New partnership looks to improve caravan industry accessibility

Caravan Industry Association of Australia has announced a new industry partnership with Accessible Accommodation (The Accessible Group), focused on delivering new accessible tourism experiences in Australia’s BOOMING caravan and camping sector.

With Australia’s caravanning and camping industry has a wide-ranging appeal, the industry wants to ensure no one is left out and that it is open and accessible to all Australians - which includes all ages and abilities.

Recent data from Tourism Research Australia states that 20% of visitors in a caravan park or commercial camping ground reported a disability or long-term health condition of some kind. This equates to approximately 3.8 million trips annually.

Of those that indicated their specific disability or long-term health conditions, 23% indicated mental health, 22% indicated vision and hearing impairment, and 19% indicated mobility limitations.

As a result, Caravan Industry Association of Australia Chief Executive, Stuart Lamont sees that holiday park operators have a great opportunity to tap into this increasing demand through the provision of accessible accommodation, facilities, and activity areas.

Lamont advises “the announcement of our collaboration with The Accessible Group means a tremendous amount for the industry. We recently saw a number of parks across the country receive grants from Minister Farrell and the Federal Government for accessible park infrastructure. This collaboration is the next progression in embracing accessible tourism within the industry.

“Accessibility is often confused with how mobile someone may be. Accessibility means so much more, it is the practice of making information activities and surroundings make sense and meaningful for as many people as possible. We are excited to work with industry to make it easier for all Australians to enjoy the benefits of a caravanning and camping experience.”

Founder of The Accessible Group, Kerry Williams added “I am excited to partner with Caravan Industry Association of Australia to benefit both people with disabilities (19% of our population) and retirees (25%). Accessible Tourism is a booming sector, and caravan holiday parks are well-suited to meet the rising demand for accessible accommodation.

“Our Accessible Qualified program sets the standard for accessible tourism, offering peace of mind to both guests and providers. Through our consulting service and inclusion training programs, we are aiming through this partnership to equip caravan holiday parks with the tools to offer a welcoming accessible guest experience. It's a win-win partnership for both members and guests with disabilities.”

The Accessible Group will provide accredited caravan holiday parks with access to specialised online tourism inclusion training programs and onsite consulting services as well as the opportunity to becoming certified as an Accessible Accommodation provider.

Images: Top, credit BIG4 Holiday Parks and Stuart Lamont with Kerry Williams (below).