New Greek Tourism Startup Helps People with Reduced Mobility Travel Easier

Aiming to promote accessible tourism and inclusive travel, a new Greek startup company has launched to help people with reduced mobility organize their trips through a user-friendly online platform.

Named “orbito travel” the Athens-based company was created by Ilias Andreas Alexakis and Peny Kalofoutis to provide end-to-end solutions to mobility-challenged travelers, helping them plan and book their trip online with a single credit card transaction.

“orbito travel is an online digital platform exclusively for travelers with limited mobility or disabilities. We are trying to target a very niche audience, which unfortunately at the moment is facing quite a few problems,” Alexakis said speaking at an event held by the CapsuleT accelerator program.

Ilias Andreas Alexakis, co-founder of orbito travel, speaking at the event.

The creation of orbito travel was supported by the CapsuleT accelerator program, which helped the company’s founders build their platform and scale up their business in the travel and hospitality markets through learning tools and networking activities.

CapsuleT, a 2019 initiative by the Hellenic Chamber of Hotels (HCH), is Greece’s first accelerator program for travel and hospitality professionals, designed to develop and promote Greek technology startups and foster collaborations that promote innovation in the country’s tourist industry.

The Greek tourism startup orbito travel was among the three winners of the 5th cycle of the CapsuleT program held last year and was awarded with financial backing and support to launch as a business.

How orbito travel helps travelers with reduced mobility

Introducing the platform, Alexakis said orbito travel platform focuses on three categories of travelers: those who use a wheelchair; those who use other mobility and walking aids (canes, walking sticks, underarm crutches, rollators, etc.); and the elderly.

To promote equal travel opportunities, the company connects people with reduced mobility or disabilities with travel vendors, destination authorities and local communities all around the world. Through the platform, users can book air tickets, hotel stays, museum and winery visits, transfers, wheelchair insurance, and many more services.

“What makes us different from the competition is our virtual tours… Each site included on our platform is mapped so that the person who is interested in traveling will know in advance whether or not his or her needs are met,” Alexakis added.

The platform provides mobility-challenged travelers online access to all stages of a journey, offering all the online available alternatives with price transparency. The company’s team carries out on-the-spot visits to each place in order to evaluate wheelchair accessibility, ramps, and restrooms to assure all options are aligned to the mobility needs of these travelers.

IATA, the Greek National Tourism Organization (GNTO), and TÜV AUSTRIA have accredited orbito travel as a licensed travel agency. It is also a member of the Hellenic Association of Travel and Tourism Agencies (H.A.T.T.A.).