Guest Bio
Mari-Liis Luha is a seasoned professional who has been with Taisto Bussid for nearly 25 years, managing partnerships and client relationships in the travel and transport industry. She has dedicated her career to ensuring that every collaboration with travel agencies, tour operators, and corporate clients runs smoothly. Known for her proactive approach and exceptional attention to detail, Mari-Liis blends her deep understanding of the tourism sector with a passion for logistics to create lasting and efficient solutions. She’s driven by a commitment to fostering trust and maintaining long-term relationships with clients, ensuring their travel experiences are seamless from start to finish.
Show Summary
In this episode of the Big World Made Small Adventure Travel Podcast, host Jason Elkins interviews Mari-Liis Luha, Sales Director of Taisto Bussid, a company specializing in transport solutions across Europe. Together, they dive into Mari-Liis’ journey from growing up in post-Soviet Estonia to her pivotal role in the tourism and transport sectors. They discuss how Estonia’s evolving economy has shaped its tourism industry and how flexibility and adaptability in the industry have become paramount. Mari-Liis also sheds light on her passion for her work and offers advice for those seeking a career in tourism, especially those interested in the logistics and transport side.
Key Takeaways
- ✓ Mari-Liis Luha’s journey with Taisto Bussid spans over 25 years, offering invaluable insight into the changing landscape of European tourism and transport.
- ✓ The economic transformation of Estonia post-independence created new opportunities for growth, including in the tourism sector.
- ✓ Flexibility in the tourism industry is essential to meet the varying needs of clients, from corporate groups to individual travelers.
- ✓ Personal relationships are at the heart of Taisto Bussid’s business model, with a focus on long-term partnerships and understanding clients’ needs.
- ✓ Estonia’s digital evolution has helped the country streamline services, making it a leader in both digital citizenship and business practices.
- ✓ A passion for customer service drives Mari-Liis to continue evolving her skills and ensuring the highest standard of service for Taisto Bussid’s clients.
- ✓ Family travel requires adaptability, and Mari-Liis shares how tailoring services to children and families is key to successful travel experiences.
What You’ll Find at Taisto Bussid
- ✓ Comprehensive European travel transport solutions, from airport transfers to cross-country group tours.
- ✓ A highly responsive sales team that tailors transportation packages to suit any client’s needs, big or small.
- ✓ Long-term partnerships with both travel agencies and corporate clients, with a focus on creating lasting, productive relationships.
- ✓ A client-first approach, ensuring that each collaboration is based on understanding and flexibility, crucial in today’s ever-changing tourism market.
- ✓ A reputation for reliability with a history of exceeding client expectations and providing high-quality service, no matter the scale of the project.
👉 Visit Taisto Bussid Official Website to explore their services and learn more about Mari-Liis Luha’s work in the travel and transport industry.
Learn more about Taisto Bussid | Europe and connect with Mari-Liis at:
https://www.taistobussid.ee/
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Podcast Transcript
This transcript is auto-generated on recording, and has not been edited by a human. It may contain lots of mistakes, crazy words, and stuff that makes no sense. The host and the guest are not responsible for the accuracy of the transcript.
Jason Elkins (00:01.046)
Welcome back everybody to another episode of the Big World Made Small podcast for the adventure traveler. Today we’re doing something slightly different, still along the same lines of adventure travel and getting out and exploring, but it will be a little different and you’ll see why here in just a moment. Today we’ve got Mari Liis Luha. She’s the sales director for Taisto See, I knew I was going to get it wrong. Taisto style bus company and Mari Liis and my
I know I pronounced that wrong. So help out our listeners and make sure that they hear at least one time correctly. How do you pronounce the company name? To make it easier for Jason. Well, I appreciate that. We how many times did I repeat it before I pushed record and then still still stumbled right over it? I know it’s it’s a it’s an easy word for you.
