Travel can be stressful or complicated for anyone, but travelers with disabilities can face even more obstacles due to the way services and environments are designed. BCD Travel’s new report, Accessibility in Travel, examines the topic through the lens of business travel.

According to the World Health Organization, an estimated 1.3 billion people currently experience significant disability, and this number is increasing. Travel suppliers need to start paying more attention to the subject. By committing to equality, tourism companies become more sustainable and attract new audiences because they can support people with various diversity dimensions.

What’s inside the report?

The Accessibility in Travel report distinguishes between three types of accessibility: physical accessibility, communication accessibility and Web accessibility. Understanding the types and why they’re important can lead to providing a broad range of solutions that eliminate access barriers for travelers, ultimately generating business opportunities and greater product differentiation.

Topics covered:

·       11 reasons why accessibility is important

·       A brief summary of ISO Standard 21902 Accessible tourism for all

·       A snapshot of main accessibility challenges

·       Considerations for accessible travel services, including adapted hotel rooms and car rentals, mobility equipment hire and travel companion services

Integrating accessibility into BCD Travel services

BCD already is dedicating more resources to accessibility in an effort to provide the most sustainable travel programs for clients. BCD’s work in the Life Sciences sector provides first-hand insight into the needs of travelers with disabilities (and how travel isn’t always designed to be accessible to everyone).

As part of its commitment, BCD recently launched a new functionality allowing an even wider range of travelers to use TripSource® by BCD Travel, a website and mobile app for travelers and travel arrangers. Now, on the desktop version, travelers can easily access an AI-driven accessibility tool that supports users with visual, auditory, physical and speech needs. The accessibility menu offers options for screen readers, color contrast, text size, text spacing, dyslexia-friendly fonts, and more.

 

Link to report: https://www.bcdtravel.com/resources/report-accessibility-in-travel/

 

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• You are a company with locations in Switzerland and abroad. Your international employees utilize the benefits of paying by credit card. Wouldn’t it be advantageous to have a single contractual partner take over responsibility for handling all your monthly credit card invoices in a clear and consistent manner? The International – Commercial Credit Card program by UBS provides you with considerable added value:

  Benefits

• Only one single contract is required, which must bear the legally valid signature of the CH entity. There is no need for further local subcontracts. All card application forms can be handled centrally (but if required, may be delegated to the respective regions and/or countries). You also benefit from centralized key account support, which provides assistance with all issues related to your global corporate card program. All service processes are consistent and supported in the same way. You won't be faced with local or regional exceptions.
• The invoicing methods can be perfectly tailored to your needs. Whether collective, individual or mixed invoicing, your established and preferred accounting workflow will be fully supported.
• Furthermore, we offer one single interface for your expense management eco-system, such as your Travel Management Company (TMC), your Expense Management Solution provider or further required data delivery systems. This makes complex interface projects a thing of the past.
• You may also be able to benefit from preferential (financial) terms based on the increased total card transaction volume. Based on the global sourcing of your global expenditure and a single global contract, we can offer very attractive financial conditions.
• Last but not least you will have a full and centralized view regarding the compliance of your travel policy and further risk elements within your travel management program. The centralized program provides a transparent view of the global program, allowing for efficient compliance and risk management.

• Requirements

  The following criteria need to be fulfilled in order to utilize the “International – Commercial Credit Card Program”:

• 1.     The contractual partner is a company headquartered in Switzerland.

• 2.     The credit card program limit is issued for this company, and it alone is liable for any outstanding debts.

Are you interested? Please contact us and we will be happy to answer your questions. Simply write us an email (robert.troy@cardcenter.ch), let us know how we should contact you and we will get back to you shortly.

 

Dear friends, dear friends of friends

We urgently need your help! ❣️

We have been successfully operating the Masar Community Center in Lebanon since January 2026. So far, we have taught, welcomed, sheltered and provided psychological support to over 600 children with their severe trauma.

In order for us to continue to operate our "Masar Community Center" and to be able to offer education, perspectives and protection to over 140 children per year, we are STRONGLY dependent on donations!

Therefore, become a part of "Friends4Masar"

Our goal is to build and expand the "Friends4Masar" circle with you and your friends.

With an annual recurring donation of CHF 100 (just under 30 centimes per day), you will not only support important education of children in need, but you will also benefit from advantages such as receiving information about events in advance and when there is a sale of new beautiful products such as scarves, soaps and hoodies, etc. for the benefit of the school, you will be given priority.

The more friends join in, the more money will be raised, and we will be able to continue running our Masar Community Center in Lebanon sustainably.

