Hands On Travel

What Hands On Travel does

Hands On Travel is a Deaf-owned group travel agency that designs and operates international tours for Deaf travelers, conducted entirely in sign language. Founded in 2002 in Rome, Italy by Terry Giansanti (originally as Hands On Italia), the company is now operated under Hands On Travel LLC, headquartered in Oro Valley, Arizona. Its core product is small-group escorted tours (typically 8–14 travelers) priced from roughly $3,500 to $9,000 per person, supported by a roster of 25+ Deaf tour leaders across 60+ countries — a workforce that constitutes the company's primary differentiator and supply constraint.

The business runs on a traditional tour-operator model: itineraries are published 2–3 years in advance, customers book directly or through institutional partners, and the company coordinates logistics, accommodations, and on-trip sign-language interpretation. Beyond fixed-departure tours, Hands On Travel has introduced a "Lead Your Own Tour" program enabling customers to assemble custom group trips, and has expanded into the educational channel via a CEASD Capitol Connection partnership established in February 2025.

The customer base combines direct-to-consumer bookings with institutional group business from schools and programs for the deaf — including Minnesota State Academy for the Deaf, Model Secondary School for the Deaf, Phoenix Day School for the Deaf, California School for the Deaf (Fremont and Riverside), Utah and Arizona State Schools for the Deaf and the Blind, Indiana School for the Deaf, and universities such as Gallaudet, RIT, Central Michigan, Georgia, UT Austin, and Purdue. The company is bootstrapped with no disclosed external funding, and multiple 2026 tours (Japan Winter, Mexico, Australia/NZ x2, UAE) are already sold out, indicating strong forward demand visibility into 2027 and 2028.

Name

Hands On Travel

Legal name

Hands On Travel LLC

Website

https://handson.travel

Company type

Private

Founded year

2002

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Hands On Travel is a Deaf-owned group travel agency operating sign-language-only international tours for Deaf travelers. Founded in 2002 and based in Oro Valley, Arizona, it runs small-group trips in 60+ countries with 25+ Deaf tour leaders and serves both individual travelers and educational institutions.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Accessible Travel Services

NAICS

Tour Operators (561520), Tour Operators (56152)

SIC

Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)

akta.pro primary industry

Small-Group Escorted Tour Operators (THAKADAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Educational & Student Multi-Day Tour Operators (THAKADAJ), Private/Customized Multi-Day Tour Operators (THAKADAC)

Keywords

• Deaf travel tours
• Accessible travel agency
• International group tours
• ASL educational tours
• Small group tours

Headquarters

HQ city

Arizona City

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Guided Group Tours: Small group guided tours (8-14 travelers) to international destinations with Deaf local guides, accommodations, transportation, and most meals included. Tour prices range from $3,500 to $9,000 depending on destination and duration.
2. Educational Tours: Specialized tours for high school and university ASL/Deaf Studies programs. Includes educational itineraries with Deaf cultural experiences, historical sites, and language immersion. Pricing varies by program.
3. Private & Custom Tours: Tailor-made travel experiences for private groups with customized itineraries, flexible scheduling, and personalized experiences. $500 per person deposit required.
4. Merchandise Sales: Sale of branded merchandise including t-shirts, sweatshirts, hoodies through partnership with Deaf Collective and Co. Prices range from $30-$48.
5. Travel Insurance Referrals: Referral partnership with Travelex Insurance Services. Company earns referral fees when customers purchase travel insurance through their partner link.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Hands On Travel is a Deaf-owned boutique tour operator that designs and sells small-group international travel experiences (8-14 travelers) specifically for the Deaf community across 60+ countries. The company also delivers structured educational travel programs (high school and university) and ASL & Deaf Studies tours for institutions, supported by ASL-fluent tour leaders and accessible itinerary design.