Mari – Liis Luha (00:35.874)
Hello everybody, the company name is Taisto Pusit but we can keep on the shorter version Taisto Bus Company Yes, yes exactly, yeah
Jason Elkins (00:58.578)
I not not so much for me. Well you say that now but just a moment you said in Estonia we pronounce it pretty much exactly like it’s But the way yeah anyway the way so thank you so much I appreciate that. Mari Liis I’m so happy to have you here on the show this is going to be a lot of fun we’re gonna have a nice conversation.
Mari – Liis Luha (00:59.075)
Just few times, it’s not so bad. Estonian is really difficult language.
Mari – Liis Luha (01:11.946)
Yeah, that’s true.
Jason Elkins (01:25.656)
And let’s do this. We’re going to really get into kind of your background, how you got from where you were to where you are now. But before I do that, especially with the way I slaughtered the pronunciation of the bus of the company’s name, let’s give everybody a quick idea. What is Taisto Bussid Bus company in Estonia. What do you guys do?
Mari – Liis Luha (01:48.75)
One more time hello to everybody, I’m really nice to be here and then to have this conversation with you. Our company is Bus Rental Company. We are here already over 30 years. We work almost all over Europe and at the moment we have 32 buses.
Jason Elkins (01:50.68)
One more time, hello everybody and it’s nice to be here and to have this conversation with you. Our company is Bus Rental Company. We are here already over two years. We work almost all over Europe. And at the moment we have 52 buses.
Mari – Liis Luha (02:17.922)
Mostly bigger charter buses. I have been working here in the company now 24 years and 11 months. So next month in August, I will celebrate my 25th anniversary. So I would say it’s a pretty big thing. don’t you think?
Jason Elkins (02:21.312)
I have been working here in the company for 24 years and 7 months. So next month in August I will celebrate my 25th anniversary.
Jason Elkins (02:42.43)
Yeah. Yeah, it’s a huge thing. I bet you’ve seen a lot of things change both with the company tourism and probably Estonia as well. I’m excited to chat a little bit about Estonia because it’s not an area that I know very well. I’ve never been and I have some ideas in my head, but they’re probably not quite right. So you’re to help me correct some of those. But before we do that, real quick.
You mentioned bus rentals and some of our listeners are going to wonder, does that mean I rent the bus and I drive the bus or is this charters? Do they come with drivers? That type of thing. So let’s clear that up.
Mari – Liis Luha (03:17.1)
Yeah. It’s a charter bus company. this means our clients are basically all tour operators, companies with people over 10, 10, 10 person, all schools, some kind of
Jason Elkins (03:39.906)
some kind of sports clubs, sports unions
Mari – Liis Luha (03:43.886)
sports clubs, sports unions. So basically every collective which is bigger than ten people. We provide transport for all of them. And we really do work all over Europe. So from Tallinn to Spain to even Morocco.
Jason Elkins (03:53.816)
every collective which is bigger than 10 people. They provide transport for all of them. really to work all over Europe, from Tallinn to Spain to even Morocco, Turkey. Yeah, forest places in the region.
Mari – Liis Luha (04:12.738)
Turkey. yeah, so biggest or the farthest places where we have been with our buses. So we do it all. It’s a big variety.
Jason Elkins (04:24.276)
Okay, very cool. Yeah, yeah. And some of our listeners might be listening to this, well, Jason, where’s the connection with adventure travel? You know, we use the term adventure travel here on the show quite a bit. And I’ve anybody that’s listened to this has heard me say, well, that’s a kind of the definition is dependent on the person. I’ve always told people it’s not big cruise ships. It’s not all inclusive beach resorts.
So why are we having this conversation with you? One is because you’re interesting and I want to hear your story. But also it’s relevant to a lot of our listeners that are tour operators. I know that there’s people who listen to this show that because I see them in the in the groups. I’m in some social media groups and they say, hey, does anybody know a charter company that can do transportation for me and in here, here, here or here? So that’s why I thought it would be really worthwhile for you to come on, because you can have a group of
10, 20, 40 that are going on some sort of adventure. you know, that it’s different for everybody, but that’s anyway, I just want to share. That’s kind of why I thought it would be would be super interesting for our listeners to hear from you. And now that we got that other, we’re going to come back to that. But now let’s go back. You said you’re almost 25 years or so. I want to know what you were doing before this.
