Following a restrictive diet doesn't mean that you can't see the world.

If you have special dietary needs and find travelling difficult, things could be looking up.

With food allergies and intolerances on the increase, the travel industry is starting to wake up to the potential of catering for this sizeable market.

One Sydney travel agency has gone as far as launching dedicated "gluten-free holidays" for those who suffer from coeliac disease or gluten intolerance.

Working with a coach operator, cruise lines and hotels, Jetset Lindfield agents Alan and Jo-anne Morgan have created gluten-free tours to Europe, Canada and Alaska.

In the future, they hope to expand into resort holidays, short breaks and other types of travel.

"It is a huge market," says Alan.

"There are hundreds of thousands of people in Australia who have coeliac disease or are gluten intolerant."

"We are reacting to demand from our clients."

Jo-anne says the agency has previously tailored trips around other special dietary needs, including one traveller with the rare genetic disorder phenylketonuria which requires sufferers to be on a severely restrictive diet.

She says travelling can be "very scary" for a person with an allergy or disorder that could make them very ill, especially if they are travelling on their own.

"Travel shouldn't be that difficult; we are making it easier for them," she says.

Many airlines and hotels are also making considerable effort with special meals, in recognition of growing demand.

Sydney Convention and Exhibition Centre executive chef Detlef Haupt, who oversees the delivery of about 1.4million meals and snacks a year, says special meals now account for up to 10percent of what is served.

Haupt says gluten-free meals are the most common request, although he has seen a huge increase in the past five years in food intolerances such as dairy, eggs, preservatives, strawberries and citrus fruit.

The range of special meals is so large that he has created a dietary requirement checklist for all events and conferences held at the centre and has a policy of preparing a large number of extra meals to cater for last-minute requests.

"It's a huge challenge and I think it is only going to increase," he says.

While some airlines are currently limited in the choices of meals they offer, this does not apply to all. British Airways, for example, now offers about 20 different special meals, from several types of vegetarian to low-protein selections.

Cathay Pacific offer a liquid diet and a pure fruit diet, as well as gluten-free, diabetic and other special needs meals.

The growing recognition of the need for special meals will be music to the ears of those who have either found travelling hard work or chosen not to travel.

Jessica, who works in the travel industry, was recently diagnosed with coeliac disease and has found it difficult to access gluten-free foods when travelling .

"It definitely is a challenge, especially when you are on the road all the time," she says.

"If you just pop into a cafe for lunch, there's not a lot you can eat."

Jessica recently flew to New Zealand and was told the airline could not provide a gluten-free meal.

She has taken to carrying a large supply of gluten-free snacks in her bag and says she is nervous about travelling to countries where she will face language barriers or a lack of understanding of special diets.

Business consultant Amanda, who travels extensively for work and is allergic to peanuts, has also learnt to carry her own food - one airline refused to serve her any meals for the duration of a 22-hour journey after she told them of her allergy.

"I can understand why they are nervous about feeding me, but it's a bit of a pain to have to carry an entire day's supply of food on board," she says.

Alan believes catering for special meals will be a growing trend in the travel industry, as other operators cotton-on to the size of the market.

He is already working with major travel companies such as APT, Holland America Line and Rocky Mountaineer Vacations.

Alan is promoting his tours through hospital allergy clinics, gluten-free expos and health-food stores and says there has been "huge interest" in the early stages.

For more information, phone Jetset Lindfield on (02)94169055 or see http://www.jetset.com.au/lindfield.

SPECIAL MEALS

IF YOU need a special meal when travelling by air, it is important to request it at the time of booking, as airlines do not routinely carry special meals.

If you have a severe nut allergy, policies vary from airline to airline, with some routinely serving nuts and others opting to be nut free, or at least peanut free.

If your allergy is severe, it is important to inform the airline, as airlines cannot stop passengers bringing nuts on board but can ask them not to open them during the flight.

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