work, or study
• Business district — also called the financial district, this is the center of the city where many offices, banks and companies are located
• Entertainment district — a part of a city where there are lots of restaurants, bars, theaters and other fun places
• Dining district — an area within a city with a lot of restaurants 
• Custom — a traditional way of doing something that is common in a particular culture or society
• Highlight — the most interesting or exciting part of something, often the main attraction 
• Scenery — the natural features of an area, such as mountains, rivers or forests, that people find beautiful to look at
• Surroundings — the area or environment around a particular place, including nearby buildings, landscapes and neighborhoods
• Depart — to leave from a place, especially when traveling
• Arrive — to reach or get to a place or destination, especially when traveling
• Recommend — to suggest or advise someone to do something because you think they will enjoy it
• Read the “English for International Tourism” textbooks. They are available in low-intermediate ,  intermediate  and  high-intermediate levels. As long as you have a foundation in English, this series is perfect for learning how to communicate with coworkers and tourists in different tourism-related scenarios. Here are some more English for Tourism books we recommend.  
• Take an English for Tourism course. You can find some great courses on Udemy, such as this English for Business and Tourism course aimed at low-intermediate to intermediate students. Or take lessons with a tutor who specializes in tourism on Preply .
• Complete tourism English courses on Memrise. Focus on Memrise English courses for tourism. These lessons feature English vocabulary words and phrases that anyone in the tourism industry would use in their daily activities. Try spending at least 30 minutes a day using Memrise to brush up on your tourism vocabulary—you’ll notice a difference!
• Follow travel vloggers on YouTube. Look for channels or specific videos about the place where you will be working. Engage in discussions in the comments as well! Not only will that make using YouTube more fun , but it will also require you to learn and use new words during your chats back and forth with others.
• Participate in discussions on travel forums. Travel forums allow you to use your new tourism vocabulary with native speakers and practice written English . On TripAdvisor , you can talk with English speakers about traveling, hotels, restaurants, transportation and more. The /r/travel subreddit is a great place to talk about everything related to tourism. 
• Give yourself daily homework. A great place to start is  the tourism section of ESL Conversation Questions . You’ll find a variety of tourism-related topics that you can discuss with your friends and coworkers. If you’re a hospitality professional, check out Oxford University Press’ free online workbook series, English for Careers . 

Bookmark this page so you can come back and view this tourism vocabulary whenever you have some free time.

Soon you will be able to communicate with any tourist who crosses your path!

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Definition of 'tourist industry'

Tourist industry in british english.

Examples of 'tourist industry' in a sentence tourist industry

Trends of tourist industry.

View usage for: All Years Last 10 years Last 50 years Last 100 years Last 300 years

Browse alphabetically tourist industry

• tourist home
• tourist hotel
• tourist hub
• tourist industry
• tourist information
• tourist information centre
• tourist information office
• All ENGLISH words that begin with 'T'

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Definition of tourism noun from the Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary

• The area is heavily dependent on tourism.
• the tourism industry
• The tourism sector is expected to grow by 9.7 percent per annum.
• have/​take (British English) a holiday/ (North American English) a vacation/​a break/​a day off/ (British English) a gap year
• go on/​be on holiday/​vacation/​leave/​honeymoon/​safari/​a trip/​a tour/​a cruise/​a pilgrimage
• go backpacking/​camping/​hitchhiking/​sightseeing
• plan a trip/​a holiday/​a vacation/​your itinerary
• book accommodation/​a hotel room/​a flight/​tickets
• have/​make/​cancel a reservation/ (especially British English) booking
• rent a villa/ (both British English) a holiday home/​a holiday cottage
• (especially British English) hire/ (especially North American English) rent a car/​bicycle/​moped
• stay in a hotel/​a bed and breakfast/​a youth hostel/​a villa/ (both British English) a holiday home/​a caravan
• cost/​charge $100 a/​per night for a single/​double/​twin/​standard/ (British English) en suite room
• check into/​out of a hotel/​a motel/​your room
• pack/​unpack your suitcase/​bags
• call/​order room service
• cancel/​cut short a trip/​holiday/​vacation
• apply for/​get/​renew a/​your passport
• take out/​buy/​get travel insurance
• catch/​miss your plane/​train/​ferry/​connecting flight
• fly (in)/travel in business/​economy class
• make/​have a brief/​two-day/​twelve-hour stopover/ (North American English also) layover in Hong Kong
• experience/​cause/​lead to delays
• check (in)/collect/​get/​lose (your) (especially British English) luggage/ (especially North American English) baggage
• be charged for/​pay excess baggage
• board/​get on/​leave/​get off the aircraft/​plane/​ship/​ferry
• taxi down/​leave/​approach/​hit/​overshoot the runway
• experience/​hit/​encounter severe turbulence
• suffer from/​recover from/​get over your jet lag/​travel sickness
• attract/​draw/​bring tourists/​visitors
• encourage/​promote/​hurt tourism
• promote/​develop ecotourism
• build/​develop/​visit a tourist/​holiday/ (especially British English) seaside/​beach/​ski resort
• work for/​be operated by a major hotel chain
• be served by/​compete with low-cost/ (especially North American English) low-fare/​budget airlines
• book something through/​make a booking through/​use a travel agent
• contact/​check with your travel agent/​tour operator
• book/​be on/​go on a package deal/​holiday/​tour
• buy/​bring back (tacky/​overpriced) souvenirs
• The town survives mainly through tourism.
• Tourism chiefs in York are drawing up plans to attract more people.
• With the expansion of air travel, tourism boomed.
• We hope that this investment will lead to increased tourism in the area.
• the world's first commercial space tourism operator
• international
• through tourism
• a decline in tourism
• a downturn in tourism
• a drop in tourism

Take your English to the next level

The Oxford Learner’s Thesaurus explains the difference between groups of similar words. Try it for free as part of the Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary app

Synonyms of tourist

• as in traveller
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Thesaurus Definition of tourist

Synonyms & Similar Words

• excursionist
• rubbernecker
• vacationist

Thesaurus Entries Near tourist

touring cars

tourist court

Cite this Entry

“Tourist.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus , Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tourist. Accessed 18 Apr. 2024.

More from Merriam-Webster on tourist

Nglish: Translation of tourist for Spanish Speakers

Britannica English: Translation of tourist for Arabic Speakers

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Synonyms and antonyms of tourist in English

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have your hands full

to be so busy that you do not have time to do anything else

Binding, nailing, and gluing: talking about fastening things together

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Is the global travel industry failing people with disabilities?

T he word “holiday” is a trigger of grief for Delphine Watson. It’s a reminder of a time she will likely never experience again. That’s because her son Rio , 20, has a rare chromosome condition called 1q44 deletion de novo, which means he has seizures, intellectual disabilities, sensory sensitivities and he’s non-verbal, so she’s a full-time caregiver whether she’s in Dubai , Spain, Australia or America.

“Going away with Rio is never a ‘holiday’ as others experience holidays – or how I remember from life before Rio,” she tells The National . “To me, it is more the opportunity to experience being elsewhere while looking after Rio.

“The word ‘holiday’ to me associates with words like time out, relaxation, freedom – and travelling now is never any of those words.”

For the Watsons, it is hard work, expensive and logistically stressful. “Being a caregiver, it is often more relaxing being at home, where you have everything in order as you need it and you have your immediate world set up around his needs. There is safety in that.”

However, a growing number of people working in the tourism sector believe it shouldn’t be this difficult.

A sector-wide ‘failure’

The travel industry in general is failing to deliver equitable and authentic opportunities to people with disabilities, says Richard Thompson, founder of IncluCare. This UK organisation is known for driving the “inclusion revolution” throughout the tourism sector by offering inclusive and accessible training, assessment and accreditation.