Mari – Liis Luha (05:37.166)
Yeah.
Jason Elkins (05:47.34)
before you came onto the company and how do you think you got there? So tell us a little bit about your childhood, if you will. We won’t analyze it too much, but.
Mari – Liis Luha (05:55.534)
Well, my childhood lies back in Russian time. I come from a small town in the centre of Estonia. Of course, back in these times we didn’t have much possibilities to travel. But I was lucky, our school had a partner school in Germany.
Jason Elkins (05:59.256)
was back in Russian time, from the small town center of Estonia. Back in these times we didn’t have much possibilities to travel. But I was lucky, I had school, I had a partner in Germany. So already during my school time I had the possibility to travel to Germany a few times.
Mari – Liis Luha (06:20.172)
Already during my school times I had the possibility to travel to Germany a few times. And of course this woke up my interest in traveling and then traveling business and this to work in tourism has been always already since my childhood like my biggest dream. And when I finished my gymnasium
Jason Elkins (06:46.936)
Okay.
Mari – Liis Luha (06:49.918)
I went to university to study German language. And then I already started to look for a job in tourism. I tried a few travel agencies. They didn’t want me. I don’t know why, but now I can say it was lucky that it went out like this. And then I found
Jason Elkins (07:05.496)
travel agencies, they didn’t want me, I don’t know why. But now I can say it was lucky, that it went out like this. And then I found Christophe and quite a bit of work.
Mari – Liis Luha (07:21.81)
and fight it through a really big competition to get the place there. And then already during my university studies, I started as a sales manager. This was 19… Oh, sorry, 2000 it was, not 19, yeah. Yeah, 2000 in August. Like I said, now next month, it will be 25 years.
Jason Elkins (07:24.728)
We need some proficiency to get the place there. To get the job. During my university studies, I started as a sales manager. This was 19, oh, sorry, 2000. Yeah,
Mari – Liis Luha (07:49.94)
And since then…
Jason Elkins (07:50.136)
Alright, so I have a few questions before we go any further. First of all, do you remember, how old were you the first time you were able to leave Estonia and go to Germany?
Mari – Liis Luha (07:53.805)
Yeah.
Mari – Liis Luha (08:02.893)
Let me think, I was 13 or 14 years old. Through the school, yeah. This was Eastern Germany this time and when we went there for the first time, Germany was in two parts.
Jason Elkins (08:10.712)
and this was through the school. You said you had a partnership with a school in Germany. What did your…
Mari – Liis Luha (08:28.874)
Eastern Germany and Western Germany. then we had the school in the eastern part. And then when we went the next time, the wall was already taken off so that we could also travel to West Germany. back these times, this was absolutely a huge thing which was available only for very rare occasions.
Jason Elkins (08:40.472)
can imagine.
Mari – Liis Luha (08:57.376)
So this was a really huge thing back this time.
Jason Elkins (09:01.624)
What did your parents think of you just initially going to East Germany around 13? Was that a big deal for them? Tell me a little bit about kind of what you I would think so, but were they supportive?
Mari – Liis Luha (09:11.744)
Of course.
Mari – Liis Luha (09:16.938)
Of course, of course, this was a very big thing. The funny story was that we didn’t have our own passports this time yet because we were just children. then the principal of our school was like the father for all the children which were travelling.
Jason Elkins (09:20.524)
This was very interesting. The funny story was that we didn’t have our own passports. We were just children. then the principal of our school was like the father.
for all the children which were traveling. our pictures, names, and everything was filled with the principal’s postcards. wow. OK. Yeah.
Mari – Liis Luha (09:46.503)
and our pictures and names and everything was filled into principal’s passport.
Yeah, so he had like 15 children in the passport. So he was responsible for us and then we had to be all in his passport. yeah.
Jason Elkins (10:00.536)
So he had like 15 children in the passport. So he was responsible for us and we had to be all in his passport. Was this an attempt to make it look like you all were his children for some reason? wasn’t, right?
