Inclu Travel's Alison Pearson on assisting clients with disabilities

I got into travel… at Thomas Cook, where I spent two decades. I was always drawn to clients with additional requirements and did all I could to arrange the best possible holidays to make them feel included.

I joined Inclu Travel… in 2019 following the unfortunate closure of Thomas Cook. At 17, I was involved in a road accident that resulted in multiple injuries, including the amputation of my right leg. This personal journey through pain and adaptation has given me a deep understanding of the challenges that come with adjustment. This is why I am so passionate about my role at Inclu, where I facilitate travel for clients worldwide, regardless of their physical, sensory or neurodivergent needs.

I’ve grown the travel side of the business… organically and exclusively by referral. The Covid pandemic impacted our sector perhaps more than any other, so recovery has been slower. In the luxury market every guest is a VIP, but disabled clients must also be a priority. Often during Covid, they were not, so building up our confidence with suppliers requires even greater diligence and a redoubling of effort in encouraging stakeholders to invest in understanding the last major untapped market in travel.

The area of the business growing the most is… ocean cruising. It’s increasingly recognised as one of the most inclusive ways to travel, and with every new vessel, an ever-increasing floating bed-stock is making this holiday style more accessible to all. As diversity champion for one of the world’s big luxury cruise lines, I have been instrumental in developing our B2C brand, Inclusive Luxury Cruise, which will go live in early 2025.

The suppliers I have the strongest relationships with are… those who manifest an authentic understanding of guest inclusivity and that we are confident can service and delight our clients with equity and sensitivity. These can be hotels, cruise lines, transport operators, tour operators, DMCs and travel designers.

My proudest career achievement is… empowering travel beyond boundaries. Every client I work with fills me with pride, as I support them in rebuilding their confidence to explore the world.

My biggest travel bugbear is... The constant frustration I encounter when trying to access basic information from hotels, DMCs and other suppliers that we and our clients need to make an informed decision about their next trip. This often leads to enquiry turnaround times of weeks that could be drilled down to hours or even minutes. The good news is that this can, of course, be fixed through training and education and we are happy to assist any supplier that requests it.