17% of U.S. travel parties include travelers with accessibility needs, study finds

A new study from Longwoods International and TravelAbility found that accessibility needs touched 17% of American travel parties in 2025, based on more than 30,000 accessibility-related trips. The findings suggest accessible travel is a mainstream demand driver, with loyal travelers who stay longer and return more often.

Why it matters: - Accessible travel is no longer a niche market. The study says 17% of U.S. travel parties in 2025 included at least one traveler who required accessibility services. - The findings point to a meaningful growth opportunity for destinations, hotels and other travel suppliers that can better serve travelers with accessibility needs. - Accessible travelers also appear to be economically valuable, with longer stays, larger party sizes and higher repeat visitation.

What happened: - Longwoods International, TravelAbility and the Destination A11Y Club analyzed more than 30,000 accessibility-related trips. - The research is described as the largest study ever conducted on accessible travel in the United States. - The study found that 17% of all American travel parties in 2025 included at least one traveler who needed accessibility services. - Among those travelers, 60% had mobility-related needs. - Among those travelers, 25% had vision challenges. - Among those travelers, 23% had hearing loss. - Among those travelers, 22% had cognitive considerations.

The details: - Longwoods International President and CEO Amir Eylon said the results are a wake-up call for the U.S. travel industry. - Eylon said one sixth of all U.S. travel parties include a traveler who will seek accessibility services on trips. - The study found that 91% of overnight accessible travelers are repeat visitors, 6 percentage points above the national norm. - The study found that 71% of accessible travelers visited the same destination within the past 12 months, 9 points above the national norm. - Accessible travelers stayed an average of 4 nights, compared with 3.7 nights for all U.S. travelers. - Accessible travel parties averaged 3.3 people, compared with 3.0 for other U.S. travelers.

Between the lines: - The data suggests accessibility is now a core part of travel demand, not a specialized add-on. - Destinations that improve accessibility may gain a competitive edge by attracting loyal guests who return more often and stay longer. - TravelAbility Founder and CEO Jake Steinman said the industry is preparing for more baby boomers aging into disability, which could expand demand further. - TravelAbility works with destinations and industry partners to make travel more welcoming for people with accessibility needs.

What's next: - Destinations and travel suppliers are likely to use the findings to justify more investment in accessible services and infrastructure. - Longwoods International will continue operating Longwoods Travel USA®, its ongoing survey of American travelers, and other research programs in 12 countries. - TravelAbility will continue its work with industry partners to expand accessibility across travel.