Mari – Liis Luha (10:18.542)
No, no. It’s… Now I’m a bit confused with English. But… No, no. This was an official visit and it was not possible to have We were like 13, 14 years old and we didn’t have our parents in the group.
Jason Elkins (10:28.344)
English? no, you’re great. This was official. is, and it was not possible to have, we were like 13, 14 years old and we didn’t have our parents. Right, so he was responsible. He was the, got it. And we were all in his passport.
Mari – Liis Luha (10:47.832)
traveling with us. So he was responsible for us and we were all in his passport. So I can remember that this was very funny for us because we have never seen something like this before. But of course, this affected, I think, the possibility to travel already then.
Jason Elkins (10:55.688)
Okay, all right.
Did you?
Mari – Liis Luha (11:16.014)
during these years when everything was closed and you even couldn’t dream about travelling to Europe as a child, this has affected my life in very big way.
Jason Elkins (11:34.712)
I can imagine I’ve spoken with a few, few people here on the show that had a similar experience. Obviously, it’s not your experience. But what I hear you saying kind of sounds familiar to other people that that mentioned they had an opportunity for one reason or the other to to leave the is appropriate to say Soviet Bloc countries. And they had the opportunity to go somewhere else. And they were just really kind of just
Mari – Liis Luha (11:57.358)
Yeah,
Jason Elkins (12:04.234)
impacted I guess by the different cultures, different things. I’m curious at that time were the financial or economic situation, was it very different between Estonia and Germany? So like when you went to Germany did it seem like things were a lot different?
Mari – Liis Luha (12:05.72)
Yes.
Mari – Liis Luha (12:24.782)
Yes, it was very very different because I can remember for Estonia Estonia got his independence approximately at the same time and then we didn’t have much here at all and our German friends sent us packages with chocolate and I don’t know with
Jason Elkins (12:38.946)
and then we didn’t have much. Our German friends sent us packages, chocolate and…
don’t know, with some kind of different food, so that… For example, for the first time then I got Ferrero Rocher chocolate. was candy. And this was like a dream, because I have never seen something like this. It’s a small thing, but the difference was huge.
Mari – Liis Luha (12:53.87)
with some kind of different food so that… For example, for the first time then I got Ferrero Rocher chocolate, those candies. And this was like a dream because I have never seen something like this. Such a small thing, but the difference was huge.
Jason Elkins (13:20.854)
Were your parents? So I’m curious because I spoke with someone else that had mentioned when she had left, don’t honestly have to dump my head. can’t remember where she, which country she was in, but she’d went to another part of Europe and the grocery stores were full of stuff and there were just so many different options. And I remember she had said that she had a little, you know, one of those little
box cameras or whatever that she had with her and she was traveling and she was reluctant to take photos of the grocery stores full of stuff because she didn’t want her mom to feel bad back home. She didn’t want to feel like, look at all the great stuff over here, but we don’t have it in our country. Do you recall any feelings of like that or were you excited to go back and tell your parents about all the stuff you’d seen?
Mari – Liis Luha (14:12.96)
I would say the other way around. I was really happy that I see and enjoy it and of course take as much as candy with me back home and to give it to all my friends who haven’t had the possibility to go there themselves. I was just happy, just so happy.
Jason Elkins (14:14.072)
I would say the other way around, yeah. But I was really happy that I could see and enjoy it and of course take as much as candy with me to home and to give it to all my friends who haven’t had the possibility to go there themselves. Yeah, I was just happy. Just so happy.
I’m curious, you mentioned your friends that weren’t able to go. What was it that allowed you to go as opposed to them? Was it just family, financial considerations? Why were you able to go to Germany but maybe some of your friends didn’t? Did they not want to or what? Tell us more about that. We were chosen because we had German lessons. Okay.
Mari – Liis Luha (14:58.158)
We were chosen because we had German lessons at school and the best students who had the best results were chosen for the group. so I think my interest for foreign languages has also started from there because our first German teacher were actually a few
Jason Elkins (15:06.552)
the best students who had the best results, choose them. I think my interest for foreign languages has also started from there.
