While accessibility in travel has focused primarily on physical accommodations, tomorrow's consumers will expect brands to make space for the sensory and cognitive needs of neurodivergent travellers. Olivia Palamountain reports

The world is waking up to the beautiful tapestry of human neurodiversity. From entertainment media showcasing authentic portrayals of neurodivergent characters (think the 2024 release Standing Up, in which a stand-up comedy writer navigates the complexities of living with his father while co-parenting his autistic son with his former spouse) to celebrities being open about their unique differences (in 2020, Billie Eilish revealed she has Tourette's Syndrome; she then raised awareness of her condition on social media and The Ellen Show), society is increasingly recognising - and respecting - that our brains naturally work in different ways. 

As VML Intelligence notes in The Future 100: 2024 report, an estimated 15% of the world's population experience some form of neurodiversity, which, in addition to autism, includes ADHD and learning disabilities. While one in 36 children has autism, (up from one in 44 in 2021) says the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, similarly, there has been a drastic increase in ADHD diagnoses in adults - something which Psychology Today attributes to "an increase in access to healthcare, a decrease in stigmatisation about receiving mental health care, and greater awareness of the symptoms of ADHD."

The bottom line? Tourists and event attendees are more aware of their accessibility needs than ever before, which means related industries should remain steadfast in their efforts to be inclusive for all (PCMA).

Indeed, special needs travel is "the fastest growing segment of the market," says The International Board of Credentialing and Continuing Education Standards (IBCCES), noting that travellers with special needs take a massive 32 million trips per year. However, as reported by IBCCES, research from Autism Travel suggests this cohort is wildly underserved, with 87% of parents with autistic children surveyed currently not taking family holidays, while 93% would be more likely to travel if autism-certified options were available.

This represents a significant opportunity, with...

To read the full trend, including an interview with the co-founder of Zillennial tour operator Nemo, a case study of how Berlin's BVG is approaching the trend and key data points, subscribe to VOLT. Annual subscribers receive twice monthly trend reports, a library of 200+ reports, plus two 60-minute ideation calls per year with Globetrender's in-house trend strategist.