This industry failure stems from fear, he says. “Fear borne from a lack of understanding that can only be elevated by leadership committing to investing in education for every member of staff that comes to work, and caring for every guest who comes to stay,” he says.

An estimated 1.3 billion people – or 16 per cent of the global population – experience a significant disability today, says the World Health Organisation. This means global spending power of the disabled market is approximately $10 trillion per annum, says IncluCare.

Despite that economic benefit, tourism and hospitality providers still have a long way to go in catering for this market and there is a “complete absence, lack or difficulty in sourcing accessibility and inclusion details that are relevant, authentic and a fundamental requirement to making an informed buying decision”, says Thompson.

“All in all, it is a pretty hostile and unwelcoming environment, which means that the vast majority of disabled people across the globe – despite having the ambition, aspiration, resources and time to explore and discover our planet – do not do so.”

He says it comes down to a lack of trust and confidence, which leads to families such as Delphine’s staying home, where it’s “safer”.

“And that is a shocking state of affairs, which must change.”

An overwhelming task?

It all starts with understanding what inclusion even means – and it's very different to being accessible, says Thompson. “Accessibility is being invited to the party, but inclusion is being asked to dance,” he recently told the Travel Trade Gazette .

But the sheer amount of physical and hidden disabilities travel providers need to cater to, can make it a daunting task to accommodate, says Narelle McDougall, general manager of Amilla Maldives , the world’s first IncluCare-certified resort.

“It can seem like an impossible task; getting a wheelchair on to a speedboat and a seaplane is an overwhelming thing to be responsible for,” she tells The National . The idea of being liable for a person with disabilities can also put companies off from a legal perspective, she adds.

None of this should be an excuse not to cater for this market, however, and implementations can be made step by step, says McDougall.

“We started with wheelchair access and since then we have attracted guests with dwarfism, muscular dystrophy, motor neuron disease and hidden disabilities such as autism. In each case we prepare for what they tell us are their unique needs and so it is a heart-warming journey where we learn along the way.”

For example, for guests with autism, the staff do not play bodu beru drums on arrival at the jetty, as this can be triggering. Deaf-alert systems and adaptive yoga and snorkelling activities are being implemented, while sensory touch, aroma and sound experiences through the jungle for vision-impaired guests are in the works.

The hotel will also introduce dedicated ‘calming spaces’, which aim to reduce anxiety and stress for guests with autism, learning difficulties or dementia.

“We personalise their villa, even their island bicycles, to ensure they feel genuinely cared for and listened to, and that gives them the freedom to experience the island as richly and stylishly as they wish.”

To receive the IncluCare certification, the hotel needed to prove it has an authentic commitment to caring for every guest and educating the team. They built ramps in all areas, modified villas, educated departmental trainers. Thompson then audited the progress and the whole process took six months.

It’s about so much more than infrastructure, says Thompson. “Most inclusion is created in real-time by empowered, sensitive, confident and caring staff.” He says it’s important for these brands to not only invest in education and understanding, but also to then trickle that message of inclusivity throughout the company, dispelling any myths and misconceptions about “disability”. Only then can a travel business identify and adjust physical and non-physical barriers to guest inclusion.

“And then, crucially, make this provision visible, easy to access and in great, relevant detail. Guests with different mobility, sensory or neurodiverse requirements will simply never come to stay without it.”

‘Fight or flight mode’

This is the kind of thing that puts the Watsons off a place. “However determined you are to be positive and excited about a trip, I find there is always a layer of stress by not knowing what is ahead,” says Delphine, who, along with her husband, runs Team AngelWolf, a non-profit foundation in the UAE that promotes inclusivity.

