April 29, 2024

Encore: Travel Advisor Kristy Durso’s Crash Course on Accessible Travel Planning (and What the Industry Gets Wrong About the Disability Community)

50 minutes

Kristy Durso, owner of Incredible Memories Travel, is a passionate advocate that everyone should be able to travel, regardless of an individual’s unique disability. A full-time wheelchair user since 2019, she has used her own travel experiences (and those of her husband and three children, who also live with disabilities) to dig deeper into the world of accessible travel.

Now known as an expert in this niche, Durso has made it her goal to educate other travel advisors and inspire and advocate for travelers from every walk of life. In this episode of Humans of Travel, listeners will hear about Durso’s own journey as the wife of a military veteran and mother to three children living with disabilities; her path toward becoming Miss Wheelchair Texas in 2022; and her views on the accessible travel landscape (including what the industry does right, and what it does very, very wrong).

Listeners will also hear about Durso’s sales process, including the questions she asks clients with accessibility needs, the conversations she has with supplier partners, and the changes she makes to her trip-planning process depending on the type of disability a client has (mobility, cognitive, hearing- or vision-related limitations and more). She also gives advice to other travel advisors who are interested in marketing to clients within the disability community (which encompasses one-fourth of U.S. adults), and the importance of using person-first language and inclusive marketing materials and tactics for reaching this group.

Want to learn more about this travel niche? Check out our Travel Agent Guide for Planning Accessible Travel.

RESOURCES MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE

Miss Wheelchair Texas

Incredible Memories Travel

[email protected]

Durso on Instagram: @Kristygoes

Durso on Facebook: Kristy Durso

Accessible Travel Network on Facebook

TravelAbility (creator of the Accessibility Playbook)

Durso’s Video with Wheel the World

A recent movie that Durso likes: The Upside

ABOUT YOUR HOST

Emma Weissmann is the Managing Editor of TravelAge West, a print magazine and website for travel advisors based in the Western U.S. She is also the co-host of Trade Secrets, a podcast created with sister publication Travel Weekly.

TravelAge West also produces national trade publications Explorer and Family Getaways, as well as events including the Future Leaders in Travel Retreat, Global Travel Marketplace West, the WAVE Awards gala and the Napa Valley Leadership Forum.

ABOUT THE SHOW

TravelAge West’s podcast, “Humans of Travel,” features conversations with exceptional people who have compelling stories to tell. Listeners will hear from the travel industry’s notable authorities, high-profile executives, travel advisors and rising stars as they share the experiences — the highs and the lows — that make them human.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

...more