Where were you born? In a country that no longer exists – Yugoslavia.
How long have you been in the business? About 25 years.
What was your first job? I helped out at a travel agency on weekends, writing airplane tickets. Those were the good old days! I think we’re going back to the 70s and 80s, before the wholesalers took over the market, and now we’re working like we used to in the good old days putting together our own groups.
Do you have a specialty? I do very small groups, upmarket and to out of the way destinations. For example I just did a group to Jordan, I do rail trips, cargo cruises in Tahiti. I did river cruising way back in the early 90s.
If you could have any job in the business what would it be? I’d like to be doing what I do right now: an independent contractor. I do what I want, when I want.
What was your best FAM? To Kenya and Tanzania - it opened my eyes!
What drives you crazy? Being told what to do!
What was your biggest individual sale? About $70,000 – a cruise for a family including the grandparents.
Do you have any time management strategies? Not really. I make myself available to my clients 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
How do you cope with jet lag? It’s not a problem. Whenever I have a longer stay I’ll go to a hotel and sleep it off for 3 or 4 hours.
What do you do to keep your clients loyal? I don’t feel that I have to keep them loyal. I do destinations that are so unusual, the next thing I know I have more clients. My clients travel with me again and again.
What’s the best piece of advice you ever received? “Don’t be afraid to think outside of the box.”
If you had to spend six months in a destination, which one would you pick? Either an isolated island or somewhere where there’s big spaces such as a desert or with animals such as Kenya or Namibia.
If you weren’t doing this, what would you be doing? This is a passion for me and there’s absolutely nothing else I would want to do.
Would you like to be featured in Up Front? Email martha@gk.openjaw.xyz
