Prepared for what lies ahead in tourism
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F.acT: What impact will the Accessibility Reinforcement Act (BFSG), which has been in force since June 2025, have on digital offers in tourism and how are organizations and companies preparing for it?
Beate Öttl : The Accessibility Reinforcement Act (BFSG), which has been in force in Austria since June 28, 2025 and applies to many digital services in accordance with the EU Directive, obliges operators of websites, online stores, booking portals and apps to make their digital services accessible. However, the law does provide for exceptions. For example, for micro-enterprises with fewer than 10 employees and an annual turnover of less than €2 million. A small hotel or guesthouse may therefore not be formally obliged to implement this. Nevertheless, I think it makes sense to make websites accessible, even if there are no legal requirements. If you invest now, you create better accessibility and customer loyalty and avoid potential retrofitting when the business grows.
In concrete terms, this means for tourism businesses: booking portals, accommodation websites, tourism apps, online information or e-ticketing that fall under this law must be designed to be as accessible as possible for all people. People with disabilities such as visual, hearing or mobility impairments must also be able to use the websites and booking portals. In practice, this often means making content accessible to multiple senses. Videos not only audible, but with subtitles for reading along. Describing images with alternative texts, optimizing content for keyboard navigation and the use of screen readers.
For web design agencies, this means that anyone advising tourism customers or creating websites must consider accessibility right from the start. If the business has not yet implemented this, it is advisable to carry out a website analysis in order to plan and implement the necessary adaptations.
F.acT: How do different groups of guests and the business itself benefit from accessible digital services?
Beate Öttl:
- For guests with disabilities, older people or limited mobility: barrier-free offers create real participation and enable independent bookings, information or services without having to rely on help. This makes both vacation planning and vacations more inclusive and accessible.
- For all guests: good usability benefits more than just people with disabilities: Clearly structured websites, understandable language, good navigation and clean design benefit everyone. Older and less web-savvy guests also benefit.
- For the business itself:
- Broader target group: businesses can reach more potential guests, including people who would otherwise be excluded. Around 15% of the world's population has a disability, which in the EU is around 80 to 100 million people.
- Competition & image: Accessibility is increasingly perceived as a quality and service feature. Businesses can use this as a real plus point.
- Legal security: By complying with legal requirements, you protect yourself against warnings, fines and reputational risks.
Younger, digitally savvy target groups in particular have increasingly high expectations of websites and booking portals. Good usability is no longer a nice-to-have, but a necessity. Accessibility is part of a professional design customer approach
F.acT: What specific challenges do tourism businesses face when it comes to the practical implementation of digital accessibility, for example with booking portals, apps or websites?
- Technical know-how & effort: Many small/medium-sized companies do not have developers or designers with experience in accessibility. Accordingly, adapting to standards such as WCAG 2.1 for accessibility is of course always associated with costs for companies, e.g. for analyses, tests and optimizations. This effort is usually worthwhile due to the expanded target group, improved image and avoided penalties.
- Complex content and media: Tourism websites often contain many images, videos and interactive elements (booking calendar, maps, filters). All of this must be made accessible.
- Maintenance and upkeep costs: Accessibility should not be seen as a one-off "feature". Every update, every new page, every new piece of content must be checked again and adapted if necessary. My recommendation is therefore to talk to the website contributors (agencies, employees) and ensure that accessibility is anchored in the website creation process.
- Resources & prioritization: Smaller companies in particular are faced with the question: budget and time for accessibility or focus on other construction sites? Some underestimate how time-consuming this can be.
- Awareness & expertise: There is often a lack of awareness of what accessibility actually means and how to implement it correctly from a technical perspective. Without external expertise (e.g. an agency with accessibility know-how), there is a risk of difficulties during implementation.
The implementation of the BFSG can be a real opportunity for businesses in tourism. The following applies to agencies and consulting service providers: anyone developing websites or digital booking solutions for tourism companies should include accessibility in their plans. Especially now, shortly after the law comes into force, it makes sense to analyze the existing website. Ideally with prioritization: most important pages/views first (information, booking, contact), then gradually other pages and PDFs. In this way, the effort and costs are distributed in a manageable way and improvements are quickly noticeable.