Mari – Liis Luha (15:27.566)
few of the teachers where we started were not so good. I had no interest, especially in German language. But then we got absolutely best teacher in the world. And then already the opportunity came to travel to Germany. And not only once, but I think during gymnasium, we went there twice. And also the German students came to visit us.
Jason Elkins (15:43.16)
And then already the opportunity came to travel to Germany. And not only once, I think the nation went there twice. Also the German students came to visit us.
Mari – Liis Luha (15:57.12)
So then I was completely sold already. And I started to study German language, then English, Russian, now Finnish. So as a person in a small country, I need to speak different languages. And I do. Yeah, sure. Absolutely.
Jason Elkins (15:59.6)
Yeah
First, in a small country, need to speak differently. Well, that probably helps a lot with the business. And I’m sure it helps a lot with the business because you mentioned you guys are doing business throughout Europe. Did the German kids that came to visit you in Estonia, were they studying Estonian? No. They just came to visit us, but they didn’t.
Mari – Liis Luha (16:36.138)
No, no, no, no. They just came to visit us, but they didn’t have to study Estonian. They were just enjoying the free time so that they were away from home and from the parents. They were pretty crazy.
Jason Elkins (16:44.12)
They were just enjoying the free time so that they were away from home and from the parents. It was really crazy. So what do you recall? What did the German kids that came to Estonia, do you remember what their impressions were at that time? Do you remember what they thought about Estonia? For young people, they were just happy to get away.
Mari – Liis Luha (17:01.898)
I think for young people they were just happy to get away. of course we tried to provide these interesting programs and sightseeing as it was possible. And I mean they had more money, of course, obviously, and then they could have more fun and then enjoy it here as well. it was actually it was fine.
Jason Elkins (17:27.928)
Actually, it was fine. You know, a question that I’m thinking that maybe some of our listeners are thinking. So I grew up in the United States during this time. I remember when the wall came down. I remember where I was when I was watching it on the news. And honestly, back then, if you’d asked me what the difference is between Estonia and East Germany,
I would say, well, culturally maybe, you know, they’re different countries. But the way I was raised is like every country in the Soviet Union was about the same when it came to finances or economic opportunity. I don’t know if I’m so I guess the question is when you say, well, obviously the German kids had more money. And like, well, okay, that’s interesting. I guess it wouldn’t have been obvious to me. So help me understand.
What was going on that Germany, so what I hear you saying is Germany was much better off financially during those times than Estonia was.
Mari – Liis Luha (18:33.326)
Maybe not much better, but definitely better. I can remember one case. It was just the summer when Estonia got our own money. Oh, now I can’t tell you what year it was. 92, 93, I’m sorry. Maybe I would have checked it up, it was early 90s.
Jason Elkins (18:54.232)
Okay.
Mari – Liis Luha (19:01.762)
when the Soviet or Russian ruble, it was already nothing worth. So it was really, really low. And then the exchange rate, what we could exchange to our crowns was really bad. So the first summer, I can remember, was really, really difficult for us. And then the German came.
Jason Elkins (19:04.278)
Right
Mari – Liis Luha (19:30.094)
Germans came to Estonia and we went to eat in a restaurant and they saw for the first time the 500 crown bill which I have, I think my mother got 50 crowns when she, 50 or 70 or something, it was a really small amount in the beginning what we got. And then the Germans are coming.
Jason Elkins (19:34.154)
went to eat in a restaurant and I saw for the first time the 500
Jason Elkins (19:44.539)
I think my mother bought 50 crowns. 50 or 70 or something. was a really small amount in the beginning. Then the Germans are coming and show, oh, I have here this 500. What can I get for it? It was the difference.
Mari – Liis Luha (19:59.894)
and show, I have here this 500. What can I get for it? No. So this was the difference. I have even never seen this kind of sign or how you say it now. 500. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.
Jason Elkins (20:09.874)
Okay. Denomination, yeah. That is super, super, and these are like teenage kids showing up with. Okay, all right.
