Accessible Travel in Germany by Nicole Bosch
January 25, 2012
One day I was standing in Berlin, with my two small children. I waited for an hour for a taxi with two car seats. This was impossible to find, so I headed by foot to a hotel, where I had confirmed a reservation for a family room. When I arrived I found out that the room had only a single bed, where my children were expected to sleep with me. The hotel had no elevator, so I was forced to leave the twin-stroller downstairs. Does this sound familiar?
At this time, my husband was looking for a business idea to use as his thesis for an Executive MBA Program. We discussed how valuable it would be to create a platform with accessible information and online booking/reservation of travel products for traveling families. This idea became an entrepreneurial project for four executive managers in the MBA Program, and I couldn’t help getting involved — it became, in a sense, my third baby.
Our focus turned quickly to every travelers with special needs, since families with small children, elderly, travelers with lots of luggage or disabled travelers all benefit from accessible travel. Through our research, we found out that:
- There is a definite need to find and book services online along the entire “travel chain,” from transfer, to guiding, eating or accommodation.
- Many smaller suppliers (SME´s), for example wheelchair rental firms or childcare providers, are not directly connected to the travel chain and need a marketing tool to do so.
- Many internet initiatives for “accessible travel” come from individuals who have special needs themselves, often resulting in small websites with information that can’t be booked directly online.
- Sites initiated by governments are developed from a political, rather than a market perspective.
Hence http://www.travelhands.eu was born: a marketplace for accessible travel products, where suppliers and travelers can connect. Travelers contact suppliers for free through our site without any obligations. If a traveler decides to book the service, we get a small service fee from the supplier.
After a first test-and-trial-period we learned that it was too complex to focus all at once on different target groups and all their needs. So, we focus for now on accessible travel products in Germany for independent travelers, not only for disabled travelers, but also for elderly or senior travelers.
The products range from e-bike rental, wheelchair rental, accessible accommodation for wheelchair travelers, accessible van rental or specialized travel assistance for a stay in Berlin. We work together with many disabled organizations, and are a member of the Society for Accessible Travel & Hospitality (SATH) and the European Network for Accessible Tourism (ENAT).
Since we started last summer we helped almost 100 travelers. We have 167 offers in Germany of which 55 have been translated in English. I already feel comfortable enough to state that if disabled travelers want to travel to Berlin, they will find everything required to travel independently on Travelhands!
For questions or remarks please contact Nicole Bosch, CEO of Travelhands at nmbosch@travelhands.eu or support them on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/Travelhands.eu
