Daniela Hausch

My journey so far

Holiday Extras was my first "real" job after university and I joined the team in February 2009. The German team was much smaller back then (as was the office!). We were about 30 people and I became the fourth member of our small Sales team. There has been so much progress, changes and development since then - for me personally as well as for Holiday Extras. I started as Sales Executive, became an Account Manager, Team Lead and "ended up" as Head of B2B Sales. Except for some months as Interim Team Lead of the eCommerce Team, which massively broadened my horizon, I always remained true to B2B sales. In Germany, travel agencies still are the main holiday booking channel, and paired with technical innovations, start ups and OTAs, it is a dynamic market, exciting to work for every day.

Life before Holiday Extras

I studied Tourism Management in Munich and besides that, tried to gather as much work experience as possible. I welcomed guests in Vienna as a hotel receptionist, sold exclusive holiday villas to high class customers at a small tour operator and promoted the beautiful holiday destinations Munich and Tegernsee while working at their tourist offices. One of the experiences that surely most advanced my communication and problem solving skills and stress resistance was working at a campground reception in Munich during Oktoberfest...

Life outside Holiday Extras

If travelling wasn't my passion, I wouldn't have known I wanted to work in tourism since I was a child. Already with my parents we travelled a lot through Europe, and I continued travelling ever since. I even have had the chance to do some longer trips for several weeks to Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore, Australia, Ecuador and Venezuela. I also try to spend my weekends discovering new parts of the world - there are so many beautiful places in and around Munich and the Alps that there is always something new to see!

Favourite places

That is so hard to tell! I guess one of my favorite trips was travelling through the National Parks of south-western USA in a camper. We enjoyed the most beautiful evenings at the campfire in stunning sceneries and hiking in the fantastic landscapes of Bryce Canyon, Arches National Park and many more.

But you don't always have to go that far: a hike in the Alps or a bike tour to one of the lakes in the south of Munich can be just as beautiful as anything you might see at the other end of the world. And on a warm summer evening, there is no better place than one of Munich's beautiful beer gardens!

My inspiration

I believe that travelling is the most inspiring thing you can do, getting to know new people, countries and cultures. But I also try to find inspiration in everyday life by learning new things and being open to any new topics. I enjoy attending lectures and events on a wide range of subject - be it history of art, change management, photography or politics. Also something as simple as reading a newspaper or magazine is inspiring to me, going into topics I have never dealt with before.