No matter if as employee or guest: the travel industry is not well equipped for people with a disability. We at ChargeHorizons truly believe that traveling should be possible for everyone and that eachh and every colleague as well as every guest can benefit from a more inclusive tourism sector. We had the honour of exchanging with Martin from includo – expert when it comes to creating an inclusive society. Let’s here from him first-hand:
Hi Martin, you and your team have spent a lot of time working on showcasing products and services from people with disabilities. What is your motivation behind that project?
As a teacher for handicapped children, I have had many contacts with workshops for handicapped people and inclusive companies. Therefore, I knew that these social enterprises produce unique and sustainable products. However, almost all of the manufactories have the same problem: Due to the small product range, having your own online-shop has a very poor cost-benefit ratio. Many social enterprises therefore do not have their own e-commerce base. This is why the idea of a comprehensive platform came about where customers can find many exciting products from different workshops and inclusive companies.
However, this platform should be inclusive and not exclusive to people with handicaps. This is how the concept of a comprehensive social-ecological marketplace developed.
The problem with the poor cost-benefit ratio of their own online-shops is not only faced by workshops for handicapped people, but also by many other social-ecological companies. And established large marketplaces are geared towards the greatest possible sales at the lowest possible prices and not towards sustainability. We often hear from our fair trade partners: “We actually don’t want to sell on the big US platforms because it doesn’t match our values, but we have to because that’s where the sales are.” Therefore, our (big) vision is to finally build a real social-ecological alternative to the previously established e-commerce platforms (from the USA).
“We often hear from our fair trade partners: “We actually don’t want to sell on the big US platforms because it doesn’t match our values”
What exactly is includo? Can you summarize what people can look forward to when opening your page?
Our vision is the creation of an inclusive social-ecological marketplace at includo. Sustainability has many different aspects, that have to be combined, in order to unleash the magic of change. So we want to combine the three main pillars of social-ecological change on one platform. These three pillars in our opinion are: • Products & services from social enterprises, like workshops for handicapped people and inclusive companies • Fairtrade products • Ecologically sustainable products You will already find more than 360 products out of these three pillars on our platform and each week there will be new ones to discover.
fairtrade products
social enterprises
ecologically sustainability
How do you meet the sweet spot to serve customers who are interested in buying social and those who do not care and just want a high quality item?
Of course everybody should buy products, that he/she really likes. So our goal is to collect a broad range of products with different aspects and different levels of sustainability. We work very hard, that there will soon be enough choices, so that everyone can find a product that they need and want. And of course we are very happy, when our customers also like the story behind the product.
Can you mention some examples of products you feature and the stories behind the people producing them? Which ones are particularly suitable for traveling?
Project 1: includo & Pfennigparade Foundation
Mini natural soaps from the Pfennigparade ChancenWerk in Munich made by employees with physical handicaps. They are handy to put in your luggage for your next trip.
Advantages: Social commitment, relief for the environment, improvement of the sustainability report and savings on the equalization levy
Project 2: includo & WILDPLASTIC
Since November 2024, we have also been able to offer WILDBAGS for business customers in cooperation with the Hamburg-based purpose company WILDPLASTIC .
WILDBAGS are garbage bags made from recycled plastic that has previously been removed from the environment by local collection organizations. Put one or two into your bags and support nature’s wellbeing by collecting trash that you find on your next hiking adventure.
Advantages: Cleaning the environment of plastic waste, CO₂ reduction (up to 60%) and fair working conditions in the countries of origin (e.g. India, Nigeria or Indonesia)
“The most important: treat everyone with respect.”
What can travelers in general do to support people with disabilities?
Another great possibility to support people with handicaps is visiting inclusive hotels and cafés. So I would really like to recommend the Embrace network of inclusive hotels. In fact more than 45 hotels from Germany and Europe have joined forces to form the certified Embrace network. The Embrace hotels not only offer their guests accessibility and inclusion, but also a high level of comfort, coziness and attention. At ChargeHolidays you also do not only see inclusion respected in the aspect of social sustainability, but also get direct rankings regarding the suitability for people with different disabilities. This level of transparency is definitely needed. While traveling you can contribute with crowdsourcing, adding information you observe.
What is your hope for the future of includo and our society?
We agree with Ullrich Fichtner, that we are a generation “born for the big opportunities”. So we are not the last generation of something, but the first generation, that has the urgent necessity and the potential to create a much more social and ecological regenerative future (inspired by Hannah Ritchie´s “Hoffnung für Verzweifelte: Wie wir als erste Generation die Erde zu einem besseren Ort machen”). We know all the levers and we have all the tools in our hands. So let´s go make the change and leave no one behind!
Thank you for this interview. We appreciate your work at includo, and we hope that this article inspires many others to develop a more sustainable consumer behaviour.
Lilith Diringer
This interview has been conducted by Lilith. Our CEO is eager to learn everything about sustainable travel and share deep insights with you. Her vision is to make people as well as nature profit from travelling. She wishes you a great trip wherever the next booking takes you and is happy to share details and insights on request: [email protected]