The UK-based Institute of Travel Management (ITM) is setting up a taskforce designed to help buyers build more inclusive travel programmes.
ITM said that the initiative was designed to “prioritise inclusion and accessibility in workplace travel policies”, by ensuring that employees’ diverse needs are met both within their organisations and when travelling for business.
The new taskforce, which was announced to celebrate International Day of Persons with Disabilities on Tuesday (3 December), will help to “empower travel professionals to proactively adapt policies based on the participation of persons with disabilities”.
The group will be made up of leading experts in accessibility from both supplier and buyer backgrounds.
It plans to produce a downloadable guide and hold a webinar for buyers to provide practical steps on making their travel programmes more inclusive. This will include building on work already carried out by other industry associations such as the GBTA, which created an accessibility toolkit earlier this year.
ITM’s taskforce will hold its initial meeting in January, which will be followed by regular sessions during 2025. A webinar will be scheduled for spring 2025 when topics will include policy review, stakeholder alignment and fostering inclusivity within travel programmes.