Hello, nice to meet you! 😊

As a world traveller and global citizen, my purpose is to bring more responsible tourism to developing regions – to help you explore the world safely, promote sustainable local development, and thereby make my tiny contribution to global integration at large.

• Because I have seen too much injustice and feel compelled to make a difference;
• Because I have fallen in love with Africa and believe that responsible travel is a powerful tool to promote sustainable local development; and
• Because I believe that FairVoyage is the most effective way for me to contribute and leave this world a better place.

I started my career in investment banking in London and Hong Kong, climbed the corporate ladder to become Head of International Business Development for Deutsche Bank’s International Private & Business Clients division at the age of 30 and advised financial institutions with their corporate strategy as a Director in Mergers & Acquisitions. Then I climbed Kilimanjaro and authored the book Kilimanjaro Uncovered. An Alternative Path to Bliss – and that’s when everything changed.

I became aware of the appalling exploitation of porters on Kilimanjaro. Learning from my own guide how he almost died as a porter was just the tip of the iceberg. At the same time, I was frustrated as a traveller how difficult and time-consuming it was to organize my climb & safari. This led me to found KiliGATE.com – an online platform dedicated to ethical Kilimanjaro climbs. You can read more about my journey to social entrepreneurship on KiliGATE.

Meanwhile, I’ve travelled extensively throughout Africa and met with hundreds of tour operators and non-profit organizations dedicated to responsible tourism. This has made me aware of the need for more sustainable travel experiences globally, and brought a fair share of new frustrations about green-washing and confusing labels.

Through our work at KiliGATE, I’ve also learnt that you need a more personalized solution to help you find & customize your best conscious travel experiences across destinations, and smoothly combine them into one trip. With our team and partners at Fair Voyage, I now hope to build such a personalized offering for you globally.

• Early 2018, I’ve become a Board member of the International Mountain Explorers Connection (IMEC) to support the Kilimanjaro Porters Assistance Project (KPAP) and promote fair porter treatment globally.
• I’ve cycled all the way through Africa, from Cairo to Cape Town. You can read more about my experience on AlexCyclesAfrica.com.
• When I don’t travel, I enjoy my home in Zurich, Switzerland. Previously, I’ve lived in Austria, Germany, Latvia, Netherlands, U.K., Hong Kong, Singapore, and Spain.
• Feel free to write to me in German, French, Spanish or Mandarin Chinese.