Fun Over 50 Holidays get on board with the Year of Accessible Tourism
Fun Over 50 Holidays celebrated 20 years of operation in 2022 and, in that time, have captivated a loyal following of holiday makers. Many of their much-loved guests have aged over time, which prompted the need for more accessible options. They successfully applied for a Boosting Accessible Tourism Experiences Grant to better cater for their current and future guests.
We caught up with the team at Fun Over 50 Holidays to find out how the funding will improve their business and allow for a wider range of guest needs, including hearing and vision impairment.
Why is accessibility important to your business?
When considering the average age of our guests is between 65-80 years, improving the accessibility of our tourism business allows us to cater to a wider range of guests needs, including hearing and vision impairment. Accessibility has become a significant factor influencing the travel decisions of guests; they are choosing operators that enhance their brand reputation with overall positive inclusivity, giving the companies that place importance on accessibility a competitive edge. As guest ages increase, so does their need for accessible options. Businesses that have invested in accessibility measures will be better positioned to meet the evolving needs of guests and contributes to the long-term sustainability of our tourism business.
How will this project help improve accessibility for your business and guests?
By leveraging our Boosting Accessible Tourism Experiences Grant, Fun Over 50 Holidays can improve or remove communication barriers that affect our aging demographic, improve the guests overall experience, and demonstrate the company’s commitment to inclusivity and accessibility. The funds will allow the company to improve accessibility in three ways:
1. Purchase of personal portable digital audio devices for guests to use on tour
Personal portable digital audio devices for guests to use to provide clear and direct communications from the tour team. Oftentimes within the tour environment, information is given to a group, which can be noisy (e.g. in a bus). Guests with hearing difficulties can be missing vital tour information, or interesting information about the sites they are visiting. These devices provide direct communication that cut out ambient noise, enhancing the experience of each guest, but also providing greater certainty and confidence.
2. Website upgrade to enhance accessibility
- Text alternatives for any non-text elements.
- Adaptable content that can be presented in similar ways without losing information or structure.
- Distinguishable, separating foreground from background, making it easier for users to navigate.
- Keyboard accessible.
- Give readers enough time to read and understand the content.
- Navigable, making it easy for users to find content and determine where they are.
- Make text content readable and understandable.
- Make web pages appear and operate in predictable ways.
- Input assistance that helps users avoid and correct mistakes.
3. Upgrade of safety messages for sight impaired guests
Safety instruction materials that are covered at the start of each tour on-board coaches, including print and video, will be upgraded. The new safety instructions will include larger visuals and video captions that make the use of these much simpler for guests that have vision impairment.
How will the grant help to implement your accessibility plans?
This grant will play a crucial role in implementing accessibility plans of the business by providing, in part, the necessary funds to allow significant strides in creating a more inclusive and accessible environment for the business as a whole and our guests. This grant process made necessary the collaboration of industry experts to strengthen our strategies and ensure compliance of accessibility standards and regulations. Grant funding stimulates an opportunity to access the business and strive to create benchmarking within your industry.