Fair Travel was founded in 2008, but the idea was sown much earlier than that. I, Jeppe Klockareson started travelling our world during the late teens and what I, like so many others before and after me want to experience, is the authentic and genuine. The uncomfortable fact, that even the most authentic places in many ways had already lost their souls, made me think.
During my travels, I saw tourism in many cases, as a new colonization, take what’s needed and care less about the local economy, environment, culture, nature, animals and people, for higher profits and more money.
I decided therefore to study the tourism industry as a whole and form an opinion on my own, if everything in the tourist industry focused only on profit. Was there anyone who cared about those who suffer from the destructive rampage of tourism? Is it all about profit and money?
After having studied and worked in the tourism industry with various companies and people, I realized that there are those who share my views and are trying to do their best to make a change. I have also noticed in several cases that many are aware of the problems and talk about them, but in the end does little or nothing.
Why do companies not do anything about it? Why don’t the consumers demand more from the travel companies? Why do not suppliers show more respect? Why doesn’t one try to mitigate the adverse effects its business actually have? Why don’t we do more to try to change?
The lack of action has been very much due to the general lack of knowledge. The knowledge exists but is on the wrong level. And there is too much at stake. How do we get to a sustainable and long-term model in an industry driven by volume and low margins? Do we perhaps need to completely shift perspective?
The explanations are many. Those who want to make a change feel they don’t have the appropriate knowledge. A traveler who wants to travel more responsibly claims that he can’t afford it. The professor believes that his ideas are the only ones that are correct and others are wrong. Those who are successful are not sufficiently transparent and are less willing to share their knowledge. The major players are blaming it to be too expensive to go over and take responsibility.
Our view is that with knowledge comes responsibility and it is Fair Travel's motto. Fair Travel is not based on theories gathered from books written by someone who claims to know everything, we do not hide behind fancy words or claim that we know everything. We base everything on our own experiences and knowledge mixed with the core values, respect and empathy.
Jeppe Klockareson
Owner and founder of Fair Travel
