It is estimated between 15-20% of the world’s population are neurodivergent, which means they could have been diagnosed with conditions such as autism, ADHD, ADD, dyslexia or dyspraxia.

“It’s such a new issue – the term neurodiversity is only 25 years old and can seem more complicated than it is,” says Udokporo, speaking ahead of WTM London. “All it means is we all have different minds; we think in different ways and work in different ways.”

Having launched her tutoring business aged 12, Udokporo, who is dyslexic, is an author, entrepreneur, educator and social mobility advocate. 

“I want to focus on the customer journey and how we can provide a more neurodiverse-friendly experience. I want to take the audience on that journey,” she explains. “[Members of] the neurodivergent community often have to spend more money than a neurotypical person when it comes to travel because options [required to make their journeys seamless] aren’t made available to them, and they need extra services. Part of accessibility is bringing down that cost.”

According to Udokporo, travel companies should be drilling down into the needs and preferences of neurodivergent customers, understanding the manner in which they travel, and asking themselves “what can we do to make things easier?” 

She says it can be something as simple as offering the option to let your transfer driver know in advance if you would or wouldn’t want music played, or the radio on, or that you require tinted windows to avoid sensory overload in a new environment.

“The traveller may be autistic or have ADHD and really need to focus on where they’re going and all that extra noise makes the journey more difficult,” advises Udokporo. “A running theme of my session will be the importance of choice – giving the customer choice to make decisions to suit their own needs.”

Another step towards making the industry more inclusive, Udokporo believes, is the sector asking itself why certain decisions – that could inadvertently make life harder for neurodivergent travellers – have been made.

Airport experience

Take “silent airports” for example. 

Udokporo counters that although the absence of announcements makes for a more pleasant and less chaotic experience for some, that benefit is outweighed by the risk of neurodivergent travellers encountering issues – and potentially missing their flights – due to this lack of notice. 

Airport signage is also something for the industry to consider, she says. “I struggle at airports because of the board designs. Clear signage is so important.

"It’s such an easy fix but it’s still such a big problem. I’ve missed a flight before [at a silent airport] because I struggle to read signs, or hear announcements, and that has cost me extra money. It impacts a neurodivergent person a lot more and that has a knock-on effect.”

Although challenges at airports do present an opportunity for the aviation sector to tailor their service and build closer ties with the neurodivergent community, Udokporo believes.

“For a disabled person to travel comfortably, the truth is they have to spend more to get the service they need to be able to function at the level of as everybody else. This is why I talk about equity and not equality. Equity is giving the additional resources to level the playing field. That’s a theme I’ll be discussing quite heavily.”

Making premium travel more accessible, particularly offering the “calm aura” of an airport lounge and the service that comes with it, at a more affordable price point, is a useful starting point.

“[Lounge access] makes the airport experience far smoother and there’s a market for airlines and airports to think creatively about how they can make  spaces [for neurodivergent] people. Why not market these perks in a way that shows how helpful it can be for them?” she asks.

How can hotels help?

As part of her consultancy work, Udokporo stayed for a week at the New York Marriott Marquis in Times Square, later advising the hotel giant’s senior leadership on ways to improve its service for neurodivergent guests.

Although, adapting operations to better support neurodivergent customers makes sense to help one demographic – citing the “curb-cut effect” whereby making accommodations for one set of people is likely to benefit others – Udokporo is pushing for more inclusivity across the board.

At a bustling Manhattan hotel, the option to have a weighted blanket in your room is particularly helpful for those with ADHD and autism, she explains, helping to settle them, while a white noise machine can also relax guests – but can equally be useful for parents staying with babies and young children.

“The suggestions I’m giving won’t only help neurodivergent people but those with anxiety, or who may have bipolar or depression,” she says. “Again – it’s about choice. It’s not to say you put them in every room, but when someone is making their booking, the choice to say ‘would it be possible to have this?’ would be massively beneficial.”

Udokporo has developed a kit for hotels to consider having in rooms “but it’s up to hotels to decide if there will be a fee”, she explains, highlighting another decision, and somewhat of an ethical quandary, for travel businesses to make.

“Are we going to charge people because they have a disability? But at the same time, it comes with an extra cost. The bigger question here is: are organisations ready to give their brands a facelift and ultimately become more inclusive?”

’A real desire for change’

The travel industry is currently “lagging behind” other industries when it comes to supporting the neurodiverse but, as Udokporo points out, the sector is willing to change.

“[Neurodiversity] is not something we were talking about five years ago, or even last year, and there is a way to go.”

For travel to succeed, awareness and education is vital with changes coming at a sustainable pace. Go at things too fast and the challenges could become too difficult “then change stalls altogether,” she warns.

By the travel industry’s global nature, it faces cultural and social hurdles “but credit to the industry, there is a real desire for change and steps are being taken,” adds Udokporo.

*Udokporo’s session, Spotlighting Hidden Disabilities: Successful Strategies for Inclusive Travel, will take place at WTM London’s Innovate Stage on Monday, 6 November 11:00 - 11:40