Our Tour Managers

Maritza Baumeister

Back in the early 1980s I worked for a travel agency in Munich, in charge of planning and guiding special group tours to America and Africa. After my husband and I moved to his hometown in Austria, I decided to conduct tours professionally for a while – this was 26 years ago. Speaking English, German, French and Italian helped and a profound knowledge of European history favoured tours to Central and Eastern Europe. What started as “a job for the moment” turned into a passion.

I did not read about changes in newspapers, I was there witnessing those events leading up to the fall of the Berlin wall. Words cannot describe the emotions when crossing the border after re-unification of the two Germanys. I admired the drive for freedom in Hungary and I saw Ceaucescu’s Romania go down. Happy moments which were followed by very sad ones when I saw Yugoslavia ripped to pieces in a cruel war. Now a wonderful young generation rebuilds these countries and Albatross had a fantastic tour visiting Croatia and Slovenia.

 The Albatross doctrine to include visits to well known sites, thus offering the best to all participants, always appealed to me. Advanced bookings help to avoid long queues and there is plenty of time in places visited to pursue own interests.

 We are often asked about our favourite places – but is there one? The serene beauty of the Baltic States, the mystic feel of old Prague, the wide empty spaces of Hungary’s Puszta and of course charming imperial Vienna. Italy is dazzling and Slovenia’s mountains remind us of old fairy tales. Do I have a favourite place in Europe? Not really and yet, sitting at the waterfront overlooking the sunset over the Adriatic Sea in Croatia is as close to paradise as one might get.

Mary Hammond

I have been a Tour Manager for 34 years, working in almost all countries in Europe, on all types of tours, but mainly touring coach scenic trips.

I find it wonderful to show and share with guests from another continent our fantastic European treasures, which fascinate me every time I am assigned to take a group.

It is indeed a privilege to do this with the  Albatross Travel Group's tours because they ARE different, and guests experience so many such delightful places and surprises during these tours!

It is exciting to present both famous tourist sights and cities, yet also country towns and regions of outstanding architecture and beauty not usually featured on other operators' tours. Often, Albatross's Australian and New Zealand groups are the only visitors of those nationalities in areas which guide books recommend but are difficult to reach. Albatross makes this easy by including many on its tour itineraries! The hotels chosen are all so different to purposely add the charm and real atmosphere of each region.

So much thought and planning is put into making these 'European experiences with a difference', which makes me proud to take you on a really memorable dream of a tour!

I cannot say which is my favourite place to visit, as I have so many favourites!  How can one compare Rome to Paris, or the Dolomites to the French Riviera? But for me Italy is outstanding and enchanting in so many ways.

My knowledge of European languages includes German, French and Italian, and my particular interests are very wide, including European history, art and architecture to present day life and events. Without deep research into these I could not offer such informative tours.

I am honoured to take visitors on World War 1 ANZAC commemorative tours also, in the footsteps of so many recognised and unsung true heroes.

So please join myself, or one of my colleagues on a really different, yet inspiring touring experience which includes so  many sights and locations, yet not strenuous (compared to the racing pace and distances covered by other Operator's tours), on a longer tour at a pace to absorb the memories of  what you hoped and planned for. This is the Albatross experience! We know you'll like it! Most come back for more......and recommend us further!

Albatross Travel can take you to the cobble stone streets of picture perfect Bruges, the medieval squares of Ypres for the moving ‘Last Post’ under Menin Gate and the battlefields and memorials of the ‘Flanders Offensive’.

Beth Alton

I became a Tour Manager, more by necessity than design, over 30 years ago, when as a university student I took a summer job with Globus and Cosmos. I can honestly say there could have been no happier accident and I have never looked back. 

After touring extensively throughout Britain and Ireland for several years I accepted an offer to add France to my portfolio. (I speak fairly good French and a little Italian.) Naturally, I have a great love for my own country – I was born in England – but France and everything French captured my heart. Fifteen years later I’m still staggered by its sheer size, cultural and natural diversity and beauty.

Some years ago I read, ‘people don’t buy tours - they buy dreams’ and I never forgot it. I am so lucky to have a job that helps people realize their dreams. I think that’s what I love most about it. But taking a basic brochure text from the drawing board, through route planning, time planning, the research of places, cultures and histories; and finally bringing it all together to make it actually work, is another important source of job-satisfaction for me. 

Albatross prizes quality, client comfort and a broad variety of tour experiences which engenders Happy Groups so conducting tours with their clients is always a pleasure. Tour Managers in the field can have total confidence in the Albatross back-up personnel who have an impressive response time.

