Create an inclusive business

6 minute read• Last updated: 3 February 2026

Inclusive tourism is about ensuring that all customers can enjoy their experience without any barriers or restrictions. It’s about improving the tourism experience for a wide range of customers who may need specific services or facilities. These customers can include disabled people, senior citizens, families with young children, and those with a short or long-term illness.

By running a more inclusive business, you’re not only helping customers to enjoy a better experience, but you’re also making your business a more appealing prospect to more people.

Understanding inclusivity

The difference between inclusivity and accessibility

You may have seen both terms "inclusive" and "accessible" used about businesses.

Inclusivity is about your whole approach and ethos – in other words how your business welcomes and engages with customers who have different needs, offering them the same levels of customer service and quality of experience.

Accessibility is about the removal of physical barriers that may prevent a customer from enjoying an experience, whether that be accessible online content or a building designed to be accessible to everyone. Taking steps to be more accessible to customers is just one way in which your business can be more inclusive.

3 reasons all businesses should be inclusive

There are many good reasons why businesses should be inclusive when it comes to both your customers and your staff.

Ethically and morally correct
Scotland has a reputation the world over for being a welcoming destination. It is only right and fair that we strive to make it as easy as possible for everyone to enjoy the huge variety of experiences on offer, irrespective of who they are, or the requirements they may have.
Financial benefits
Disabled and senior travellers spend significantly more when they go on holiday than other market groups and represent a loyal customer base keen to recommend inclusive businesses to their family and friends. With the inclusive tourism market increasing as the UK’s population ages, the rewards for businesses catering for this market are also growing, eg inclusive businesses have higher occupancy rates.
Legal requirements
Every business has a statutory obligation to comply with the Equality Act 2010 which legally protects people from discrimination in the workplace and in wider society. It is important as a tourism business that you understand it is illegal to discriminate against customers or staff on the basis of protected characteristics and the obligations you have with regard to making reasonable adjustments.

The accessibility market

£1.75 billion
estimated total expenditure on all tourism trips in Scotland by those with an impairment
£824 million
spend by UK overnight visitors to Scotland who have an impairment
£837 million
spend by tourism day visitors to Scotland with an impairment
£91 million
spend by international visitors to Scotland with an impairment

Source: Great Britain Tourism Survey, Overnight Trips and Day Visits (2023) and International Passenger Survey (2023*). *based on weighted average 2018 and 2023 data.

Insights on the accessible market

Discover more about the volume and spending power of visitors to Scotland who have accessibility requirements with our accessible and inclusive market statistics.

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Understand your customers - Business Accessibility

Hear from businesses who have all worked to be accessible and inclusive and from the customers directly on the positive impact you can have.

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Meet the customer – Business Accessibility

Hear from accessible travel blogger Carrie-Ann Lightley. Be inspired by her experiences of businesses who have worked to be accessible and inclusive.

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Why accessible information matters

Hear from Carrie-Ann Lightley on why access information helps both businesses and potential visitors.

Catch up on our inclusivity webinars

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Taking those first steps towards inclusion

Discover how taking small steps towards accessibility and inclusivity can open your business to a wider audience and boost customer satisfaction.

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Our 4 step business improvement process

Discover our 4 steps to improving your inclusivity – review your business, improve your offering, plan for the future and evaluate your progress.

The power of accessibility information

VisitScotland has joined with AccessAble to offer a Detailed Access Guide service for tourism and events businesses. This service helps you gather and share detailed accessibility information.

Find out more about getting a Detailed Access Guide.

Four steps to make your business more accessible

Follow these simple and manageable steps and make your business more inclusive and accessible.

Review your business
Look at your current service and consider how inclusive and accessible your business is currently and where improvements can be made.
Improve your customer service, facilities and accessibility information
Build on your current inclusive practices and accessible facilities, starting with improvements that are simpler to introduce now. Make sure that your online accessibility information is up-to-date and easily available for customers.
Plan any larger changes you can make
Start to think about what improvements you want to achieve in the longer term. What actions need to take place and how will you prioritise improvements for the maximum impact?
Evaluate your progress
Gather feedback from customers, staff and partners. Which changes are working well, and which need to be tweaked?
Find out more on our process to make your business more inclusive and accessible.

Training courses

A child experiences an interactive exhibit with headphones — V&A Dundee
© VisitScotland / Luigi Di Pasquale

Help your staff to feel confident in delivering a quality experience for all customers by providing training. 77% of disabled customers agree that staff training can increase a venue’s accessibility.

Areas to focus on might include:

disability awareness
your accessibility policies and procedures
operation of accessibility equipment

Disability Essentials online course

VisitScotland and AccessAble offer an online course which showcases the lived experience of disabled people alongside the legal requirements of accessibility.

It was written by Dr Gregory Burke, a practising employment and discrimination barrister and a disabled person. He is also the founder of AccessAble.

Course modules include:

what do people mean by the word “disability”
types of disability conditions
how to provide a great service for all customers
language to use

VisitScotland has purchased licences for this course so that it is free for Scottish tourism and events businesses.

You can do the course in your own time. There are short multiple-choice tests at the end of each module and you will get a training certificate upon completion.

Sign up for the Disability Essentials online course.

Welcoming all customers training course

This course can help you improve your customer service for disabled customers.

Participants will learn about:

adopting a positive attitude to all customers and anticipating accessibility requirements
successful communication styles to identify customer needs
the business benefits of accessibility and inclusivity
legal obligations and types of discrimination

This is a one-day interactive classroom-style customer service course developed by VisitScotland and Welcome to Excellence, which includes activities, exercises and discussions.

You will also receive a participant’s guide with practical tips and reminders, and an attendance certificate.

The in-house course costs £995 +VAT, for a maximum 16 people, including course materials and the certificate. Trainer travel and accommodation (if required) are additional to the course fee.

