Delhi based Rising Star Tours and Travels, makes plans for the visually impaired
Travel is never a matter of money but of courage,” Paulo Coelho once said. But for visually impaired, along with courage they need someone to be their eyes.
Delhi-based Amit Jain, founder, Rising Star Tours and Travels, has been working on this line of thought for a while. In fact, his travel agency will take a group of 15 visually impaired people on a holiday to Dubai from September 26-29.
“Through voice modulation, we help them imagine the beauty of the places they visit. For instance, they will be made to take a camel ride to understand what it feels like to sit on a tall animal. If it’s a historical monument, they will be helped to feel the carvings on walls, patterns of old doors and windows. If it’s a hill station, even minute details like the sounds of birds and insects to prominent details like snow on the mountains, will be explained,” explains Jain.
Jain is a globetrotter and felt even this section of society should enjoy the joys of discovering new lands.
“They don’t actually get a chance to know things beyond their limits. So, I took this up as a challenge to make world more accessible for them,” he adds.
The company has done five such domestic and one international trip in the past one year. “My family and other volunteers accompany the visually impaired,” says the 43-year-old, who founded the company with his wife and sister 21 years ago.
Before every trip he contacts organisations working with the blind. “It’s a minimum amount of Rs 2,000-3,000 per person for an experience of a lifetime.”
Jain is also planning a Heritage Walk to Old Delhi for the visually challenged on World Sight Day (October 10).
The New Fad: Travel Kitty
Who doesn’t love travelling? But not everyone has the spending power. So Jain has come up with a ‘travel kitty’ concept.
“You can pay some amount towards the destination you intend to travel. And by the 16th month you have enough to travel to that destination in a group,” says Jain. For instance, a five-day trip to Dubai would cost Rs 3,300 per month.
Separate groups are made for such destination. “We organise monthly meets for the group members, so that they get to know each other better. And at the end of 15 months, when they are travelling together, they feel a connection among themselves,” he adds.
One lucky winner is chosen every month, who can forgo paying an instalment. “After doing trips for Indian destinations, we are now venturing into organising trips to America, South Africa and more,” says Jain, happily planning ahead.
Challenging boundaries
Delhi-based Amit Jain, founder, Rising Star Tours and Travels felt that even visually impaired people should enjoy the joys of discovering new lands. “They don’t actually get a chance to know things beyond their limits. So, I took this up as a challenge to make world more accessible for them,” he says.
Upcoming trips
Goa: November 21-24, 2019
Vaishno Devi: February 21-23, 2020