European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - October 23, 1991, Darmstadt, Hesse Catering to americans tour companies specialize in holidays for . Skier by Norm Zeigler travel outdoor writer daunted by the prospects of your first ski trip in Europe Don t be there s help out there. Over the decades that . Forces have been stationed in Europe a number of companies have sprung up that Cater to american skiers. The philosophy behind these firms a besides profit motive a is to make it easier for americans to take ski vacations in Europe. They All do business in English and most will take care of All organizational aspects of a ski Holiday from booking rooms to arranging for lift tickets and transportation. Some even handle entertainment and extracurricular activities. Booking through a ski tour company also can save skiers Money. The companies can provide discounts because they Purchase blocks of lift tickets rooms or other facilities and services. One company owner says he is Able to provide rooms in a five Star hotel which normally go for $400 a night for $80. Quot the Price reductions Are Only possible because of the volume Quot says an official at another firm. Quot if you have five guests you can t do much. But if you have 1,000 it is another the ski companies that Cater to americans fall into two categories those that Are headquartered in a ski Region and focus on arranging accommodations and skiing in their area and those that Are based outside ski country and concentrate in setting up trips to various areas. Among the former is tyrolean Tours the oldest of the ski tour firms catering to americans in Europe. Founded in 1962 by a retired air Force master sergeant the company specializes in package vacations at several resorts in Austria s Tyrol Region. According to current owner Helmut Steger tyrolean Tours normally accommodates Between 6,000 and 7,000 americans each year. Most of the bookings Are for families or individuals and nearly All of the guests arrive by car. The emphasis is on a family atmosphere with a full Range of activities from skating and sledding to Sleigh rides and tyrolean evenings. This approach apparently strikes a responsive chord with americans. Quot seventy percent of our guests say they first heard about tyrolean Tours from friends or acquaintances Quot Steger says. Word of Mouth is also an important Factor Tor another Long established company Siegi Tours in St. Veit Austria. Owner Siegfried us Gartner focuses on providing clients a comp e vacation environment in one Region. Baumgartner says this is important because most people expect More than just skiing from a ski Holiday. Quot if people come even for a weekend trip you have to offer entertainment Quot he says. Siegi Tours includes activities with a local flavor trom musical performances to Friendly competitions in Beer drinking yodelling and cow milking. Mrs amps Jim Derti Eim traditional entertainment is popular with Many american visitors to the european Alps. In contrast to the single Region concept Germany based Scherer Tours specializes in group ski vacations to a variety of resorts. Owner Ohn Schwartz estimates that about 75 percent of his clientele is american including Quot just about every Quot american ski clubs in Europe. Quot in a sense when you Deal with clubs you re basically competing with them Quot he says. Quot because if they like a place they Book it next year to counter this Schwartz tries to come up with a few now destinations every year. Some resorts that have proved to be perennial winners for Scherer Tours. Two Are the French resorts of Chamonix and three valleys. Quot Chamonix because it s so great and has such a great atmosphere. Three valleys because it s so big Quot Schwartz says. Most of Scherer Tours trips include bus transportation accommodations and meals. But Tor the third year in a Row the company also is offering a train trip. Because the train must be chartered a year in Advance Quot we re the Only ones crazy enough Quot to do it Schwartz says. Another company specializing in dub trips is sport Tours International in mor Telden Wall Ort Germany. Quot basically John Schwartz and myself cover about 90 percent of the ski clubs Quot says company president Robert Seymour. While Scherer Tours tends to plan More trips to France Seymour specializes More in Switzerland he says. Both Scherer Tours and sport Tours International also