INTERVIEW

How did the company come about?
Already after my final secondary school examinations, I wanted to start my own business.
Actually, with my own hotel or cafe. But already during the trial work I noticed that the hotel sector is not my cup of tea. As a result, I started an entry qualification in a travel agency in order to set foot in the tourism industry. The work just hit the bulls eye. Helping the customers to find the place for the most wonderful time of the year is exactly what I like to do.
In recent years, however, I noticed that the client wants more indivicual advice – the importance of the holiday has changed. In the end, this change was the sign for me, after eleven years of employment: “Now I am going to be self-employed.”

No sooner said than done…?
In principle, yes, because I had already had this step in my mind for some time.
Indeed, I had to find my way: how exactly do I want to do it? What should my concept look like” Do I enter into a cooperation or do I conclude direct agency agreements with the tour operators. In the end, I decided to go with the agency contracts. Convincing the tour operators of my concept was sometimes a challenge.

What do you do differently than others? How do you find the perfect holiday for your customers?
I work by appointment, and I also offer consultations at the customer’s home in addition to the consultations in my travel agency. That way we can take the time it takes to figure out what he likes and what he doesn’t like. Especially when the customer is not sure where he wants to go and what he expects from his holiday. Then, when a destination is in sight, I look for different offers via comparison portals. For classic package tours, I send the offers by e-mail and then we talk on the phone. Sometimes there is the right thing, sometimes there is fine-tuning. On a larger trip, where more needs to be discussed, we meet more often. The biggest thank you is the positive response. The customer appreciates my personal manner, the discret work.

How do you reach new customers?
I need to find other ways to reach new customers. Here, there is no classic pedestrian zone and therefore, of course, no occasional customers. In the beginning, I distributed flyers and wrote a newspaper article. There are also billboards running in the Stadtkanal at a certain interval. I am active on social media to publish current travel offers.

What else do you offer that is not standard in other travel agencies?
For a long time my husband and I have been dreaming of a caravan. When we found the right one, it was quickly clear that it should also go to the rental. A short time later we saw the camper van and also equipped it for a rental. So there is something for everyone. The form of spontaneous travel has become interesting for many and this should be supported. With the two “fellows”, our customers are independent. Especially with the camper van you can also stand once two nights at a beautiful lake without electricity and water supply, because it is completely self-sufficient.
More information can be found on my homepage: www.michaela-horn.de

Why did you choose Forst as your location?
Forst is my hometown. Forst has something that tells me: I want to stay here.