TWO IN FIVE Brits travel with accessibility in mind, a new YouGov poll has revealed.  

The survey of over 2,000 UK adults, commissioned by holiday company Responsible Travel, is the first of an annual study around accessible adventure travel, and compares travel habits and experiences of people with, and without, health and accessibility needs. 

Responsible Travel co-founder and exec chair Justin Francis OBE said: “We wanted to better understand the issues and opportunities for people with access needs, and what we've found is striking. There are also valuable insights here for those working in tourism and I hope this research will help drive progress – each year it should challenge us all to think bigger and listen better to individual needs.” Full insights available here 

Findings include:

• Accessible tourism is a mainstream market: 41% of UK adults report access or health considerations. Over one in three people (35%) report having one or more long-term health conditions, illnesses or impairments, with a further 6% identifying as an unpaid caregiver and/or regular travel companion of someone who does. This is a significantly larger group of people than the 25% of total population number included in UK government disability figures. Responding, Justin Francis OBE said: “So many of us will have health or access needs at some point, or travel with a loved one who does – this is a core and growing market that's been underestimated and under-served. The findings show significant interest from this group in more accessible cultural, active and nature-based experiences, and it's clear that even simple steps from travel companies can help unlock these opportunities for more people.”
• Confidence crisis: Millions of people with health and access considerations feel shut out of travel.Beyond cost, “finding travelling stressful or lacking confidence when travelling” is the biggest barrier to booking holidays among all UK adults (14%). But the poll reveals a substantial confidence gap in travel. Almost a quarter (23%) of people with health or access considerations – and nearly one in three (32%) of Gen Z in this group – say lack of confidence limits their holiday choices. By contrast, just 8% of people without health or access considerations – and 9% of Gen Z within this group – say it does. 
• Plugging the accessible information vacuum is 'essential' to boosting travel confidence among people with access and health considerations. Readily available accessibility information is the most essential factor in improving confidence to book more 'adventurous' trips such as active, nature-based and cultural holidays, the poll suggests. Justin Francis OBE of Responsible Travel said:“It underscores the importance of good customer service, improved listening and clear, honest, easy-to-find information in helping more people take the holidays they want.”  But a separate poll of 132 holiday companies, conducted by Responsible Travel reveals a large disconnect between the demand for accessible holidays and the availability of information. Fewer than 8% of companies provided accessible travel information on all holidays, while just 3% of websites enabled customers to search and filter holidays by accessibility needs. 
• UK adults with access or health considerations take fewer holidays – but express significant interest in more 'adventurous' trips. Interest in more active, cultural and nature-based holidays is particularly high among young people in this group. 64% of UK adults with access or health considerations 'rarely or never' take a cultural holiday, compared with 51% of those without. But 69% would be interested in doing so if it was 'designed with their needs in mind' - rising to 77% of 18-54s and 85% of Gen Z. The survey also showed young people with access or health considerations are keen to get into nature. Over three quarters (77%) of people in this group 'rarely or never' take a nature-based holiday, however 64% of 18-54 year olds and 66% of Gen Z would like to.
• 'Generational shift? Gen Z are more than twice as likely to be told their travel needs cannot be met. Eleven percent of respondents with access or health considerations reported being told at least once by a holiday company that their needs couldn't be accommodated. But this more than doubles among Gen Z, to 27% – with 20% reporting it has happened 'repeatedly'. Just 60 percent of this younger group say it never happened. According to accessible travel charity, Tourism for All, this might reflect a broader generational shift in attitudes to accessibility.

Notes to editors

Full insights available here 

Methodology

All figures, unless otherwise stated, are from YouGov Plc.  Total sample size was 2099 adults, of which 843 are included in the group, “people with access and health considerations”, including those that have one or more long term health conditions, illness or impairments or are an unpaid carer/ regularly travel with someone who does. Fieldwork was undertaken between 16th - 19th January 2026.  The survey was carried out online. The figures have been weighted and are representative of all UK adults (aged 18+). 

Full dataset is available upon request. For expert comment, quotes, images and interviews please get in touch: rosy@responsibletravel.com

About Responsible Travel

• Founded in January 2000, Responsible Travel was the world's first responsible holiday company. Today it is the largest responsible tourism business by number of trips, with more than 6,000 online. It screens each trip to maximise benefits for local communities and nature, and reduce negative impacts. 
• The holiday company offers trips across approximately 180 countries, working with more than 450 travel partners, and has published more than 700 online travel guides.
• Alongside our accessible travel guide,we have a growing collection of more than 130 holidays designed with different accessibility needs in mind, and continue to work with our partners to improve the accessibility information of all holidays marketed through us.