Relying on experience, travel advisors serve clients with disabilities

Travel Weekly

a day ago

Lauren Scheffer, the owner of Food Allergy Getaways, walks the walk when it comes to traveling with food allergies: She has around 30 food allergies and intolerances.
'It's a double-edged sword, unfortunately,' said Scheffer, who is based just outside Charlotte. 'I don't wish that I had this many, but it's definitely given me an understanding and an ability to connect with people.'
Scheffer was diagnosed with food allergies when she was in college. After graduation, when she began traveling to conferences for her marketing job, she started blogging about traveling with food allergies.
It resonated. People started to reach out to ask for her help. She began consulting, then realized she could turn it into a full-time travel business serving families with food allergies. (She also works with clients with dietary preferences, like vegetarians and vegans.)
Today, Scheffer specializes in land trips to Europe. She also offers a restaurant research service, where she will reach out to restaurants to inquire about their menus and protocols related to food allergies. Acceptable locations are denoted on Google Maps, as are grocery stores and local hospitals.
When she starts working with a client, Scheffer digs into their food allergies and comfort levels about a variety of things. For instance, can their allergies be accommodated by a hotel, or should she find them accommodations with a kitchenette if they need to pick up safe food and prepare it themselves? When it comes to daytrips and other activities, are there restaurants that can accommodate them?
'Basically, the whole trip is looked at through the lens of, how can we do this with your food allergies, and how does that play into it?' she said. 'And then also, ultimately, what does it look like for emergencies? Hospital visits, getting travel insurance, pre-existing conditions, waivers with travel insurance — it is a full service.'
Traveling with food allergies has gotten easier over the years as more countries are getting better about labeling, she said, but it's still not without risks. And she requires clients to sign waivers.
'Anytime someone leaves their home with food allergies, there is a risk,' she said.
She also provides clients with food allergy cards listing their allergens prior to their trip. One side is in English and the other is in the language of their destination. Scheffer carries her own when she travels and hands them to waiters. They're also helpful in grocery stores to identify the names of allergens on food labels.
Oftentimes, clients come to Scheffer with ideas of where they'd like to go. Depending on their allergies, she sometimes tries to steer them differently. For instance, while Paris is a popular destination, it's not the best for those with peanut allergies as peanut oil is often used to fry food. Another country might be more accommodating.
'A big part is just managing expectations, helping people to understand what the experience will be like and what kind of trip they're ultimately looking for,' she said. 'Because at the end of the day, you're spending a lot of money to travel, and you want to have a good time.'