Mari – Liis Luha (20:25.39)
This 500 had the teacher, of course, not the kid. But still, the teacher was living in our apartment, so that’s why I saw it too.
Jason Elkins (20:36.996)
Okay, because I’m thinking these kids are these kids are gonna get robbed. Walking around flashing that flashing that kind of money. All right, let’s let’s stick on this topic for a little bit. Let’s fast forward because I know a little bit about Estonia know a little bit about kind of the finances and then you know, some of the things they’re doing. But maybe some of our listeners don’t. let’s let’s compare Estonia back then.
to what’s going on in Estonia now. And I’m not asking you to, don’t expect you to be a financial, you know, it’s not a financial podcast, but let’s give our listeners kind of an idea of what’s happening in Estonia now when it comes to that.
Mari – Liis Luha (21:17.702)
it’s quite day and night, I would say. Or night was then and day is now. because now Estonia tends to be, I don’t want to say is, but tends to be very modern and very fast forwarding. If it’s possible to say like this and then…
Jason Elkins (21:26.936)
Yeah.
Mari – Liis Luha (21:44.802)
And I think all the companies who want to achieve something have already long time ago understood that Estonia is very small. If you want to achieve something, you have to go abroad. And this is what we have done as well. If we would work only in Estonia, we would be really tiny. But since I’m working all over Europe,
Jason Elkins (21:46.488)
I think all the companies who want to achieve something have already long time ago understood that Estonia is very small if you want to achieve something you have to go abroad. this is what we have done as well. If we would work long late in Estonia, we would be really tiny. But since I’m working all over Europe,
Mari – Liis Luha (22:15.529)
We are doing fine. Let’s say so. You have to be international and you have to go out from here because Estonia is so tiny. We are just a bit under 1.5 million people here.
Jason Elkins (22:16.632)
Yeah, yeah.
Jason Elkins (22:28.088)
Estonia is so tiny. Right. Just a bit under 1.5 million people here. But isn’t Estonia one of the maybe more well-off countries financially in Europe? Even though it’s small, and I understand you need to leave the country to do business. But there’s…
the people that live in Estonia are doing pretty well compared to other parts of Europe. Is that right or am I wrong?
Mari – Liis Luha (23:01.774)
I don’t know. I have an idea, I don’t want to criticize.
Jason Elkins (23:03.896)
I have no idea. No, I have an idea, I don’t want to criticize it. OK, OK, we can change the subject. I will ask you this, It’s very easy, because that’s
Mari – Liis Luha (23:15.982)
It’s very difficult at the moment because I really don’t want to go into politics but at the moment our government is on a really wrong way. Let’s stop it there!
Jason Elkins (23:23.704)
Yeah.
Jason Elkins (23:27.8)
Okay, well let’s move right along here because we don’t want to get to the point where I have to come back and add it. Well, the reason I ask the question is because I understand you have things like electronic citizenship and the banking industry there is quite a bit different than maybe some of the other countries.
Mari – Liis Luha (23:34.283)
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, we’re doing fine. It’s okay.
Mari – Liis Luha (23:46.732)
Mm-hmm.
Mari – Liis Luha (23:51.522)
Yes.
Jason Elkins (23:52.856)
And I also, I live the digital nomad life. So I travel around and I hear people talking about getting citizenship in Estonia and some of the interesting things that are happening there. So that was just kind of what I was curious about. We are very advanced in this matter. Very much advanced. Yeah, it sounds like it. I I spent a lot of time in Latin America and they’re making some advancements here, but I think maybe some of the stuff you’re doing is quite a bit different.
Mari – Liis Luha (24:07.598)
We are very advanced in this matter, very much advanced.
Mari – Liis Luha (24:22.798)
Mm-hmm. For sure.
Jason Elkins (24:22.808)
than what I’ve been seeing. let’s, okay, now we’re gonna go back again, because I’m still fascinated by your childhood. I think that was super interesting. Your parents, what kind of work were they doing? Were they doing anything that would lead, that would help explain how you ended up wanting to take German? And well, maybe you didn’t wanna take German until you found a good teacher. You mentioned that you weren’t really that interested.
