Our partner Tourism for All recently hosted a conference entitled ‘Market to win: are you missing out on the £2bn opportunity?’ The reference is to research conducted by Visit England that found travellers with accessibility considerations account for a £2bn annual spend in England alone. In fact, it has been questioned whether this might be the last profitable sector of tourism. Surprised? I was.

Not only is this an astonishingly large figure, it made me question why more people aren’t embracing accessible travel. If not for the moral incentive, what about the financial one?

But actually the moral point is central and often overlooked. It is unthinkable to most of us that someone could be turned away from a restaurant based on their skin colour, so what about because they use a wheelchair? This happens on a daily basis, in London and across the UK, and it has to stop.

A large proportion of us will, at some point, live with a disability either temporary or permanent. Should I expect that, as a result, I should not be able to enjoy exploring and travelling? The stories I heard at the conference were so shocking they were reminiscent of the dark ages: people with disabilities being asked ‘What’s wrong with you then?’ or being told they are not welcome in a restaurant or hotel; accessibility facilities actually leading to injury rather than preventing them and then the victims being ignored and left in distress. It’s surprising there is not more public uproar.

However it seems many people fear the whole topic and avoid it at all costs, tourism professionals included. Horror stories in the press lead most to assume that it’s a subject better avoided than embraced but this is the attitude that is leading to more prejudice than ever, and it has to stop – it’s just not acceptable to turn a blind eye. We are all accountable.

Thankfully for those who agree a change is due, support is on hand. It’s quite simple – better information that is easier to find can resolve most of the issues faced. Organisations like Tourism for All are on hand to support at every level, from basic information provision to full training. We cannot all be expected to become experts in accessible travel but that’s not an excuse to ignore it. You can contact Tourism for All, conduct a short business review that increases team engagement, then start to make noise about it – chances are your business will benefit in ways you hadn’t imagined and you can be secure in the knowledge that you’re not giving in to prejudice.

If you need inspiration, look at the very simple but effective project launched by Tripbod and Tourism for All - all it takes is connecting with great people and the rest happens by itself. Isn’t that always the way?

What would be the point of travelling for pleasure if everywhere we visited was identical to the place we’d come from? 

I love listening to travel programmes on the radio and letting my mind wander off into dreams of exploration and adventure. One of my favourite shows is Excess Baggage on Radio 4 at 10am every Saturday and I recommend it to all lovers of travel.

Not your average tourist trap - Romanian Tripbod Daniel shares a real slice of local life

On the most recent show (which you can hear again on the BBC website) the guest contributor was talking about Sicily as a place to avoid homogeneous travel experiences and my ears pricked up. The homogenisation of local culture was one of the reasons we started building the Tripbod network.

As more people travel and venture overseas, mass travel pervades and renders delicate cultures powerless to the onslaught of ‘investment in tourism’ – massive hotel complexes, chain restaurants and homogenisation of previously unique indigenous areas. I believe most people don’t want this but feel there’s a lack the choice. As we work harder we have less time to travel and the ease of the package appeals.

This is where innovations like Tripbod come in – all the ease without the footprint. Easier than walking into a travel agency, where the person behind the desk has little insight of the destination, is connecting online with a trusted local expert to plan the trip with or for you. Your time and money goes a lot further and into the hands of people who need it most.

That's one way to get the groceries - explore Estonia by kick-sled with Tripbod Aivar

And I’m not just talking about developing areas here, I’m talking about everywhere – this is as applicable to visitors coming to the UK in 2012 as it is to travellers visiting Kenya. Going local is the best deal for all.

As an effort to ward off cultural homogenisation, Tripbod.com is a platform for all of us to share our stories of the local cultures and traditions that make us proud. What unites us as a global community is the frustration that visitors coming to our destination so often get trapped in tourist areas. They leave without having experienced the real place or connected with the wonderful people who live there still once they have left.

We are these local people. We are Tripbods and we work together to ensure more travellers get off the beaten path and celebrate with us the unique stories about the places we live in and love.

Join us.

Other great resources for the culture-conscious traveller:

• Make Travel Fair blog network
• Tourism Concern organisation
• Conscious Tourism blog

Tripbod HQ is nestled in the heart of London and at this time of year we can’t help but feel all festive, especially when visiting the various local markets that are bustling with gift shoppers.

This picture is of Covent Garden market, beautifully decorated with enormous red baubles and stunning lights. The smell of mulled wine and spices wafts through the halls as traders busily stock up their stalls.

Our favourite festive place for ‘meetings’ has been over rich hot chocolates in this beautiful chocolate shop at Borough Market. The shop traces the history of the cocoa bean and the chocolate trade, as well as being a stauch fair trade promoter. It really is a feast for the eyes as well as your taste buds, making for a special festive hideaway (a top tip for any romantics out there!)

Not everyone celebrates Christmas of course, but nevertheless there is a real atmosphere of positivity, celebration and warmth as we reach the end of the year.

It’s also a time of year when nostalgia tends to creep in as you hark back to the year gone by before looking to the year ahead. And what a year it’s been! The Tripbod team has grown and grown, both in the HQ office as well as the global family of Tripbods. We’ve launched partnerships, won several accolades and launched our ‘big vision’ – the new web platform: an ‘eBay for local travel experiences, with soul’!

So it’s been a big year for tripbod.com and all involved… but if you think that was big, just wait for 2012. Expect more exciting partnerships, more brilliant Tripbods stationed across the globe, and campaigns aimed at making travel a great deal better for all.

So we just wanted to say a Merry Christmas to one and all, with very best wishes for the new year ahead. May all your dreams of adventures come true!

Best wishes,

Sally, Liz, Pete, Martin and Colin – and on behalf of the global Tripbod community.

Sal, Pete and Liz enjoying the new Tripbod HQ roof garden this summer

There are many reasons why tripbod.com works: because a great local contact always makes the world of difference to a trip; because travel has become a commodity and maybe we don’t want to see and do the same thing as every other visitor; and also because everyone can be a Tripbod. Just living somewhere means you collect local knowledge, even if you don’t mean to, and that knowledge holds great value.

tripbod.com is a place where anyone can share their local knowledge and, in doing so, enjoy a pride-filled ambassadorial role which can also generate some extra income. We have long worked with travel writers, for example, who in recent years have suffered a dramatic change to their working life. Content is increasingly undervalued, hence so is their time. So what about planning your perfect trip to Portugal with the person who actually wrote the guidebook? Everyone wins.

There is a real problem in the UK, and no doubt further afield, with skilled writers finding rewarding work, so if tripbod.com offers an outlet for that talent, whilst ensuring time is fairly remunerated, then it’s a wonderful thing.

It doesn’t stop there, of course, and we are always interested in how tripbod.com can become a rewarding job for people who need flexibility. Full-time mums for example – your knowledge is immense! You could help families visiting your area plan how to get around with a pushchair, where to find the child-friendly cafes and great playgrounds, and much more besides.

So we’re really excited that the recent launch of the new tripbod.com could be a ground-breaking opportunity in employment, engagement and the giving everyone the chance to become an entrepreneur.

Join the tribe.