guide
EAA for travel and hospitality in Ireland — compliance checklist
Operating a travel & hospitality business in Ireland after 28 June 2025 means complying with the country's national EAA transposition (European Union (Accessibility Requirements) Regulations 2023) layered on top of EN 301 549 — and addressing travel & hospitality-specific failure modes including inaccessible booking calendars and seat-selection maps and no way to specify accessibility needs in booking flow.
EAA in Ireland
Transposition: European Union (Accessibility Requirements) Regulations 2023. Surveillance: CCPC / NDA. Max penalty: €60,000 / 18 months imprisonment.
Travel & Hospitality accessibility — what is in scope
The US Department of Transportation enforces accessibility for airline websites under the ACAA, with rules requiring WCAG 2.0 AA conformance and explicit penalties. Hotels are heavily ADA-litigated, particularly for inaccessible reservations and inaccessible "accessible-room" booking flows.
Common failures in travel and hospitality
• Inaccessible booking calendars and seat-selection maps
• No way to specify accessibility needs in booking flow
• "Accessible room" filters that do not actually filter
• Inaccessible boarding-pass / e-ticket PDFs
• Inaccessible loyalty-portal account management
EAA compliance checklist
1. Confirm in-scope status. 2. Map to EN 301 549. 3. Audit and remediate. 4. Publish a localised accessibility statement (Article 13). 5. Maintain technical documentation for market surveillance.
FAQ
Frequently asked questions
Cited answers. Sourced. Updated as standards and case law change.
Does the EAA apply to non-EU travel and hospitality selling into Ireland?
Yes. The EAA applies to any product or service placed on the EU market or offered to EU consumers, regardless of vendor headquarters.
What is the maximum penalty in Ireland?
€60,000 / 18 months imprisonment
What does the DOT require for airline websites?
Under the Air Carrier Access Act and DOT regulations (14 CFR Part 382), primary public-facing airline web pages and core functions must conform to WCAG 2.0 AA. The 2024 final rule strengthens these requirements and adds explicit penalties for non-compliance.
Are hotel "accessible room" filters required?
Effectively yes. ADA Title III requires hotels to provide accessibility information at the time of reservation, including details sufficient for a guest with a disability to determine room suitability. DOJ guidance and many settlements require filterable, structured accessibility data — not a buried PDF.
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