For the operation of the school and the various educational programs, we need CHF 150'000 per year.

Please set up a standing order of at least CHF 100.- on your bank account and register here https://bit.ly/3sgVR1y to enjoy the benefits.

Also, it is very important that you tell your friends about our project. Thank you for forwarding the message.

Together we can achieve a lot! Together we are strong!

We thank you from the bottom of our hearts in the name of all children of our school

 

Yours,

Swiss4Lebanon Team

 

 

The Annual General Meeting of the France-Switzerland Chapter of Meeting Professionals International, the world's largest professional association in the events segment, was held yesterday in the presence of active members of the association in the French and Swiss markets.

"I am pleased to inform you that my mandate as President continues alongside Ariane Schmidt, and Elodie Lortal, who were re-elected" said Veronique Holveck. 

Welcome to the 3 new members elected to the Board of the MPI France-Switzerland Chapter: Marie Holzmann, (Switzerland), VP Membership; María-Elena López-Díaz (Switzerland), Membership Director; Erwan Ly, (France), Co-Director Communication & Marketing.Review of actions and events over the past 12 months, resolutions and presentation of the 2023/2024 action plan....More than ever, the MPI France-Switzerland Chapter is mobilising to raise the profile of the MPI France-Switzerland Chapter, increase its #MICE community and implement a targeted local strategy to develop MPI and its values!

July, 10th, 2023

• It's summertime! And is there any better way to end a busy and successful meeting with a delicious barbecue at the Dorint Hotels & Resorts Switzerland. The cosy atmosphere in the spacious and green garden area of the Essential by Dorint Basel City in Basel, or the Dorint Airport-Hotel Zurich at Zurich Airport are the perfect location for it.

  Book your event now !
  Tel : +41 44 808 10 16 or E-Mail : Meeting.Zuerich@dorint.com | Meeting.Basel@dorint.com

  Our recommendation: «Dorint Signature Barbecue»

• • Salads
  • • Seasonal leaf salads | tomato | cucumber | peppers | sweetcorn | carrots | tuna
    • Balsamico dressing | yoghurt dressing | seasonal dressing | toppings
    • Bread selection
  • From the grill
  • • Juicy pulled pork | BBQ marinade
    • Tender Beef | coffee chili marinade
    • Jamaika Jerk deboned Chicken
    • Shrimps | garlic herb marinade
  • Grill sauces
  • • Grilled sweetcorn with caipirinha butter
    • Multicolored grilled vegetables
    • Pimientos de padrón | Maldon Salz
    • Braised sweetpotato | lemon pepper | cinnamon 
  • Dessert
  • • Selection of mini desserts
    • Saisonal fruits

From CHF 79, - per person*

* Upon request and subject to availability.

The Cachet Hotel Collection operates three outstanding hotels in Baden: the Trafo Hotel, the Blue City Hotel and the Limmathof Hotel & Spa. Each of these hotels offers a unique atmosphere and meets the different preferences of the guests. The Trafo Hotel impresses with its industrial modern interior and offers convenient online check-in and check-out. The Limmathof Hotel & Spa offers a high-end experience where guests also have access to the spa area. At the Blue City Hotel, guests can expect a cosy living room atmosphere and delicious burger creations.

All three hotels are located in close proximity to the renowned Trafo Congress Centre, making them ideal accommodation for business travellers.

The Hotel Kettenbrücke in Aarau offers its guests a comprehensive solution under one roof. Here, business and seminar guests will find excellent gastronomic offerings, beautiful rooms and first-class seminar rooms.

In spring 2024, the Cachet Hotel Collection will open its first hotel abroad. The Blu Mare Hotel will take its place in Novigrad, Istria, Croatia, underlining the group's commitment to first-class hospitality in new climes.

The Cachet Hotel Collection thus offers an outstanding selection of first-class hotels that meet guests' individual needs and preferences. With their unique offerings and prime locations, these hotels are the perfect choice for an unforgettable stay.

• Mental stress in the work environment has been known for a long time. At the latest since the Covid-19 pandemic, the topic of "mental health" has arrived in all organisations. However, not all companies are sufficiently equipped to systematically address mental stress, especially in an international environment, and to implement preventive measures.

  Together with our Switzerland, Germany and Austria DGUV, Gerlach Löscher Littler Rechtsanwälte, Gewerkschaft GPA, Heinrich-Heine-Universität Düsseldorf, ISSA Mining, r& associés avocats and TÜV Hessen, the International SOS Foundation has developed a guide in German for assessing mental stress in an international environment.