Email Welcome to Excellence for more information on the course.

Find out more about Welcome to Excellence.

More inclusive advice

People in the audience at an event including a woman in a wheelchair pointing at the stage — Nice N Sleazy, a live music bar
© VisitScotland

Inclusive communication - written and in-person

Some customers may find certain forms of communication difficult. You should offer a choice of ways to communicate with your business and ask for a customer’s preference where possible.

Written communication

Keep any written communications short and simple and use subheadings. You can find guidance on writing from the UK Government, who have a wide range of advice on planning, writing and managing online content.

Follow guidelines on accessibility in design such as:

use a minimum font size of 12 point and make information available in large print (18 point) where possible
use a plain sans serif font such as Arial. A font without decorative features is easier to read
use black text on a white background where possible for high contrast

Best practice should be followed in all written communication, whether its on your website or in printed materials such as an accommodation welcome pack or emergency evacuation plans attached to the wall.

In-person

If a customer makes you aware of an accessibility requirement or shares their status with you, make sure your staff know not to overcompensate by talking slower or more simply. You should not patronise the person, but listen to them as you would any customer, be polite and be clear and concise in your response.

Maintain positive body language and be patient whilst they explain any requirements they have. Don’t be afraid to ask questions if you don’t understand, but remember they are under no obligation to explain their condition or provide solutions themselves.

Always address the customer directly when responding rather than to any companions such as carers.

The importance of asking questions and positive language

It's normal for you to worry that by using the wrong language or asking the wrong question might cause offence. We all get things wrong from time to time, but it’s important to always act with good intentions, be understanding and open to learning from the mistakes, and willing to make adjustments for future occasions.

Find further guidance on inclusive language and tips.

Ask questions like "Do you have any accessibility requirements?" rather than asking customers to declare their disability or condition.
Don’t make presumptions about the level of assistance required. Just because two customers appear to have the same disability, their requirements might be very different.
Give customers with a disability the same respect you would give any customer.
Use language that shows respect and doesn’t victimise disabled people, eg use "wheelchair user" rather than ''confined to a wheelchair'' or refer to "people with visual impairments'' rather than ''the blind''.

Get support from other partners

These partners all offer advice, support or training opportunities to businesses who wish to be more inclusive and deliver a better service to all customers.

A lady and her guide dog take in the exhibits on display — Riverside Museum

Deaf Action

Deaf Action offer advice and training to improve customer service for deaf people. They can also advise businesses on equipment and adaptions to better cater for deaf customers.

The courses available are British Sign Language online and in-person, and deaf awareness.

They also offer some simple awareness tips to help improve communication with deaf customers.

Find out more from Deaf Action.

RNIB offer training and other advice services to help businesses become accessible for people with sight loss.

Find out more from RNIB.

Dementia Friends Scotland

A free learning initiative offered by Alzheimer Scotland to reduce stigma and raise awareness of dementia. They share simple and practical changes businesses can do to become more dementia friendly.

Find out more from Alzheimer Scotland.

VisitScotland guide

Read our practical business guide for dementia-friendly tourism.

Equality & Human Rights Commission

Browse guidance for businesses on various topics with regards to equality.

Find out more from the Equality & Human Rights Commission.

Assistance dogs

Check out this guide for businesses on assistance dogs from Equality & Human Rights Commission.

Social tourism initiatives

A family flying a kite on the beach — Kingsbarns beach in St Andrews
© VisitScotland / Luigi Di Pasquale

About one-third of Scots can't afford holidays due to various constraints. Social tourism programs aim to make Scotland's offerings accessible to everyone. Social tourism schemes are designed to ensure everyone can enjoy holidays, regardless of their financial situation or health challenges. These programs provide special deals or complimentary trips to reduce the financial burden for those who need it most, such as carers or families facing difficult circumstances.

An example of this is the Respitality programme. Supported by the Scottish Government and coordinated by Shared Care Scotland, the Respitality programme provides unpaid carers with much-needed respite through free or discounted breaks. This initiative acknowledges the physical and emotional toll experienced by carers, offering them a chance to recharge and continue their caring roles to their best of their abilities.

Want to get involved?

Email us at inclusivetourism@visitscotland.com if you're interested in being contacted by Shared Care Scotland with more information about Respitality or other short break programmes.

Business benefits

Strengthened corporate social responsibility (CSR) – enhance public image by making a difference to the public good.
Increased Off-Peak Business – offering discounts or packages during off-peak times can attract guests who are part of social tourism schemes and ensure a steady flow of visitors throughout the year.
Networking opportunities – connect with charities, government bodies, and other organisations involved in social tourism which might evolve into new partnerships and collaborations.
Good community relations- lending your support to social tourism initiatives builds goodwill within the local community which can lead to long-term customer loyalty, even during challenging periods.

Get involved

To explore how you can participate or to learn more about these schemes, you can reach out via email at inclusivetourism@visitscotland.com.

Latest updates on accessibility

Follow the European Accessibility Act

The European Accessibility Act (EAA) came into effect on 28 June 2025 and applies to any business that trades in the EU. The EAA’s aim is to ensure people with disabilities have equal access to products and services, including those sold online.

Although not part of UK law, those outside the EU that sell to EU consumers must also comply. It could for example, apply to a tourism business selling accommodation on their website, or the online sale of tickets for a visitor attraction or tour.

Exemptions

Businesses with fewer than 10 employees and a global turnover below €2 million will initially be exempt.

An exemption may also be granted, if a business can demonstrate meeting the EAA requirements would impose a “disproportionate burden”.

Useful EAA resources

Find information on complying with the EAA on the Business Disability Forum, or take a look at AbilityNet's free five-step EAA-Readiness Guide.

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