Aldo Jaworksi

I have been in the travel industry for over twenty-five years of which 15 years has been spent in the aviation sector (mainly airline based and tour operations) and the last 10 years as a Tour Manager. I am proud to say that this will be my third season with The Albatross Travel Group and I hope to be around for many more to come!

As my first name suggests I am Anglo Italian, my family come from a region called Calabria which is in the South of Italy and we form the foot! The Southern Italian Peninsula is the Jewel of Italy and is by far my favourite place to be, the people are the friendliest you will ever meet and both the food and weather is fantastic. As far as languages go I speak fluent Italian which is an advantage when working in Italy for most of the year. I have very good inside knowledge of the Italian culture, the country and of course the people, I feel that these three things alone are very important when touring in a country such as Italy plus my knowledge and understanding gets passed on to you our wonderful guests.

Working as part of The Albatross Team is great fun. More important to me though is that we are like one big happy family with everyone playing a very important part in the day to day running of a tour, whether being on the road or in the office everyone plays a part.  Even you our guests play a big part, please bring on tour your enthusiasm and imagination and we will supply the rest! 

I hope to welcome many of you onto our tours and into our happy family very soon.
CIAO A PRESTO!

Alan Forbes

I have had a life-long love of history and travel. With many years ‘on the road’, my knowledge of Europe is very extensive and, apart from English, I am fluent in French, German and Italian. This helps me to discover unusual people, places and stories with which to embellish my tour commentary and bring history alive.

My favourite country is Italy, closely followed by France and a raft of others.

In addition to European tours, I have been conducting Albatross ANZAC tours for ten years. My earlier career in the British Army enables me to present the campaigns and battles from a soldier's point of view to provide you further insight into the life of the diggers.

My overriding aim as your tour manager is to exceed your expectations so that you go home with life long wonderful memories of your European holiday.

Deryck Brown

I have been a tour manager since 1980 when I started conducting tours to the Oberammergau Passion Play from Munich where I was living at the time. I soon moved further afield taking in the Alpine region and cities on the 'Grand Tour' like London, Paris, Florence and Rome.

In the late eighties I became something of an expert on Eastern Europe, often travelling to the USSR and other countries of the Communist Block and of course I found it fascinating observing the great upheavals there from first-hand in the early nineties!

Throughout my career I have tried to keep in touch with 'the old country' and regularly conducted tours of Britain and Ireland.

I have always enjoyed the job, seeing new places and watching them change and of course constantly meeting new people, mostly from Australia and New Zealand. Each tour is an education for me, no matter how many times I visit a place, there is always something new to learn, often from clients on the tour.

I enjoy conducting Albatross tours because they offer something a little different from most other coach tours. The pace is generally more relaxed and the places visited often more for the serious traveller, sometimes a little off the beaten track. The three and four night stays in hotels make the operation of the tour less frantic than many other companies!

My educational background was in languages, Spanish and French to degree level, and in later years I have added German, Italian and Russian to various levels. This means that since student days I have always had a soft spot for Spain, especially the South, Granada, Sevilla etc, but nowadays feel just as happy in the rolling hills of Tuscany or the vibrant but friendly atmosphere of Munich. 

One lesson I have learned over the years is that the vast majority of people we encounter in other countries are overwhelmingly friendly when we show a genuine interest in their lives and culture. I have never had the impression that one particular nation dislikes tourists from a certain country. Respect their traditions, and we will get along fine!

Monica Ediers

Being a Tour Manager for the past 28 years, with trips to various destinations from South America to South East Asia, safaris in Africa, and Europe my greatest passion, it is one of the most fulfilling and fascinating professions that exist.

Not only the enjoyment of travelling and learning different cultures, but the social factor involved.

I love people, like to interact, socialise make a tour fun and enjoyable, like smiles on clients faces. I also like the organisational side of it, being fluent in Dutch, French, German, English, and Italian certainly helps.

My passion is Europe with its uncountable riches in history, art (I have an Art degree), culture, gastronomy, music, customs and many more. I like to share this knowledge to give more insight and meaning to the places to my passengers. My favourite country in Europe is Italy because of the abundance of above.

Nothing is more satisfying then seeing people enjoying their time in Europe in a more leisurely style, concentrated on one particular area and discover it in depth as offered by Albatross - only one company where the word means exactly that LEISURELY...with the 2 and 3 night stays. So clients go home not only with a new deep insight of a part of Europe but also with a list of new made friends and looking forward to a visit in another part of exiting Europe with Albatross!