Accessible experience, better known as Travel simple, expresses its intent from the beginning.

The priority of its founder Michela is to share accessible travel experiences, for people with disabilities, but not only: her advice is also for families with children, elderly people with food intolerances and, of course, accommodation facilities.  

The blog offers not only accessible experiences and destinations but also acts as a glue between tour operators and people who want to have an accessible experience at 360 degrees.

In the website you can choose destinations in which you can make a tour, book different services, read reviews of beaches and places made by the team; all showing the characteristics of accessibility of the selected destinations.

We wanted to chat with Michela to understand better her service

1. On the website https://travelsimple.org/ we read that the idea of the creation of Travel Simple came to you when you lived in Spain. Would you like to tell us more about this idea?

The first idea of Travel Simple was born a couple of years ago, but it has materialized during this last year.

Since high school, and than at University, my focus has always been concentrated on tourism, as well as all my work experiences. I was able to create a fairly broad overview of the sector, up to the reality of airport and aeronautical sector, where I began to really realize the difficulties that a person with disabilities has to face when he takes the decision to take a trip.

I researched, I studied ( and I’m still studying ), and I decided, during the pandemic, to start with this new wonderful adventure!

2. How much is Italy accessible?

Unfortunately it depends on the area. For example, Trentino Alto Adige is one of the regions in which accessible tourism is really valued and adverstised.

During this year, however, I met many tourist guides, owners of accommodations facilities, restaurateurs all around Italy, really interested in this subject and working hard to ensure the same opportunity to spend a holiday in total relax and serenity to anyone.

3. And what is the situation abroad?

We can not generalize. I found great openness and professionalism not only in Europe, but for example in Central America and Asia. I’m lucky because I have created collaborative relationships around the world that organize fantastic itineraries or excursions, such as surfing in Costa Rica or sensory tasting itineraries in Madeira.

4. With your work, for sure you helped different kind of people and different stories of travel or accessibility: is there something that struck you in particular?

One in particular I don’t know, but a word, a desire that always joins people abd that always excites me a lot is that everyone is looking for a “breathe”, to detach a little from the daily monotony, to feel free and breath a new air. I think this is a wonderful and totally shareable desire.

 5. If you had a crystal ball, with the possibility to see you in 10 years, how do you see yourself?

I see myself happy. It seems obvious, but if I stop and I think about a future “me”, I can see a Michela calm and satisfied. At the moment, Travel Simple is not my core business, but my aim is to realize this dream, for me and also for other people. I’m following also a master in Disability and Diversity Management, to get the qualification for this professional figure that does not exist in Italy at the moment. I hope that all these amazing experiences will give me the chance to transform this passion in my only job.

6. How much your sensibility is important for this job?

I think it is essential. For many years I have considered my sensibility an obstacle, something to repress and to try to eliminate. Only in the last two years I have been able to see it as a value, something useful, and it has made me become the person I am today.

7. Before leaving us, what advice would you give to travelers looking for accessible experiences?

I would give only one big advice, perhaps even obvious for those used to traveling. Do not trust the accessibility filters that some big websites make available, check always with the structure the specific characteristics available according to your needs. We did a research to understand how reliable they were and, in many cases, ( not all of them thankfully ), the reality  was very different if compared to what was described online.

So you just have to give yourself a travel experience totally free, in the of simplicity, with Michela.