STEPHEN Chalmers launched Altogether Travel in 2013 when he spotted a gap in the market for those who rely on care and are missing out on holidays.

Name: Stephen Chalmers
Age: 47
Position: CEO

WHAT’S YOUR BUSINESS CALLED?
Altogether Travel

WHERE IS IT BASED?
Glasgow city centre

WHY DID YOU SET UP THE BUSINESS?
MY background is in social care and in 2011 I spotted a gap in the market for people who rely on care services or lacked the confidence to travel due to age or disability. Care companies are not set up to go on holiday with clients, so this meant millions of people across the UK are missing out on holidays. The solution was to create a care company/travel agency. In 2013, Altogether Travel launched as the UK’s only Care Inspectorate-registered holiday company, allowing us to replicate someone’s care needs at the holiday destination of their choice wherever that maybe in the world. We like to think we are the travel company that really does care!

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HOW DOES IT WORK?
INDIVIDUALS, families or care professionals get in touch and tell us where they or the person would like to go on holiday and what support they need. We find them a number of options that meet their needs, if they wish to proceed, we book it and make all the arrangements and allocate one of our amazing team of holiday companions (all experienced carers) who accompany them on holiday. It’s our goal to take away the barriers that prevent someone from going on holiday. If someone has mobility issues we can arrange equipment to be delivered to their destination. We also have access to travel insurance with no upper age limit and for pre-existing conditions.

WHAT IS YOUR TARGET MARKET?
WE have supported a wide range of people, from 18-years-old to a lady celebrating her 100th birthday. The majority of our customers are older people who now have some form of impairment or have lost their confidence to travel. We also accompany people with learning and physical disabilities, sensory impairments, dementia, those experiencing mental health issues and people with a combination of support needs. Each year we accompany people to enjoy beach holidays in the sun, city breaks in the UK and abroad, cruises and long haul holidays.

HOW IS IT DIFFERENT FROM COMPETING BUSINESSES?
THERE are many companies that offer group holidays for older and disabled people, however they cannot support someone with care tasks, such a medication. As a registered care company we need to meet and exceed the national care standards.

By combining a care company with a travel agency we really have created a unique offering that offers such a valuable service to our customers. We also provide travel companions accompanying customers on flights around the world or long train and ferry journeys, offering reassurance and support.

WHAT DO YOU ENJOY MOST ABOUT RUNNING THE BUSINESS?
I STILL enjoy the challenge of running and growing a business, but I have to say the best bit for me is speaking to customers or reading their comments after returning from their holiday with us.

Most of us take going on holiday or travelling for granted, but if you cannot do this anymore due to age or ability, then you can imagine the joy people experience when they get the opportunity to go away again or visit that destination that’s been on their bucket list. That for me is the most enjoyable aspect of Altogether Travel.

WHERE DO YOU HOPE THE BUSINESS WILL BE IN 10 YEARS’ TIME?
WE have enjoyed steady growth each year and have excellent customer retention, with some going away five or six times a year. At the moment I am exploring potential partnership opportunities within the travel sector that will help create long-terms relationships to help us grow and reach new customers. I firmly believe the company will still be going strong in 10 years’ time, with perhaps a new CEO at the helm taking Altogether Travel on to bigger and better things. I would love us to become a brand name for supported holidays, like Saga is for the over-50s holiday market. After all our target market is set to double in size within the next 15 years with the baby boomer age group reaching older age.