  The guide provides an overview of legal and professional principles for companies and explains international standards. The methodology of the mental risk assessment is explained in a simple and understandable way and supported with checklists (available in German and English).

  Examples and best practices from the internationally operating companies Sulzer, SAP, OMV support the topic.

  What you will find in the guide:

• How do companies deal with the internationally different approaches to mental health assessment?
• How are mental stresses assessed during international professional travel, how are the risks minimised?
• How can mental health be measured and assessed in the international environment, how can it be tackled preventively?

 

Checklist "Psychological Risk Assessment" - Assessing psychosocial risks in an international environment

According to last year's WHO report on mental health, cases of depression and anxiety disorders worldwide increased by 25 per cent in the first year of the Covid-19 pandemic alone. Thus, almost one billion people are living with a mental illness.

The awareness of how the workplace contributes to mental ill-health has been rising steadily.

However, not all companies are yet equipped to systematically assess mental risks, especially in an international environment, and to introduce preventative measures.

At work, preventing mental diseases is about managing psychosocial risks in the workplace. Employers can do this by implementing organisational interventions that assess, and then mitigate, modify or remove workplace risks to mental health.

The checklist for a workplace psychological safety assessment provides organisations in both, national and international settings, with a tool to implement all steps of a psychological risk assessment.

The checklist (English) is taken from the paper "Assessing Mental Risks in an International Environment - A Guide to Safety, Health and Well-being for Companies with a Global Workforce", International SOS Foundation, 2023 (German).

Link to Mental Health Paper and Checklist: https://www.internationalsos.de/insights/gefaehrdungsbeurteilung-psychische-belastungen?channel=ASTM

• Ratefinding.com is a web-based procurement portal that enables you to conduct rate negotiations with the hotels of your choice in a structured and efficient manner.
  

• Ratefinding.com users benefit from:

• • Efficiency increase
  • Cost savings through strategic analysis & targeted negotiation
  • Process optimisation
  • Volume bundling
  • Centralisation

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• Ratefinding.com offers:

• • Consulting services: Partial or full support
  • Flexibility: Decision per process step or destination
  • Control: company-wide access to negotiated company rates
  • Different user rights: restriction of destinations or technical rights
  • Individualisation: modules for each individual customer can be adapted

In addition, the Ratefinding.com team offers the entire value chain to support your company in hotel sourcing and create the perfect hotel program for your company:

 

For more information and contact details, please visit our website: https://www.ratefinding.com/en/home-2/

Hadeel Badawi is 12 years old. She lives in Masaken with her parents and two siblings. Hadeel attends afternoon formal schooling at a public school near her neighborhood. Her family fled from Idleb Syria when the crisis first hit; her dad managed to find a job in a local vegetable market and her mom takes care of the family at home.

 

Hadeel attends digital training at Al Masar Community Center where she learns the basic functions of a computer as well as Microsoft Office. “Hadeel is a fast learner, she is always asking questions and curious to learn more. She is one of the top students in class and applies what she learns in a smooth and quick manner,” says the DT instructor.

Hadeel aspires to be a lawyer in the future, she wants to work for human rights and try to make a different in this world.

Are you looking for a central, reliable and flexible payment solution for your business travel, which you can optimally connect with your travel agent and/or integrate in your online booking tool? Our UBS Visa Lodge Card is the right solution for you.

In close collaboration with our long-standing partner Visa, we offer our business clients the UBS Visa Lodge Card (CTA; Central Travel Account) central payment solution. The UBS Visa Lodge Card is the perfect fit, from connecting the respective travel agent partner, the expense management provider, the online booking solution to the seamless integration into your ecosystem. As a user of the UBS Visa Lodge Card, you can expect a fully integrated payment solution that is easily and individually tailored to your needs and requirements, in order to secure your mobility management.

Besides the highly flexible integration options, we offer numerous intuitive, detailed evaluation and analysis options for your reporting. The individually adjustable additional data allow maximum optimization of the downstream booking processes. And furthermore, you are optimally insured with the Visa Lodge Card – the comprehensive insurance cover for business trips also includes protection for external travelers.

With our additional UBS Visa Lodge Card Light option, we offer a further efficient, central payment solution for simple configurations with minimum integration effort.

Have we sparked your interest? We look forward to advising you. Our experienced advisory and integration team will be very happy to help you.

 

Stefan Laitschek – Implementation Manager UBS Visa Lodge Card (Stefan.laitschek@cardcenter.ch)