… the travel startup FairWeg?
An interview with Ralf Hieke (co-founder of FairWeg)
Könnt ihr euer Start-up in einem Satz beschreiben?
FairWeg makes it easy for customers to book sustainable and fair-trade trips without having to do extensive research.
In your opinion, what sets FairWeg apart and makes you stand out from the competition?
An overview of the FairWeg interface
For us, sustainability isn’t just one topic among many—it’s THE topic. We provide significantly more information on ethical travel than our competitors and have deliberately chosen to offer a much smaller selection of products, all of which have been carefully vetted for transparency and cover every price range. This specialization builds strong credibility with our customers.
When did the idea for the business come about?
Co-founder Mark Schumacher championed an online concept
Over dinner together. Ralf had originally envisioned a brick-and-mortar concept, but Mark thought it should be done online. Mark was right, and FairWeg was founded.
Was war der beste Ratschlag, den ihr fürs Gründen bekommen habt?
Stay calm.
Was war bisher euer größtes Erfolgserlebnis und was die größte Herausforderung?
The first “real” booking after going live was, of course, fantastic. We first asked around the team to see if anyone actually knew the customer personally… It was definitely a challenge to have founded a travel startup just before the pandemic without being eligible for government aid.
Was sind eure Pläne für die nächsten Monate?
We will continue to expand our selection of hotels and include package tours.
Angenommen ihr bekommt eine Finanzierung in Höhe von 500.000 Euro. Was würdet ihr mit dem Geld machen?
Become even faster, even better…
Where do you see further potential for innovation in the tourism industry?
Co-founder Ralf Hieke sees sustainability as a key issue for the future
In light of the climate crisis, the tourism industry must take proactive steps to do more in all areas of sustainability. Industry standards for the automated reporting of CO2 emissions or information resources on aspects of social sustainability, for example, will be essential in the future.
Welche Tipps würdet ihr anderen Gründern mit auf den Weg geben?
Stay calm.
Contact Information
FairWeg, Inc.
4 Upper Market Street
49477 Ibbenbüren
Website: www.fairweg.de
Email: service@fairweg.de
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