FairAway Travel

What FairAway Travel does

FairAway Travel GmbH is a private German sustainable-travel operator founded in 2016 and headquartered in Krefeld, with a second office in Leiden, Netherlands, operating under the sister brand Better Places. The company runs an online booking platform that connects individual travelers with a curated network of more than 50 local travel specialists living in over 50 destinations across Europe, Africa, the Middle East, Asia, and Latin America. Customers submit trip inquiries, receive bespoke itineraries designed by in-country experts, and book under German travel law as a licensed Reiseveranstalter (HRB 20749), with a €1,500 minimum booking value and sample itineraries ranging from approximately €940 to over €2,145 per person.

The platform's core product surface spans customized round trips, family trips, train journeys, active adventures, cultural trips, wildlife and safaris, winter travel, and self-drive tours, layered with ancillary services such as referral incentives, travel insurance advisory (HanseMerkur), and flight booking assistance (Squad Travel, Skyscanner, Rail Europe). Sustainability is embedded rather than bolted on: FairAway is Travelife certified, a signatory of the Glasgow Declaration, and the first German tour operator to join Tourism Declares a Climate Emergency, claiming that over 85% of revenue flows directly into destination countries and targeting a 55% reduction in travel-related CO2 emissions by 2030.

Commercially, FairAway operates a direct-to-consumer, transaction-fee model: travelers engage via the website and referral program, and revenue is generated through commissions and service fees on customized travel packages. There is no app, no public API, no disclosed funding rounds, and no AI/ML capabilities in evidence. The company is founder/management-controlled under Managing Director Ralf Wiemann, with co-founder and shareholder Saskia Griep, and competes in the DACH and Benelux conscious-travel segment against niche sustainable tour operators and general OTAs.

Name

FairAway Travel

Legal name

FairAway Travel GmbH

Website

https://fairaway.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

2016

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

FairAway Travel is a German sustainable-travel operator connecting individual travelers with a network of 50+ local destination specialists across 50+ countries, selling customized itineraries direct-to-consumer under German travel law from Krefeld and Leiden.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Customized Sustainable Travel Services

NAICS

Tour Operators (561520), Tour Operators (56152)

SIC

Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYTHAJABAL

Multi-Activity & Expedition Packages (Guided Adventure Trips)

Travel & Hospitality/Tours, Attractions & Experiences/Adventure & Outdoor Experiences (Hiking, Rafting, Zipline, Safaris)

SECONDARYTHAKADAE

Luxury Multi-Day Tour Operators

Travel & Hospitality/Travel Agencies, Tour Operators & OTAs/Tour Operators (Multi-Day Package Tours)

SECONDARYTHAAADAF

Off-Road & Overland Adventure Tour Operators (4x4, ATV/UTV)

Travel & Hospitality/Adventure, Amusement Parks & Ecotourism/Outdoor Adventure Tour Operators (Hiking, Rafting, Climbing, Safari)

Keywords

• Customized travel planning
• Sustainable tourism services
• Individual round trips
• Local travel specialists
• Responsible travel packages

Headquarters

HQ city

Krefeld

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Travel Package Bookings: FairAway generates revenue through commissions and service fees on customized travel packages sold directly to consumers. The company designs individualized travel itineraries including accommodations, activities, and local experiences, with pricing based on trip duration, destination, and customization level. Minimum booking value of 1,500€ per trip.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

FairAway Travel operates as an online travel booking platform that connects individual travelers with a network of more than 50 local travel specialists living in destinations worldwide. The German tour operator (Reiseveranstalter) designs and sells fully customized, individual round trips — including family trips, train journeys, active adventures, cultural trips, wildlife and safaris, winter travel, and self-drive tours — with a minimum booking value of €1,500 per trip. Bookings are protected under German travel law with payments to a German account.

