London ranks in TOP TEN most accessible cities in the world

Image credit: LEVC

New research based on a global survey of 3,500 tourists with disabilities has been released by the Valuable 500 which reveals the top 10 most accessible cities in the world.

The global CEO collective who commits to disability inclusion unveiled the research as the travel and tourism industry gathered in London for the World Travel Market at the ExCeL Centre, Stratford.

London appeared at number six in the ratings, with nearly two thirds of those surveyed giving the thumbs up to its accessible transport links.

The top ten most accessible cities in the world, as voted for by disabled travellers who have travelled in them, are as follows:

• Amsterdam (Netherlands)

• Las Vegas (NV)

• New York (USA)

• Orlando (USA)

• Paris (France)

• Shanghai (China)

• London (UK)

• Singapore (Singapore)

• Sydney (Australia)

• Tokyo (Japan).

Respondents rated the accessibility of each city according to the transport links, proximity of accommodation to cultural attractions, shops, and restaurants and the availability of information about accessibility.

While no city can claim to be fully accessible, the Valuable 500 say it is worth championing those who are making efforts in the right direction to cater for the wide-ranging and diverse needs of disabled travellers, as are the ten cities listed above. With an estimated billion of the world’s population living with disability and an ageing population, it is increasingly important that governments and businesses in the travel sector work towards meeting accessibility needs globally.

The findings are released as the first phase of wider research by the Valuable 500 to explore the barriers to travelling for disabled customers. The second phase of the research, which will explore the causes of this will be released later this month. The Valuable 500 is made up of high-profile members including Expedia, Skyscanner, Virgin Atlantic, and Airbnb. 6% of the Valuable 500 are within travel and tourism.

Caroline Casey, Founder of the Valuable 500, said: “Our research shows that across both the public and private sectors in travel and tourism industry, these cities consistently score well in the accessibility rankings. However, worldwide, tourist boards still aren’t making the necessary headway to remove the physical and ethical barriers to ensure cities are truly accessible for all. Accessibility arrangements for people with disabilities remain an afterthought for the travel and tourism industry – which is why we’re looking into every aspect of the industry journey for people with disabilities in the research we have commissioned.”

Martin Heng, a Travel writer and author of the Accessible destinations report, said: “Although physical accessibility is important, what’s so significant is that across all territories people with disability choose travel providers based on being treated with respect and understanding of their needs.”