MP backs Tourism for All charity

Tourism for All UK is the UK Voice for Accessible Tourism. On the eve of Disabled Access Day South Lakes MP Tim Farron has backed their Business Membership Scheme and urged local businesses to look at signing up.

Tourism for All is a UK charity based in Kendal and is helping to improve disabled access in the tourism industry. In the past, some of its members have encountered barriers to their participation in tourism - disabled people, older people, carers of young people or disabled or older relatives - Tourism for All works to overcome these.

Their website www.openbritain.net offers comprehensive information about accessible places to stay, visit, eat and drink, and activities and events, in the UK.

Details of the Business Membership Scheme can be found here: https://www.tourismforall.org.uk/Business-membership.html.

Carrie-Ann Lightley, Information Service Manager for Tourism for All says: "There is a fast growing network of businesses, public bodies and voluntary organisations committed to giving a warm welcome to disabled guests and the parties travelling with them".

"And disabled guests have responded to this. In the past two years in particular, we have seen huge increases in the use of our key planning and booking tools for disabled travellers. OpenBritain our consumer website and mobile app has seen an increase in users and comparable increases in hoteliers, attraction owners and destination managers using this resource to promote their accessible accommodation, attraction, food & drink or retail businesses".

"It's a virtuous circle with more disabled travellers driving increased attention from operators and these better services encouraging increased travel from more disabled customers".

Tim said: "Tourism for All is a fantastic local charity with real national impact, and is making a difference on a vital issue -making tourism available for all and I am pleased to support them.

"I am urging to local attractions and businesses to look at signing up."