Big Things – An Interview with Markus Bichler, CEO of TravelEdventures
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It’s time to present the man behind TravelEdventures. He always challenges us with his great ideas. He’s always there to give us input when we need it. He’s invariably got a funny joke to share, and he thinks outside the box. This man expects the best results from us, but he forgives a mistake, believing that we will learn from it. When it comes to asking him a question, he believes there’s no such thing as a silly one! He likes his employees to be well-organised and to be sure that we always deliver the highest level of service for our clients. What we do, we do passionately because he leads by example. With all of the above, along with a fantastic team and a cool boss, we strive to create big things!
Markus founded TravelEdventures in 2006 while studying at university. Through his excellent sales’ skills and the cleverly organised individually packaged trips that TravelEdventures offers, he has been able to gain more and more customers over the years. As a result, his enterprise has expanded quickly and to react to the demand, Markus employed more employees with out-of-the-box thinking. Together, we work hard to retain the high levels of service expected at TravelEdventures. I asked Markus a few questions to find out more about the man that leads TravelEdventures.
Markus, what do you expect from your employees?
I believe that work should be enjoyable, so I try to ensure that my employees are have a good time at work. While the work is demanding, there are always plenty of words of encouragement. I like to promote my employees’ strengths, especially as individuals so they work together and play to those strengths. A good working environment is very important to me, it’s not just about the development of an organisation (which is always important) but that the employees should continue to develop their skills and knowledge too. Good co-operation is essential, and I like everyone to pull together, this also creates good team structure.
What do you do to relax?
As a CEO of a company, it’s not always easy to find the perfect balance but I try to make time for sports. I particularly like football and beach volleyball, they relax me. Also, the time that I spend with the family is important to me, and that grounds me.
What are you most proud of in your life?
I always dreamt that I would run a well-run family business, and since I’m now living that dream, I have fulfilled it, and I am proud of that. I appreciate being able to work with people that I like, and fortunately that works very well in our family business!
Even our company’s wellbeing is something I’m proud of too. Our next milestone is that from 2022 we will be number 1 in our Erasmus + area in the European market. Hopefully, there will be great doors opening regarding long-distance markets, such as India, Brazil, and China.
What is your favourite travel destination?
There are so many beautiful places in the world, I can’t possibly choose! The beauty of travelling is the memory of who you made your journey with. The most important things are the moments that you share with people you like. It doesn’t have to be the most fabulous hotel or stunning beach - but the moments you experience together. For example, that could be a nice wedding with friends, or a relaxing evening around a campfire in a backyard. I remember a good meal in Zazen in Bophut, with my wife. I also recall a great food tour in Istanbul with my family, we'll all never forget that. For me, it is always about the moments you experience with loved ones, and the people you meet while traveling. To discover other cultures and when you find new places - just enjoying those special moments!
The reason that I chose this field is that initially, I was able to work after school at a language school in Salamanca, Spain. I was so excited about the opportunity, that I wouldn’t just develop on a personal level, but also learn a new language and develop professionally. This is the type of experience that anyone can benefit for the rest of their life. When I did it, the time was one of the most carefree times of my life. I didn’t realise how great this type of experience could be. Some of the most exciting things were things like, sitting with people together on a boat, sharing experiences and then making those people into friends for life. I still have friends from those days today!
What do you particularly like about your brother, who runs the office in Austria?
He always lets me win at Monopoly!
What do you enjoy most about your job?
That I can have cool, international experiences with different people and different companies around the world. I’ve created such a great network and we all work together. There are so many varied conversations with people from different countries and continents. That is what makes it so exciting.
It is inspiring to be able to offer these Erasmus+ or Turing Scheme experiences to people. I am particularly interested in the promotion of young people, and Erasmus + or Turing provides many young people with an unforgettable experience abroad that they might not otherwise have been able to afford. These experiences allow them to get to know other cultures and how people live elsewhere in the world, you can get to know the culinary differences, for example and broaden your horizons.
What are the three things in your life that are you most grateful for?
My family, my children, and at times like this, that we are all healthy.
During the interview, my boss told me that he wants every reader to be able to take something with them from our blog articles. That’s why my blog articles shouldn’t be too personal. However, I think I got a really personal interview from Markus and I would like to thank him for this, and for his time. I enjoyed getting to know you a little better!
Want more about the TravelEdventures’ story & working with Erasmus + - watch this video from Markus:
The Travel Edventures Story & working with Erasmus+ - YouTube
Or read more about our company on our blog:
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