North East England Prepares to Make Everybody Welcome This English Tourism Week
We've worked with experts to develop a range of resources, videos and checklists to help make the region’s visitor economy accessible and inclusive…
Accessibility
Destination North East England is committed to making our region one of the UK’s most accessible and welcoming destinations. We're here to support local businesses in creating inclusive experiences that celebrate the warmth and diversity for which our region is renowned.
Increase your share of the UK’s £14.6 billion ‘accessible tourism’ market
The UK aims to become Europe’s most accessible tourism destination, and Destination North East England is committed to playing a leading role in achieving this ambition. We are dedicated to driving accessibility across the regional visitor economy, celebrating quality, inclusivity, and the welcoming spirit that our region is known for.
Whether you’re just starting your accessibility journey or looking to build on your existing efforts, this page provides the guidance, resources, and support you need to create a welcoming environment for all visitors.
Together, we can ensure that everyone has the opportunity to enjoy the best experiences our region has to offer.
Why Accessible Tourism Matters
Accessible tourism is a rapidly growing and valuable market. Globally, 1.8 billion people live with a disability, and by removing barriers, businesses can tap into a loyal and underserved customer base. In the UK, people with disabilities and their companions spend £14.6 billion annually on travel, presenting a significant opportunity for businesses.
Locally, 28% of North East residents have one or more disabilities, highlighting the importance of creating accessible experiences. Developing accessible experiences is not only the right thing to do, but it also presents an economic opportunity to tap into a large and diverse audience, driving growth and customer loyalty.
Everybody Welcome
The Everybody Welcome programme, funded by the North East Combined Authority and Destination North East England, is a free business support programme designed to help North East tourism businesses to develop accessible and inclusive visitor experiences.
This programme benefits both local communities and businesses by ensuring that all visitors, including those with visible and non-visible disabilities, can enjoy our destinations with confidence.
By participating in this programme, businesses can create inclusive, welcoming environments that meet the needs of all visitors, enhancing customer loyalty and driving new opportunities within this valuable market.
Opportunities
Explore current opportunities below to enhance your business and ensure every visitor feels welcome:
- Heavily Discounted AccessAble Guided Assessments: Provide your visitors with detailed, reliable accessibility information about your venue: Find out more
- Free 1-2-1 Business Clinics: Need tailored advice? Book a free 1-2-1 session with experts from Access & Inclusion UK: Coming soon
- North East England Tourism Awards: Find out how you can be recognised for your commitment to accessible tourism. Learn more here
Sector-specific videos
Serviced accommodation
Self catering accommodation
Attractions & experiences
Food and drink
Events, festivals and shows
Camping & holiday parks
Visit England key accessibility features questionnaires
Based on extensive research with disabled travellers, this questionnaire helps businesses highlight essential accessibility features. Complete it and publish your key accessibility features on your website to ensure visitors know how accessible you are. Download the questionnaire most relevant to you below:
Resources
Access and Inclusion UK are delighted to be working with Destination North East England on this exciting project which has so much potential to benefit the destination, its businesses, visitors, and the local community. “There is no mystery to accessible tourism: at its heart, it is about demonstrating to people that ‘we know you; we understand you and we value you to make everybody welcome.
The Everybody Welcome Initiative is really important to us, as it is to lots of businesses in the region, because it helps us to understand that not only is it the right thing to do to accept everybody, and make sure our spaces are great for everyone, but also it makes business sense. We’ll definitely carry on being involved in the Everybody Welcome Initiative, we see it as a brilliant way to keep reaching new audiences.
We’ve been very excited to join in with this initiative, it’s a new resource for us which we can approach and get some new insights into how we can improve for our guests going forward. I would encourage everyone to take part in making their building more accessible to customers – it’s a win win situation.
Everybody Welcome testimonial
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