Pick up small changes that help neurodivergent guests feel welcome: clear early information, calm arrival messages and accommodation photos, plus how Holidaymaker and My Safe Place Southern work together.
Inclusion in hospitality is talked about a lot, but what it actually means for neurodivergent guests and their families is talked about much less.
My Safe Place Southern is trying to change that. Founded by Karen Mason and James Wischhusen, the organisation works with holiday parks, leisure venues and hospitality businesses to build safer, more inclusive environments.
Not just for the benefit of guests, but for teams too, and for anyone who can sometimes find the world a bit much. That covers practical guidance for front-facing teams, and the design and manufacture of neurodivergent-friendly holiday accommodation built around sensory need and calm.
Karen has been a regular part of the XP community for a while now, speaking at two XP Hospitality events about neurodiversity and her own professional experience within the sector. She is always passionate, and consistently a little eye-opening for operators who have not thought deeply about this before. We are really glad she keeps coming back.
“For us, inclusion in hospitality starts long before a guest arrives. It begins with how clearly information is shared, how expectations are set, and whether families feel confident about what their stay will look like.
Working with partners like Holidaymaker is exciting because they genuinely understand that the guest journey starts online. When the digital experience is thoughtful, calm, and predictable, it removes a huge amount of anxiety for neurodivergent guests and their families.
What we hope parks and venues take away from this partnership is that small, intentional changes can make a huge difference.
When park operators take the time to understand sensory needs, suitable accommodation, and communicate well, they are not just creating inclusive spaces, they are creating places where more people feel truly welcome.”
Karen Mason, Founder, My Safe Place Southern
As a team, we have neurodivergent staff and children of our own, and that shapes how we think about everything we build. I was diagnosed myself in autumn 2025, at 37, which honestly just explained a lot. I started to notice so many things, every moment where information arrives too late, or in the wrong format, or where the assumption is that everyone finds new places and new routines easy.
They do not.
The clarity of an arrival message, seeing the space before you get there, knowing what to expect and when. Whether the information you send before a stay reduces anxiety or quietly adds to it. These are not nice-to-haves. For a lot of families, they are the difference between a holiday that works and one that does not, and between coming back and never booking again.
We will be sharing more through the XP Community as this develops, including practical guidance and content from Karen and her team as they continue to grow. If you are thinking about how to make your park or venue more welcoming and accessible, Karen is a great starting point.
My Safe Place Southern works across team training, and custom accommodation design. Their work is grounded in genuine expertise and lived experience within hospitality. They are worth getting to know.
info@mysafeplacesouthern.co.uk
01202 770736
Related reading: creating neuro-inclusive environments, removing barriers to inclusion and our charity partners. Our partners and suppliers directory lists the organisations we work with.
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