Mari – Liis Luha (24:30.499)
Mm-hmm.
Jason Elkins (24:50.776)
until that one teacher came along. But was there anything going on in your family that influenced you in doing that? Not really. They were just simple people. My mother was a teacher. My father was being a lawyer.
Mari – Liis Luha (24:59.49)
Not really. were just simple people. My mother was a teacher. My father has been in Yeah, construction business for his whole life. just what was important to me is to get a good education.
Jason Elkins (25:12.248)
Okay.
Mari – Liis Luha (25:28.972)
because this I already knew from childhood, beginning from my childhood, that good education is the key for everything. this was important. Yeah, but yes.
Jason Elkins (25:38.264)
Well, you mentioned your mom was a teacher. You mentioned she was a teacher, so I suspect that might have had some influence on the education desire to.
Mari – Liis Luha (25:46.294)
Yes, that for sure. It’s actually, I don’t know how you say it now, it’s popular or it’s very common in Estonia that we like to go to the university as well and then to get the good education. So everybody knows that and this is like this. But to come back to this German language is that…
Jason Elkins (26:07.192)
come to this German language is that, like I mentioned, I come from a small town, of course, we didn’t have so many opportunities there.
Mari – Liis Luha (26:12.974)
Like I mentioned, I come from a small town, and of course we didn’t have so many opportunities there. this German language seemed to be very interesting, especially when I already knew that we have this partner school in Germany, and when it gives you the opportunity to travel, then of course you do.
Jason Elkins (26:22.424)
This German language seems to be very interesting, especially when I already knew that we have this partner school in Germany and when it gives you a lot of trouble, then of course you do all to get to this school.
Mari – Liis Luha (26:42.667)
all to get to this group.
Yeah.
Jason Elkins (26:52.428)
were so so not so interested and he was a great teacher was he Estonian or was he German okay she okay if you didn’t if she didn’t show up in your life at that time and really get you enthusiastic about German do you think do you think you would have ended up going to Germany do you think I mean what role did that teacher play in your life do you think yeah
Mari – Liis Luha (26:58.146)
Yes, yes, yes, she, it was a she.
Mari – Liis Luha (27:15.918)
Might be. Might be different, honestly. I have told her, luckily, when we have these school reunions in every five years, I have told her that she has a big role to play in my life, where I am now and how it has turned out.
Jason Elkins (27:29.688)
I imagine it sounds like it. she does she speak do you know do you happen to know if she speaks English?
Mari – Liis Luha (27:45.282)
So yeah, it’s important.
Jason Elkins (27:52.962)
Well, you need to make sure she listens to this conversation. Give a big shout out to her. All right. So anyway, so go back. So when you went to school, were, tell me again, what were you studying in the university? Was it?
Mari – Liis Luha (27:57.132)
Yeah, I will give her the hint. Yeah, yeah, absolutely.
Mari – Liis Luha (28:14.627)
German language and literature. this was the main…
Jason Elkins (28:17.432)
and literature, okay?
Mari – Liis Luha (28:25.856)
the word. name and economics was the side. German language. Literature. yes.
Jason Elkins (28:27.544)
or the major. so like the major, your major was, was German and literature and then economics. She as your minor. Okay. Very cool. And you, I think we need to go here because you’d mentioned that it was pretty competitive to get the job there with the company. You mentioned that you really had to compete. So tell us more about that. What do you think? I don’t know. Just tell us more about that.
Mari – Liis Luha (28:55.758)
Yeah, well, it was a real competition with I know I don’t remember exactly how many People came there but definitely over ten then two of no me and two more but chosen for the last round and then we had to make Day in in office
Jason Elkins (29:05.954)
people
Mari – Liis Luha (29:24.546)
to see how it all works. And it was tough because I was in Tartu in the university city during these days and I had to come to Tallinn office. It’s our capital. And you know, when you are a young student with no much experience and then there are some important ladies.
Jason Elkins (29:33.08)
I was in Tartu in the university city, and I had to come to file an audit.