She finds herself planning for every possible negative eventuality and says her own self-worry is perhaps one of their biggest hurdles to travelling as a family. “It is easy to say that you must keep positive and relax, but when you live a lifestyle of daily rejections, segregation, unfairness, unjustness of rights, then there is a sense of living in constant ‘fight or flight’ mode, especially in situations that are out of your control.”

It starts from the minute they try to book their trip, as there is so much information they need in order to make, what might seem to people without disabilities, very simple decisions.

For example, what airline should they fly? Does the carrier accept DPNA code, an industry code for a special service request for a passenger with intellectual or developmental disability? Can she book wheelchair assistance and the correct dietary meal for Rio to eat on the plane? Rio also has to wear adult nappies and needs full assistance in the bathroom, so Delphine needs to determine how she and her husband might be treated when trying to fit with their son in the tiny aircraft bathroom. In airports and other facilities, what if the toilets aren’t unisex? How does a mother take her adult son?

I believe and have hope [the UAE] will continue to progress and become a leading example to the rest of the world of accessibility and inclusion Delphine Watson

“At the airport, how will he cope from a sensory perspective with the queuing, the noise, the stress, the distances he will have to walk?” Delphine continues. “On the aeroplane, will Rio sit quietly for the whole journey? If not, will the people around us be understanding? What happens if he has a seizure?”

Rio also needs to share a room with his parents since he requires a caregiver 24/7, but this is often against hotel policies. “Many hotels eventually become more understanding about it, but it takes a very long conversation. Others will not allow it, then the hotel is not accessible to us as it would not be safe for our son.”

The lack of understanding from others, whether a fellow traveller or staff, is one of Delphine's other major stressors.

Thankfully, living in the UAE, where Delphine and her husband have been for 27 years, is the easy part, she says. “The airports have unisex accessible toilets, the sunflower lanyard [a sign for people with hidden disabilities to wear] is recognised, the DPNA code is recognised, there seems to be more a sense that staff have been trained.”

The Dubai Economy and Tourism department announced last year it's spearheading an initiative to become the first Certified Autism Destination outside of the US. Emirates and Dubai International Airport also recently revealed they are improving the travel experience for neurodivergent passengers, facilitating “travel rehearsals” where children can practice their journey through the airport and on-board aircraft. The Dubai airline provides comprehensive information on its website for travellers with disabilities.

“You can see this progression with accessibility all the way through from public transport, to travel and tourism services, hotels and the airport,” she says.

“We don’t feel like an afterthought or a burden – we feel part of the travelling community … I believe and have hope it will continue to progress and become a leading example to the rest of the world of accessibility and inclusion to make the UAE a top destination for travellers with disabilities.”

When will it change?

McDougall has hope for the industry and believes provisions for people with disabilities will become more commonplace. “I hope it isn’t just about legislative compliance, but that more hospitality change-makers genuinely want to show kindness and care,” she says. “Of course, there is an economic benefit, too, if the influencers of change in the industry really think about it.”

There are millions of people out there now thinking they cannot experience a resort or activity, simply because of their situation, she says. “But it is possible. Extra steps just need to be taken to ensure the guest feels safe and comfortable. There is a whole market waiting to visit your property – they just need to feel welcome.”

The opportunities for the travel industry catering to this market are the same opportunities they have for every other customer, says Thompson. “Refinement, innovation, differentiation of product. The opportunity to inspire, schmooze and seduce. To expand aspirations and horizons and secure brand loyalty.”

Most importantly, he says, “to treat disabled clients as they do every other guest”.

Businesses just cannot afford to be seen as excluding people due to their ability any more, says Delphine. “Segregation has to be history.”

Until things change, the Watsons will continue to go abroad, no matter the obstacles, she says. “Because Rio deserves the opportunity to travel and explore the world. He genuinely enjoys it, we need to get away and our daughter deserves the experiences. And if families like ours never travel because it is too hard, then the travel industry will never change and adapt, so the experience gets easier for us all.

“The travel industry needs to hear our voices and our inputs – that is the only way change happens.”