Product overview

Hands On Travel is a Deaf-owned travel agency offering specialized group tours for Deaf travelers worldwide. The core offering consists of scheduled group tours (2026, 2027, 2028 Tours), private/custom tours, and educational programs (High School Tours, ASL & Deaf Studies Tours, CEASD Capital Connection). All tours feature sign language communication, local Deaf guides, small group sizes (typically 8-14 travelers), and immersive cultural experiences. Add-on services include travel insurance through Travelex and branded merchandise through Deaf Collective and Co. The company operates WeTravel for bookings and provides comprehensive tour management from planning through execution.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• International Group Tours for Deaf Travelers Small-group international tours (8-14 travelers) to 60+ countries, led by ASL-fluent tour leaders and designed for Deaf and hard-of-hearing adult travelers seeking accessible cultural travel experiences. Priced $3,500-$9,000 per traveler.
• Private Custom Tours Bespoke private tours tailored to individual, family, or small group preferences for Deaf travelers, with custom itineraries and ASL-fluent leadership.
• High School Educational Tours Structured group travel programs designed for high school students and administered through their schools, blending cultural immersion with educational content and ASL accessibility.
• ASL & Deaf Studies University Programs University-level immersive travel programs tied to ASL and Deaf Studies coursework, sold to colleges and universities as curriculum-aligned group travel for students.
• Hands On Travel Branded Merchandise Branded apparel and merchandise sold to customers and community supporters as a complementary product to the core tour offerings.

Named customers12 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• CEASD (Council of Educational Administrators of Schools of the Deaf)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 February 2025Partnership to expand CEASD's annual Education and Legislative Advocacy Day into a weeklong immersive program in Washington D.C. HOT handles all logistics including hotel booking, transportation, congressional appointments, and activity coordination. Students participate in Capitol Hill visits, NAD training sessions, and Youth Debate Bowl championship.
• National Association of the Deaf (NAD)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner organization for the CEASD Capitol Connection program. NAD provides interactive training sessions on legislative advocacy including the Cogswell Macy Act for participating students.
• Gallaudet UniversityminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner organization for the CEASD Capitol Connection program. Gallaudet provides campus tours, activities, and Youth Programs involvement for Deaf high school students visiting Washington D.C.
• CDDA (Center for Democracy in Deaf America)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner organization for the CEASD Capitol Connection program. CDDA participates in legislative advocacy training sessions alongside NAD.
• Deaf Collective and Co.minorGTM or Marketing PartnerDeaf-owned merchandise partner for branded products. Collaboration to create HOT merchandise including t-shirts, sweatshirts, and hoodies celebrating the company's Deaf identity and community.
• WeTravelcoreTechnology or IntegrationBooking and reservation platform used for tour registrations and payment processing. All tour booking links redirect to wetravel.com for customer registrations and payments.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Tauck: Established premium escorted tour operator offering small-group and family tours globally. Comparable product category (escorted small-group tours) but operates at much larger scale and broader audience than HOT's Deaf-focused niche.
• Collette: Long-established escorted tour operator offering small-group guided tours across global destinations. Comparable escorted small-group product category, though at broader scale and without HOT's Deaf-community specialization.

Direct peers

• EF Educational Tours: Leading operator of educational tours for K-12 schools and universities. Directly comparable to HOT's high school and ASL/Deaf Studies tour programs, both serving institutional B2B customers with structured educational itineraries.
• Intrepid Travel: Small-group adventure tour operator with global destination coverage and emphasis on authentic local experiences. Comparable to HOT's small-group escorted tour model across many shared destinations.
• Road Scholar: Educational travel company offering organized small-group learning-focused tours for adults. Highly comparable operating model to HOT's group tours, with similar pricing structure, small-group format, and emphasis on cultural immersion and educational content.
• G Adventures: Global small-group tour operator offering authentic, locally-guided trips across 100+ countries. Closely comparable business model to HOT's core group tour offering with similar small-group sizes and emphasis on local cultural connection.
• Country Walkers: Small-group active and walking tour operator offering guided trips with similar small-group format and inclusive pricing. Comparable model for delivering curated group experiences to niche traveler segments.
• Overseas Adventure Travel: Small-group tour operator focused on immersive cultural experiences for mature travelers. Comparable operating model with small groups, all-inclusive pricing, and emphasis on cultural depth rather than mass tourism.
• Accessible Journeys: Accessible travel company offering group tours for travelers with mobility, hearing, and vision disabilities. Most directly comparable peer serving overlapping accessibility-focused traveler segments with small-group guided tour format.
• Sage Traveling: Accessible travel company specializing in wheelchair-accessible European tours. Comparable niche-specialist positioning in the disability/accessible travel market, similar to HOT's Deaf-focused specialization.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/deaftours
• Facebookfacebook.com/handsontravel
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/hands-on-travel

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Hands On Travel