The hospitality industry prides itself on creating welcoming environments for people of all backgrounds. However, what about guests with neurodiverse needs? As awareness grows about the prevalence of neurodiversity—with studies suggesting 15-20% of the global population falls under this umbrella—the industry has a unique challenge in creating inclusive experiences for this significant yet underserved market.
What is neurodiversity?
Challenges for neurodiverse guests
With approximately one billion people with disabilities, they are considered the world’s biggest minority! For neurodiverse travellers who are also a part of this group, a typical hotel setting can present several unique challenges.
- Sensory overload: Neurodiverse individuals generally experience heightened sensitivity to sensory stimuli. Crowded lobbies, bright lights, and constant noise can be overwhelming due to sensory overload and overstimulation.
- Communication and interactions: Neurodiverse guests may struggle during social interactions due to difficulties in processing body language, voice tone, and facial expressions. Individuals with speech impairments might find it even harder to communicate their needs.
- Information processing: Navigating unfamiliar surroundings and having a wide range of accommodations, amenities, and meal options to choose from can be confusing and overwhelming, leading to decision fatigue and anxiety.
- Lack of awareness on neurodiversity: A 2024 Bloomberg article reveals that 78% of families affected by autism avoid travel altogether due to limited industry support. Lack of awareness or proactive supportive measures has led to decreased guest satisfaction.
By understanding these challenges, the industry can create more inclusive and welcoming environments for all types of guests.
The importance of inclusivity in hospitality
Creating inclusive spaces benefits everyone. It allows neurodiverse guests to feel welcome and comfortable, ultimately enhancing the overall guest experience. Beyond that, inclusivity is an ethical imperative, ensuring everyone can enjoy the benefits of travel. There is also a strong business case: catering to the neurodiverse market unlocks access to a wider audience, fosters positive word-of-mouth recommendations, strengthens brand image, and increases customer loyalty.
How to support neurodiverse guests
Let us explore the ways hotels can offer welcoming environments for these guest types:
1. Using the right technology
Leverage technology to simplify booking and stay experiences, offering contactless check-in options, flexible check-in and check-out times, and allowing returning guests to pre-select preferences. This empowers guests to control their environment from the outset, reducing anxiety or stress. Recent surveys suggest that over 50% of neurodivergent travellers prefer to limit communications with the front desk upon arrival, favouring self/mobile check-in and check-out to greatly improve their experience.
2. Providing staff training and awareness
From higher management to junior employees and assistants, it is important to train hotel staff about diverse guest needs, including neurodiversity and sensory sensitivities. This means equipping them with the tools to identify and anticipate the needs of neurodiverse guests and to communicate with patience and empathy. Fostering an overall culture of inclusivity and understanding helps to create a more welcoming atmosphere for all guests.
3. Designing neurodiverse-friendly spaces
A typical hotel atmosphere of crowds and noise can be overstimulating to most neurodiverse guests. Ensuring a calming atmosphere in at least some common areas (i.e., hotel lobbies) can be very helpful to mitigate sensory overload. Sensory-friendly options like dim lighting and soundproofing measures to reduce external noise are thoughtful options as well. Providing quiet retreats or designated sensory-friendly zones can offer much-needed respite for guests who require it.
4. Designing sensory-friendly rooms
Accommodation options should also be designed with neurodiverse guests in mind. Hotels can create adaptable rooms with features like adjustable lighting and temperature controls while stocking the rooms with sensory-friendly amenities. Around 60% of Millennial and Gen Z neurodivergent travellers would welcome sleep gadgets, such as weighted blankets, pillow menus, sleep masks, noise-cancelling headphones and meditation or sound machines to make their hotel stays more comfortable.
5. Ensuring clear communication
It is important to make detailed information about the property and its services readily accessible to all guests. Clear and concise language in all communication materials, visual aids and alternative communication methods—social stories or picture menus, for example—can meet this need. By providing information in multiple formats, hotels can ensure that all guests can understand and engage with its offerings.
6. Building value-driven partnerships
Collaboration is key when catering to diverse guest needs. Partnering with local ADHD, autism, dyslexia or other support organisations can provide knowledge and actionable insights. First-hand input from neurodiverse individuals and families is also important in better understanding their specific needs. Building relationships with these stakeholders can lead to innovative solutions and ensure that the hotel’s offerings truly meet the needs of neurodiverse guests.
A welcoming future for all
By prioritising inclusivity and understanding, the hospitality industry can create welcoming environments for all guests, including those with neurodiverse needs. This timely shift is not merely a social responsibility but a key to expanding into a dynamic, new market, unlocking a world of opportunities in the ever-evolving travel and hospitality sector. Be ready to embrace neurodiversity and create a future where everyone feels comfortable stepping through your hotel doors.
