Otmar Michaeler: Our goal is to become an internationally known brand in the camping industry as well

Croatia is faced with the challenge of labor outflow abroad, which is particularly reflected in tourism, the country's key economic sector.

However, despite this negative trend, Croatia is still recognized as a country with high-quality experts in tourism, as evidenced by the example of a large hotel company. Falkensteiner Michaeler Tourism Groupe (FMTG), which decided to open precisely for this reason reservation office u Varaždin.

This is an encouraging indication that our experts are not only competitive, but also globally respected in a continuously evolving industry.

In a conversation with Otmar Michaeler, from the executive director of Falkensteiner Michaeler Tourism Group, we learn how the office in Varaždin manages reservations for selected hotels and camps, primarily in Austria and Slovenia.

"The focus is therefore on the German language, and in the long term also on the Slovenian language. The team's tasks include processing inquiries and reservations, both by phone and through written communication channels.", says Otmar Michaeler.

When asked how they decided to open a reservations office in Varaždin, since they are not present in the destination with any of their hotels and campsites, Michaeler points out that the choice of location for the new reservations center was independent of their presence in the destination. 

“Our office in Zadar has been significantly expanded in recent years for the needs of reservations and online distribution. The planned growth of the company supports further diversification. The choice of location was independent of the existence of a hotel or a central office. After several months of assessing the potential of different countries/regions, both within and outside Croatia, we decided on Varaždin", Michaeler points out, adding that they tested during the summer  and AI support in the reservation system, which will become a permanent part of the business by the end of the year. 

"This innovation improves the quality of our multilingual communication and increases employee efficiency. In early 2025, we plan to introduce a chatbot that will use an AI database to resolve general queries faster and more efficiently.", concludes the CEO of Falkensteiner Michaeler Tourism Group.

The reservation office in Varaždin has had a team of five people since August last year, and according to the FMTU are open for further applications for their reservations team. One of the requirements is excellent German language skills, enjoyment in communicating with guests, and a passion for selling vacations.

Otmar Michaeler: Our goal is to become an internationally known brand in the camping industry as well

Falkensteiner Michaeler Tourism Group is one of the leading privately owned tourism companies in six European countries, and although they are most recognized on the market as a hotel company, they see huge potential in the camping segment, so they established their own camping unit two years ago.

Falkensteiner Premium Camping Lake Blagus opened in April this year and marks the company's first entry into the Slovenian market, and with Falkensteiner Premium Camping Zadar and Camping Hafnersee in Austria, further expansion of the camping segment is planned. 

“Camping is one of the key topics for the future. Our goal is to become an internationally renowned brand in this segment. Camping is booming and will develop from a small family business into a digitally promoted holiday industry in the coming years. Our goal is clear: we want to continue to grow, especially in four countries – Croatia, Italy, Austria and Germany – and operate high-quality campsites there. The Slovenian camping market is also very exciting for Falkensteiner. The premium campsite on Lake Blagus is our first step in this promising new market, and the initial experiences are very positive.”, Michaeler concludes.

Photo: Falkensteiner Premium Camping Zadar