Accessible-travel specialist starts travel agent affiliate program: Travel Weekly

Online travel booking platform Wheel the World, which was designed for seniors and people with disabilities, has launched an affiliate program for travel advisors. 

The platform offers nearly 800 accessible travel listings in 27 countries, compiled via crowdsourcing. Data points include wheelchair accessibility, ramp access, braille signage and room measurements.

Wheel the World will work with travel agents to match their client with the right product. To do that, travelers are asked to complete an accessibility profile. Then, they are matched with experiences that meet their needs.

Wheel the World pays agents 3% commission on accommodations, 5% to 8% on activities and 8% to 10% on multiday trips.

Agents can also gain access to the free Wheel the World Academy, where they can learn more about marketing to and serving clients with disabilities.

“Our hope for the new affiliate program is to encourage travel agents to consider the full experience from start to finish for travelers with disabilities,” Wheel the World co-founder and CEO Alvaro Silberstein said. 

“For example, tour operators may think a ramp to access an attraction is enough for a traveling wheelchair user, but what if the bathroom at the same attraction is not accessible? How could a visual experience be communicated and enjoyed by a blind person? We pose these questions to carefully design travel experiences that are fully accessible and impactful to our affiliate partners’ customers.”

Wheel the World said it decided to launch the affiliate program after more than 50 agents reached out on behalf of their clients.