sell trips aimed at the German Market. Seymour says some of these have a Quot Good mix of up to to Percey no americans. Ski vacations with a slightly different flavor Are available through a company that concentrate s on Itah s Dolomite Region. In addition to hitting the slopes guests c an enrol in gourmet cooking courses. American Lawrence e. Pisoni will arranged ski holidays Leer both groups and individuals. Pisoni s cooking courses Long popular with Amcy Picans Are of Tenet a cd Ither separately or in conjunction with skiing at the mail let a and Madonna i Campiglio resorts in the Renlo organizers some of the companies that Cater to americans in Europe Are listed below. Telephone numbers Are for the country listed. When calling from other countries you must add the country code. A Alpine ski Tours a-6352 ill menu 90, Tirol Austria. Telephone 05�?T 58-84 70. Owner g. Winkler t of uses on Austria s Wilder Kaiser Region and the Grossbaum ski Arena. Mostly self-drive1 vacations. Of Fco is skiing hotels and acres ski activities. Most clients Amcy Picans from the states and Europe. A git Reisen meierhof Gasse 14, a-636i hopfgarten Tyrol Austria. Telephone 0531 5-2985. Owners Helmut Frei Dorfer and Hunnes Exenberger. Git s Roe Hure emphasizes that they specialize in self-drive1 holidays hut they also arrange group packages and bus transportation. Clients Are mainly americ ans and canadians in North America and europe1. Cone Estrates on Austria s Ziller Tal St bait a and the Grossbaum ski Arena. A Holiday Tours in Lindeg Wann 9, 6200 Wiesbaden Germany. Telephone 0611-508298. Owner Meed Tild Stegemann manager Tom Wahl. Specializes in group and unit travel for Amerie ans. Also offers Tours on the German i Larket but does not mix germans and Amerie ans. Arranges trips beginning in Germany for groups As Small As 20. Will help promote trips. A lawrence1 e. Pisoni hotel broker Villa pie Earel 8070 be Zano Trento Italy. Telephone1 0461-864005. Owner Lawrence e. Pisoni. Focuses on Salt drive Vai actions in the italian dolomites but Elock a a feet a outside1 Italy. Also otters e combination Par Kages of ski holidays and gourmet e looking e . Pisoni says emphasis is on first a lass a it it Ommo Damons and food. Mainly geared toward individuals and but group Vai actions also arranged is it Herer Tours b.iyernstrasse1 72, 8700 1 to Othberg. Ermany i Telephone 09 1 -409046. Ownie Rohri Schwartz. Arranges bus trips Tor Many Amezie an ski e Seius. Also otters individual bookings Lor Amei in ans and organs. Trips generally Ine Lude transportation rooms and sometimes ski guide. Also e barters one1 ski Tram. Clientele about 75 percent americans 25 be re enl germans. Tours to a wide1 variety of ski areas trom Zermatt and St. Moritz Switzerland to Chamonix i Lam e a Siegi Tours Sandhaus rustic a a 5 it it 2 i St. Vest in Longau Austria Telephone 064 i 5-482. Woneis Sie Geneel and irene1 Baumgartner. Liners mainly family vac Alion Pae Kages in the Salzburger sport Well Region. Company also hosts Many ski clubs. Stresses a Complete vae action Ine hiding acres ski activities and enter Tammerl clientele1 mainly ame Rie ans canadians and britons a Sopro 4 chetwode1 close1, Allee a Ltd a Park oven re cv5 9na, England. Iele�?Tpheine1 020 -691 290. In i ram a the1 address is hale1 Alt nac , 5 i i Lameau ele1 i lame 74300 Arches franc e. Tele�?Tphone1 50-908767. Iwer. Nicholas a. And a quelim1 itiorpe1 liners mainly a Ell drive1 or set Fly actions in in Rane e s c Rind Mussil Regie m company will arrange1 transportation trome be a Switzerland to the resorts and provide admit e on mime bookings to Gemeva. Mainly British e liens. A sport i ours International Sehi i her i is Rase i it >08 3 Morfe dem Walldorf Germany Telephone 0<>i05 i 333 of rms Robert Seymour. Sets up hours Tor Many Amerie an ski e lulls. Also Zolleis hours open to individuals and i milies business is 90 Peri enl bus hours 1 pt1 re enl sell Winve holidays. 1 ours to ski an Sis in i ram a Switzerland Austria i Enlil be Amerie ans and Einum a tyrolean Tours Al Box it. A. T 33 it ther Dorl Lysol Austria Telephone 05 53 ii o or 31,50 it Wner i Helmut Sieger sets up mainly sell Dove alums to several re sorts m Austria s Lysol legion but also manges lops to a m Ier areas e Maside Ivarol lot Laius to holidays. Impair y otters own Nui serv kindergarten Ine lilies acres ski ii i in it ies aimed. It All age groups Ltd Lobar 2 to 1991 19
