The Valencian Community, Basque Country, Cantabria, and Galicia lead the rankings for accessible accommodation in Spain, according to a study conducted by Mabrian, the global travel intelligence platform and part of The Data Appeal Company – Almawave Group. The analysis, presented during the IV Congreso TUR4All in Valencia (Spain), examines the impact of physical and environmental barriers in accommodation facilities—both hotels and tourist rentals—leveraging one of the few open big data sources available to assess demand and accessibility in tourism products and services.
“One of the key takeaways from this study is the need to enhance the visibility of accessible tourism through open data platforms that enable, with all due guarantees, standardised analysis and research criteria. This will allow us to better understand the motivations, priorities, and needs of travellers with disabilities and their companions.”
Carlos Cendra, Partner and Director of Marketing and Communications at Mabrian
The report evaluates accessibility on three levels. First, it establishes a global classification of physical accessibility in hotels and tourist rentals in Spain, based on the DALCO criteria (Ambulation, Apprehension, Location, and Communication, as defined in Spain’s UNE 17001 standard on Universal Accessibility). Hotels that meet at least 30% of these requirements and tourist rentals that reach 20% are classified as accessible. The second level incorporates additional data layers, including customer satisfaction, geographic distribution at national and regional levels, and price affordability. Finally, the third phase introduces an accessibility model using a relational matrix to analyse the interaction of these factors across Spain’s regions.
Despite efforts to reduce physical barriers and adapt spaces, accessibility remains a significant challenge in Spain’s tourism sector, with only 8.3% of hotels and 1.2% of tourist rentals meeting minimum accessibility criteria. Proportionally, Extremadura has the highest share of accessible accommodations within its territory (10.1% of total accommodations, including hotels and tourist rentals), followed by the Basque Country (9.6%), Madrid and Aragon (both at 9.6%), the Region of Murcia (5.6%), the Valencian Community and the Balearic Islands (both with a 5.8% share), Galicia (4.8%), and Catalonia (4.6%).
Satisfaction and Price: Attracting Accessible Travellers
Overall, travellers’ satisfaction with the lodging experience, measured through the Mabrian Satisfaction Index, is generally higher among accommodations that meet physical accessibility standards compared to those that do not. However, this trend does not apply in Castilla y León and the Valencian Community, where accessible accommodation is more widely available. Notably, in regions with limited accessible hotel options, such as Navarra, Galicia, and Asturias, satisfaction scores are up to 11.7 points higher than in non-accessible accommodations, a difference largely driven by hotel properties with fewer physical barriers.
On average, accessible accommodations tend to be more expensive per night. However, prices for accessible hotels and tourist rentals are similar to each other. Among the ten most affordable Spanish regions for accessible accommodations, the Region of Murcia, Galicia, Asturias, and Aragon offer the lowest prices, averaging under €100 per night. In contrast, Extremadura and Cantabria hover slightly above €100, while Andalusia and the Valencian Community surpass €120 per night.
Our study also considers additional factors that influence a barrier-free tourism experience, including travellers’ perceptions of the accessibility of Spanish public transportation and tourist attractions. According to The Data Appeal Company’s D/AI Destinations Index, Spain’s Public Transport Accessibility Perception Index scored 78.8 out of 100 in 2024, classifying it as “very good.” Meanwhile, the Tourist Attractions Accessibility Index reached 73.4 out of 100, indicating a “moderately good” rating. “These perception scores suggest that Spain is well-positioned as an accessible destination, but there is still room for improvement,” notes Cendra. “Common concerns mentioned on online platforms include reducing physical barriers to public spaces and enhancing alternative mobility services.”
“The tourism industry’s biggest challenge in accessibility is leveraging data intelligence to better understand both the supply and demand for accessible tourism. To this end, we propose conducting awareness campaigns to encourage accommodations of all types to report their accessibility criteria, empowering travellers to share their positive and negative experiences with accessibility, and promoting digital accessibility initiatives that create reliable data spaces on accessible tourism.”
Carlos Cendra, Partner and Director of Marketing and Communications at Mabrian
Tags accessibility Spanish accommodations, Carlos Cendra, Mabrian
