Planning:

Fabio Prestijacopo, cofounder of Blind Experiences, explains: “Couples, families or even close friends first reach out to us sharing their travel needs. Questions about previous travel experiences, hobbies, dislikes, allergies, every single thing is noted down via a questionnaire.” The duration of the break and budget needs are also addressed during this stage, allowing agencies to understand the basic need of the holidaymaker.

Personalised breaks: Companies such as the Amsterdam-based Sprs. me assign a personal consultant, who chooses the destination based on the information provided, along with booking flights and accommodation. Most agencies allow travellers to veto destinations in advance through a preempted selection. Meanwhile, family members and close friends who have been nominated by the travellers are quizzed to share insight that will allow the agencies to create a bespoke holiday. “We planned a honeymoon last year for where the wife was revealed to be a huge fans of Japanese Manga comics. We ended up sending the couple to Japan where they were given a private tour of a collection of the wife’s favourite artist and taken by the collector to places in Tokyo that inspired the artist to create his comics,” revealed Prestijacopo.

Practical needs: Singapore-based company Anywhr mails an envelope to travellers a week before their trip, with enough cash to get passengers from the destination airport to their accommodation. Three days to a week before travelling, the first email or envelope arrives telling travellers what type of clothes to pack. In the case of Blind Experiences, a total of 10 envelopes are sent out with a time and date mentioned on each one to be opened before and during the travel.

Destination reveal: Passengers are given a time to arrive at the airport before the final destination is revealed right before check-in.