Start-up reaches new heights by catering to frequent fliers

After working together in the dietary supplement industry for 25 years, Swiss founders Adriana Burkard and Hector Bandelier  saw a gap in the market when they realized the impact that frequent business travel had on their health and well-being. 

“As frequent flyers, we’ve experienced the adverse effects travel has on circulation, such as swelling ankles, pins and needles, and calf cramps,” Burkard said. “It also can affect your sleep pattern, your gut health with varied cuisines and changing eating habits, immune health and cognitive function.”

During the pandemic, the duo set out to design a range to cater to multiple needs, launching 11 products in 2023 for travel-related health issues. 

“We were certain the world would recover from Covid and the period of travel bans,” Burkard said. “And now we see that international tourism is in a phase of continuous growth, with an increasing number of travellers seeking diverse travel experiences.”

Fast-acting products​

Bandelier explained that the key for TravelSana was to develop fast-acting products, which required formulation with higher dosages and extracts with demonstrated efficacy. 

“If you travel a lot, you need to have a product that is fast-acting,” Bandelier said. “You cannot take a product when you need it that has an effect three weeks later—it's too late, you're already back.”

The brand offers Long-Haul and Daily Circulation, which utilize pine tree extract Pycnogenol and antioxidants to enhance blood flow​ and lower travel-related circulatory discomforts. 

Daily Circulation also contains Delphinol maqui berry, known for its strong antioxidant effects, which have been shown to support vascular health​ and combat oxidative stress​.

The Gut Protector utilizes probiotic strain Lactobacillus Acidophilus, ​shown to maintain gut flora balance and support the immune system​. It is also used in the Immune Activator product alongside beta-glucans from baker's yeast to reduce the incidence of colds​.

Peak Power was designed to boost mental and physical stimulation, containing patented mango leaf extract Zynamite, standardized to more than 60% mangiferin. 

Stress Relief and Relax and Focus supplements incorporate natural extracts like saffron, shown to benefit mood and mental function​, and the Sleep Well product is formulated with Passiflora incarnata​, which has been studied for its sleep quality-improving effects​.

Soaring interest​

The products for blood circulation and sleep support are clear customer favorites, Bandelier said, as they fall into the ‘instant result’ category. 

“The difficulty with dietary supplements is that you have two categories—the first is the category that gives instant results like circulation for swollen legs, or sleep support where you see a clear difference,” he noted. 

“The second is the more preventive category with products for immune and gut health. If consumers come back from vacation without flu, for instance, that’s great, but how can they tell if it was the product or not?”

He added that it is logical that for consumers the more attractive products are the ones that make an obvious difference but said that as consumers increasingly gain an understanding of the impact of gut health, for instance, he expects these preventative products to gain more attention. 

Climate control ​

The products are available in both capsule and powder sachet form, designed to maintain their integrity and efficacy across various climates.

The capsules combine a lamination of polyvinyl chloride (PVC) and polyethylene (PE), coated with polyvinylidene chloride (PVDC), specifically designed for pharmaceutical and healthcare applications that demand high barriers against moisture, oxygen and other gases. 

The capsule design also includes red carrot dye to provide UV protection to the contents, and both the capsule and sachet packaging are tested in-house for water resistance.  

“The testing ensures that our packaging outperformed traditional bottles and blister packaging in any environment, particularly in areas with high humidity levels,” Burkard said. “We were able to prove their superior performance in protecting the active ingredients from moisture—a common challenge in varying climates.”

TravelSana has also collaborated with African Greenland Safaris and Travel GmbH, a safari tour operator and travel agency, to conduct real-world testing.