Product overview

FairAway Travel operates as a unified online travel booking platform with interconnected services centered on individual round trips planned by local specialists. The core offering consists of a trip planning platform connecting travelers with in-destination experts for customized tours (Family Trips, European Round Trips, Train Journeys, Active Adventures, Cultural Trips, Wildlife & Safari, Winter Travel, Car Rental Tours). Supporting the core booking platform are ancillary services including a Refer-a-Friend Program (referral incentive scheme), Travel Insurance Advisory (insurance recommendations), and Flight Booking Assistance (partner booking services). The company differentiates through embedded sustainability programs including a Sustainable Travel Program, CO₂ Reduction Initiative, and Regenerative Tourism Program, positioning responsible tourism as integral to the booking experience rather than a separate product.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Individual Trip Planning Platform Online platform through which travelers submit personalized trip requests and receive custom itineraries designed by local destination experts. Targeted at individual consumers seeking authentic, off-the-beaten-path travel experiences.
• Customized Round Trips Fully customized round trip itineraries to destinations worldwide, including family trips, European tours, train journeys, active adventures, cultural trips, wildlife and safari experiences, winter travel, and car rental tours. Each trip is assembled by a local specialist based on the traveler's preferences. Pricing is quote-based with a minimum booking of €1,500.
• Local Travel Specialist Network Network of more than 50 local travel experts living in destinations worldwide who provide insider knowledge, design individual itineraries, and offer on-ground support including 24-hour availability during travel. Customers gain access to this network through booking a customized trip.

Quantifiable outcome

• 85% of revenue flows directly to travel destination countries
• +2 more outcomes

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration4 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Better PlacescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDutch sister company operating under the Better Places brand in the Netherlands. Shared operations, team members, and infrastructure between FairAway (Germany) and Better Places (Netherlands). Interns work across both offices in Leiden and Krefeld.
• TravelifecoreOthersSustainability certification organization for tour operators and accommodations. FairAway is Travelife certified, demonstrating adherence to sustainability standards in their operations.
• Forum Anders ReisenminorOthersGerman association of tourism companies committed to responsible and alternative travel practices. FairAway is a member of this network.
• Squad TravelcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorFlight booking partner that assists FairAway customers with finding optimal flights. Squad Travel provides expert flight booking services, handling changes like strikes or rebooking needs, complementing FairAway's destination planning services.
• Rail EuropeminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPartner for train ticket bookings. FairAway recommends Rail Europe for customers booking train travel as part of their sustainable travel options.
• SkyscannerminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorFlight comparison partner for customers who prefer to book their own flights. FairAway provides Skyscanner links for self-service flight booking options.
• HanseMerkurminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorRecommended travel insurance partner. FairAway refers customers to HanseMerkur for travel insurance, including foreign health insurance and travel cancellation coverage.
• Erlebe Fernreisen GmbHminorOthersEmergency services partner. FairAway shares an emergency phone number with Erlebe Fernreisen GmbH for after-hours support during customer travels.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Responsible Travel: UK-based directory and booking platform dedicated to responsible, fair-trade tourism with a curated base of small local operators; directly comparable to FairAway on sustainability-led values and small-scale, locally-sourced supply.
• TourRadar: Online marketplace aggregating multi-day tour operators for searchable, comparable booking; competes for the same multi-day round-trip customer as FairAway, though via an aggregator model.
• Evaneos: France-based online marketplace partnering with local travel agencies to build custom trips, sharing FairAway's core mechanic of routing customer inquiries to in-country experts who assemble bespoke itineraries.
• Intrepid Travel: Australia-founded global tour operator running small-group, sustainable adventure trips with strong local community engagement; a like-for-like sustainability-anchored competitor to FairAway at greater scale.
• TravelLocal: UK-based D2C platform that connects travelers with a curated network of local travel agents in destinations worldwide, operating a near-identical model to FairAway (custom itineraries from local experts, sustainability positioning, multi-destination depth).
• REI Adventures: Outdoor-adventure tour operator running guided multi-day active, wildlife, and hiking trips; overlaps FairAway on active adventures, wildlife/safari, and sustainability/leave-no-trace messaging.
• G Adventures: Canada-based small-group adventure tour operator with a similar local-supplier model and explicit focus on community tourism, often cited as a benchmark for sustainable group travel.
• Studiosus: Germany-headquartered cultural and educational tour operator with guided multi-day round trips across Europe and beyond; a comparably sized DACH-market peer with similar guided group and custom-fit offerings.

Broad incumbents

• DER Touristik: Major German tour operator group (Rewe Group) offering round trips, package tours, and special-interest travel across Europe and long-haul; represents the incumbent scale alternative in FairAway's home market.
• TUI: Germany's largest tour operator and integrated travel group; competes broadly in package tours and round trips across FairAway's destinations, though at mass-market rather than sustainable niche scale.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UC0fhflUe0CwSlqB4-A33oRQ
• Facebookfacebook.com/fairawaytravel
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/fairaway-travel
• Instagraminstagram.com/fairawaytravel
• Xx.com/FairawayTravel

Compliance4 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

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 FairAway Travel