Interview: Markus Bichler – CEO of Travelmania
We talked to our boss Markus Bichler about the company, travels and the best places in the world. Today you can read the first part of the interview:
Social Media Group (SMG): How was the company founded?
Markus Bichler (MB): After I finished school I went to Spain for a year to work at a language school and this was a really great experience. Basically I worked with other interns on marketing projects concerning the language school and the huge success of the projects inspired me. When I went back to Austria I started my studies of Business Administration at the university in Innsbruck. Before we even started with university my brother, Andreas and I, came up with the idea of Travelmania and that was when the company was founded in February 2006.
SMG: Could you define the products and services you are offering?
MB: We offer a range of products and what everything has in common is that we want to make a difference and offer great value trips for a reasonable price. We offer educational products such as language courses – individual and for groups, party trips for students and working-holiday-internships. With the help of our interns we also support non-profit organizations, for example the Bussurfing.org project or local companies around Valencia that need our help.
We have many innovative projects. Another example is “Scholarship-Jungle” a WIKI for scholarships and grants for students all over Europe.
One of the new and really cool things we offer are our innovative weekend-get-aways where we want everyone to experience the city or country they are visiting just like a local person would do it. We call it “Real Life Tourism“.
SMG: What are the milestones you are most proud of?
MB: I’m most proud of the opening of the office in Valencia in 2011, the start of our new and very promising project “Bussurfing.org“ in January 2011, the internship we organised in Sydney in 2011 and the temporary office in Montpellier in the summer of 2010. Coming up with the idea of our newest project called “Micro Business Angels”.
SMG: What are your main goals for the next three years?
The first goal for the next three years will be the worldwide expansion of Travelmania with office locations in Thailand, Costa Rica, Sydney and Montpellier. I am also thinking about opening temporary offices, for example in San Francisco which is an awesome city. My second goal will be to register “Bussurfing” as a non-profit agency and establish the brand in Europe. Bussurfing should be known as a young and environmentally friendly travel option. In general I really want to help non-profit organizations and communities in need from all over the world.
Another goal for the next few years is to involve people in the process of creating new and innovative ideas for the company. A tool for that could be the use of social media.
A long term goal I want to achieve in the next few years is writing a book. The title should be something like: “How I became a millionaire by doing good” It is basically about how to create win-win situations for communities, the environment, customers and everyone else involved and still running a profitable business. Of course this is only possible if everything works out the way I have planned it. (smiles)
SMG: Describe a normal day at work.
MB: My normal day starts at 9.00 when all the interns arrive at the office. Then I get ready to talk to them, get updated on their progress, assign and supervise projects or give them general input.
In the afternoons I generally write down all the concepts for the new projects we are working on, for example the Thailand or Sydney internships, but the thing is that it is hard to describe a “normal day” at work, because the work never ends. Sometimes I would just work all night long – but I really love my job so it doesn’t feel like hard work!
Don’t miss the second part of the interview tomorrow!
Travelmania 