he aim of our project, implemented together with our Norwegian partner, Forte Digital, is to design, develop and deliver a new, innovative product for senior citizens and people with broadly understood mobility limitations. It is an innovative booking platform that allows them to easily identify, book and buy accommodation in Poland that meets their requirements. The product’s innovative nature is based on a new definition of the criteria that guide the selected target group, and then on the identification of the accommodation facilities that meet these criteria.
Consequently, we commissioned extensive market research conducted with the CAWI method, to an external research company selected through a competitive bidding process.
The research was conducted in three complementary areas:
- “Poles’ online shopping habits”,
- “Senior citizens and people with mobility impairments as participants of the tourism market in Poland”
- ”Senior citizens and people with mobility impairments as internet users in Poland”.
The research took a month (October 2021) and included residents of Poland aged 16-75, including those with mobility limitations. The questions in the questionnaire included a request to evaluate one’s online and travel activity from 2018-2020, and the forecast for 2021-2028.
It was necessary to conduct such complex research, because the results we had had so far concerned the period before the pandemic and could differ significantly from those obtained. Preparing the project, we assumed that the users of our app include almost 9 million senior citizens and 1.5 million strong community consisting of people with broadly understood mobility limitations, as well as those who accompany them. They are still a group deprived of the possibility to search and book recreational facilities that would address their needs. The research indicates that the lack of information is one of the main reasons which prevent persons with mobility issues from travelling. There are a lot of websites on the market offering accommodation throughout Poland. However, none of them provides a service which makes it possible to search for facilities which, at the same time, address the needs of the group referred to above, leading to its exclusion.
This is confirmed by our research, which shows that the lack of information about facilities adapted to the needs of this group and difficulties in booking them are one of the main reasons preventing people with mobility issues from travelling. At the same time, a significant change in Poles’ travel habits took place due to the coronavirus pandemic. According to the research, 40 per cent of Poles want to go on holiday once the danger connected with the pandemic ceases to exist, and 66 per cent of them considers spending it in Poland. The research indicates that the number of reservations will gradually increase, starting with domestic trips, with smaller places of accommodation being the most popular (private rooms – this answer was indicated by 39 per cent of the respondents).
The problem of the lack of information and organization of holiday and recreational stays for the group of people who have been excluded so far will not disappear automatically after the pandemic. None of the booking platforms on the Polish market provides a product or service that would include the functionality and features sought by customers. At the same time, the demand for the product offered by our company will constantly grow. According to the GUS (Statistics Poland) data for 2018, the number of senior citizens and people with disabilities using the Internet has increased by 3.8 percentage points as compared to the previous year. Pensioners are also ready to take part in tourist trips.
In 2018, 4.1 million people aged 60 and over participated in at least one private tourist trip (up 2.3 per cent from the previous year). This trend does not change as a result of the pandemic. To this demographic, travel is a very important element of rehabilitation, contributes to the fight against social exclusion, and improves the quality of life. The product developed as part of the project has a great opportunity to eliminate this exclusion by providing enjoyment of recreation, rest to a large group of people such as senior citizens and their caregivers, independently travelling elderly people, people of all ages with mobility problems due to temporary or permanent mobility impairments caused by impaired mobility and eyesight.
The market research results are a very important element in the design and construction of the innovative booking platform, which is why they will not be made available to the public in the form of an open document (so-called “open access”) until the project is completed.
Informacja prasowa do pobrania
Basic information about the subsidy:
- Rekta Consulting has received a subsidy from Norway through the Norway grants as part of the “Business Development and Innovation” programme, Norwegian Financial Mechanism 2014-2020, NORW.19.01.04 scheme.
- mall Grants Schemes for Female Enterprises in the “technologies improving the quality of life”. area,
- Project number: NORW.19.01.04-14-0016/20
- Title: A database and booking platform of centres in Poland for people with limited mobility.
- Implementation period: October 2021 – September 2023
- Our Partner is Forte Digital from Oslo, Norway.
- The project used the co-financing of EUR 195,344.53 (PLN 838,575.00) received from Norway. The support as part of the Norway grants constitutes 85 per cent of the project’s value, whereas the total cost of the project amounts to PLN 1,123,250.
Additional information about the Norwegian Financial Mechanism
The Norway grants are exclusively financed by Norway and are available in the countries that joined the EU after 2003. The Norway grants for 2014-2021 amount to EUR 1.25 billion. The priorities for that period include:
#1 innovation, research, education, competitiveness and decent work;
#2 social inclusion, youth employment and poverty reduction;
#3 environment, energy, climate change and low-carbon economy;
#4 culture, civil society, good governance and basic rights;
#5 justice and internal affairs.
PARP source materials
Norway grants
https://www.parp.gov.pl/funduszenorweskie
Small Grants Schemes for Female Enterprises
https://www.parp.gov.pl/component/grants/grants/technologie-dla-kobiet
