Contact & Team

We are a team of highly qualified professionals who care about a perfect interaction between you and our service providers. We work in an environment of creativity and innovation and we love to inspire our clients.

Uli Gerstmeier
Managing Partner and Theologian

I completed a Master degree of history and theology in Tübingen. While studying I spent 15 months at the university in Rome where I also worked as city and travel guide. After my university studies I worked with a large agency for package travel. Following this, I transferred to Berlin where I helped establish an incoming agency in the position of general manager.

After working for a few more years with another agency for package travel Luis Lintner and I founded APPINA TRAVEL GmbH in March 2002. I am married and have a son and a daughter. Additionally I give lectures on innovative product design for group tours at the FH Kempten.

After completing a degree in business economy at the university of Innsbruck I started my career at a large German travel agency in Southern Germany. To gain international experience I then worked in key accounts at a large airline in New York City.

Back in my home region South Tyrol I managed a large skiing area, and following that I was employed as managing director in a leading British incoming agency. In April 2002 I returned to Munich to found and establish APPINA TRAVEL together with Uli Gerstmeier. I am married and have two sons.

Alin Mueller
Sales Manager North & South America

My passion for travelling led me to work in the tourism industry. During my studies of Tourism Management at the University of Applied Science HS Harz, I gained practical experience working in the hotel industry and at tour-operators, as well as at APPINA TRAVEL.

I broadened my knowledge with studies of Tourism and Destination Development and obtained a Master’s degree. Since July 2011, I am part of APPINA TRAVEL and I am glad to assist you with organising your trips.

Denise Buchanan
Canadian & US Sales Representative

Travelling foreign countries and cultures has already interested me at an early stage. Thus, it became clear very soon that I would love to work in tourism. I completed my studies of Leisure and Tourism Management at the FH Stralsund as well as at a Spanish university.

After gaining first practical experiences at group and study tour operators in Canada and Germany, I am now part of the APPINA TRAVEL team. Since April 2011, I am pleased to assist you with all aspects of your tour.

Diana Fabricius
Sales Manager German Speaking Markets

My interest in foreign countries and in travelling was woken up quite early, especially by the tourism enterprise of my father. This arranged me to an apprenticeship as an international tourism assistant which provided me a first insight into the hotel and tourism sector. Afterwards I could broaden my skills by studying transport economics at the Technical University of Dresden.

Now, after the theoretical study and after working in a coach enterprise I have the possibility to use my skills and experiences for planning your individual tours with APPINA TRAVEL.

After studying business in the field of tourism and my successful graduation I spent several years in different countries and cultures. The most defining periods were definitely in Peru and Sweden. In the Peruvian capital Lima I worked 1 year for an incoming agency and in Stockholm almost 2 years also for a well-known DMC for group travel. Due to this international experience I speak fluent English, good Spanish and basic Swedish.

Since January 2019 I am part of the APPINA TRAVEL team and I am very glad to support your group enquiries for journeys within the beautiful and fascinating European countries in the best possible way.

Foreign countries and cultures have fascinated me from my earliest days. Saxon Switzerland, my home, is a beautiful tourism region and has influenced me in choosing challenging tourism as my industry.

My first work experiences together with my professional training I gained  in an Online Travel Agency in Leipzig and after completion I decided to join APPINA TRAVEL in their Dresden office in September 2015. I am looking forward to support your travel plannings to Germany in any way.

Monika Kruegl
Sales Manager German Speaking Markets

During my training as management assistant in travel and tourism with the emphases on city tourism and event management I could gain first experiences within the tourism industry, especially by doing practical trainings at a tour operator and a hotel. By studying travel and tourism management in England I could intensify my experiences and improve my English skills. Within this study I wrote my bachelor dissertation about the image of the Phililppines as a travel destination and with it I discovered my love and curiosity for new countries.

In Europe my heart beats for the Netherlands, Great Britain and Ireland, countries with exceptional charm. Since March 2008 I am part of the APPINA TRAVEL team and I am glad to offer you advice and assistance with your enquiries.

Victoria Schwenke
Operations Consultant

Vacation time and discovering new places is the best time of the year for me. That is the reason why I turned my passion into my career. I studied tourism management at the University of Cooperative Education in Breitenbrunn, Saxony. During my periodic internships, I sold holiday packages in a travel agency. After graduation, I wanted to further my knowledge within the organization of holiday trips and wanted to have the chance to be more creative in my work.

Since October 2019 I am part of APPINA TRAVEL and I am looking forward to offering you my support on planning your next trip.

During my commercial training program, I focused on accounting, controlling and business administration. Gastronomy, then, was my first contact with tourism. In the following years, I worked for several hotels in Dresden in their reservation, accounting and controlling departments. Since January, I wholeheartedly arrived in tourism.

Now I have the pleasure to combine my expertise in digital marketing with APPINA’s interesting group tours.

Susanne Erfurth
Contracting Manager Europe

Travelling foreign countries and cultures has already interested me at an early stage. Thus, it became clear very soon that I would love to work in tourism. I completed my studies of Leisure and Tourism Management at the FH Stralsund as well as at a Spanish university.

After gaining first practical experiences at group and study tour operators in Canada and Germany, I am now part of the APPINA TRAVEL team. Since April 2011, I am pleased to assist you with all aspects of your tour.

Isabelle Haeberle
Operations Consultant

I fell in love with the tourism industry, by successfully completing my education as a businesswoman for tourism and leisure. I was working in a spa resort in the Black Forest, where I was able to gather my first experience in organizing trips.

Afterwards I studied tourism management in Kempten to deepen my knowledge and expand my skills. Since October 2015 I am part of the APPINA TRAVEL team and I am looking forward to offer you my support on planning your next trip.

Verena Stuempfle
Operations Consultant

Growing up in Bavaria I discovered my passion for travelling and my interest in other countries and cultures after living and studying abroad in America and Spain. Therefore I decided to study tourism management in Deggendorf, where I got first insights and experiences in the field of tourism.

My first practical experience I was able to gain at a company for eventmanagement. After that I was convinced, that as my professional career I would love to plan and organize trips. Now I am part of APPINA TRAVEL since July 2017 and I am more than happy to help you organize your trips.

As a trained hotel specialist, I gathered a lot experiences in
gastronomy, hotel organisation and of course, in realizing customer requests.In recent years I workeld as vicarious banquet manager on a renowned state winery near Dresden.

Here I did anything for satisfying my guests and clients.I still
maintain this claim, and I´m very happy to bring my experiences and knowledge to APPINA TRAVEL as it´s new member.I would be glad to take part of making your journey a very special one.