Co-op signs deal with travel specialist for the blind
The Co-operative Travel has signed a deal with a tour operator specialising in holidays for blind, visually impaired and sighted travellers.
Founded by blind traveller Amar Latif, Traveleyes enables blind people to enjoy independent world travel without always having to travel with their family.
It is believed to be the first commercial operation of its type in the world.
Holiday destinations on offer for 2010-11 include Peru, Turkey, California, Japan and Egypt, as well as summer city breaks to Paris and Krakow.
Jane Witherington, commercial and market development manager at The Co-operative Travel Trading Group, said: “Traveleyes holidays feature a balanced number of sighted and non-sighted people.
“The blind travellers can enjoy a hand-made, sensory holiday experience in a new spirit of independence, while sighted travellers gain a sizeable discount in return for the use of their eyes to describe the sights and build them into mental pictures.”
Selling specialist holidays for disabled travellers is part of a new service introduced at 40 shops UK-wide by The Co-operative Travel in February.
Staff have been trained to ensure that they are up-to-speed with all aspects of holidays for people who require specialist travel, and carry a guide containing information on airport facilities and details of key travel partners in the UK and abroad.
The intention is to provide training and facilities across the entire network of 400 branches.
Traveleyes holidays will be sold at all branches.
By Bev Fearis
Bev
Editor in chief Bev Fearis has been a travel journalist for 25 years. She started her career at Travel Weekly, where she became deputy news editor, before joining Business Traveller as deputy editor and launching the magazine’s website. She has also written travel features, news and expert comment for the Guardian, Observer, Times, Telegraph, Boundless and other consumer titles and was named one of the top 50 UK travel journalists by the Press Gazette.
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