Jason Elkins (29:49.62)
Mari – Liis Luha (29:54.902)
Sitting in the office, one first candidate comes, then the second one comes, and I was the third one. And they were already like had enough of the candidates. And they were absolutely not nice to me. So I said, okay, I don’t care. I want to have this job. You can do whatever you like to do, but I will get this job. And then, yeah, I did.
Jason Elkins (30:16.728)
I don’t care, I want to have this job, can do whatever you like to do, but I will get this job. What was it most about the job? We kind of touched on that it was an opportunity maybe to engage with the rest of the world, tourism, hospitality, but in your own words, what was it that you wanted that job so badly for?
Mari – Liis Luha (30:24.494)
Mm-hmm.
Mari – Liis Luha (30:40.046)
Yeah, back in the beginning of 2000s it was really popular in Estonia to travel in Europe by bus because people had not so much money that they could travel by plane and then they rented or chartered buses and everybody, all groups went somewhere by bus, not by plane.
Jason Elkins (30:45.176)
was really popular in to travel in Europe by bus. People had like too much money to travel by plane. And then they rented chartered buses.
Jason Elkins (31:05.016)
Everybody, all groups went from bar by bus, not by train. when I was the sales manager for the tours in Europe, this meant when I got price request, it doesn’t matter from which part of Australia, then I had to take contact with this person who was in charge, was it the teacher, was it the…
Mari – Liis Luha (31:10.496)
And so it then I was the sales manager for for the tours in Europe. This meant when when I got the price request, it doesn’t matter from which part of Estonia, then I had to take contact with this person who was in charge. Was it the teacher? Was it the manager? Was it some kind of a company or choir or whatever? And I had to go there.
Jason Elkins (31:34.43)
Right.
Mari – Liis Luha (31:39.798)
and then plan this trip. And this was like the opportunity to go through this travel all by myself. And now you can think or imagine when I already traveled to the client and did all this, of course I got the contract. So this was our strategy back then. Now, when I get the request and I tell to the client,
that come on I want to come to visit you. Everybody’s laughing. No, send me an email offer. Nobody has this time anymore. this has changed quite a lot. We just don’t work the same way as we used to work 20 years ago. Yeah.
Jason Elkins (32:26.936)
don’t work the same way as we used to work 20 years ago. No, it’s only by Ena. It’s getting already a bit…
Mari – Liis Luha (32:44.494)
Mostly it’s only by emails. When it’s getting a bit critical, then we call. But mostly we write.
Jason Elkins (32:55.544)
critical than the call. All right. That’s good. I’ve heard that advice before someone was telling me, Jason, if you sent more than two or three emails back and forth to discuss something, you should probably jump on a call. If something’s going sideways. it’s do not try and negotiate on an email type of thing. But anyway, so when you describe that,
Mari – Liis Luha (33:01.166)
Mm-hmm.
Mari – Liis Luha (33:09.71)
Yes, correct.
Mari – Liis Luha (33:19.726)
Yeah.
Jason Elkins (33:23.836)
you when I asked you kind of why did you want that job and you described it I got it it it clicked with me and it might be similar to someone else at some point wanting to work for the airline you know it’s like man I want to go work for the airline you know as sales director or sales manager or just sometimes any job with the airline has that opportunity to to go travel because I’m sure
I suspect that for the last 25 years, if you wanted to go anywhere, you probably have the connections in this industry to just maybe not hop on one of your buses because they’re mostly charter buses, but you’ve got a lot of opportunities to travel with that, right?
Jason Elkins (37:12.982)
Kind of a popular kind of a probably a cool job. Kind of like maybe someone else somewhere maybe wanting to go work for the airline or something. Because there are some perks to working for the airline, especially if you get to hop on a flight and go travel somewhere and meet with clients and do that type of thing. is that. But let me ask you this, because you mostly have charter buses.
So you couldn’t just go get on a bus and go travel around Europe on one of your buses because they were charter buses. But did you have other access to transportation benefits, I guess, of the job?
Mari – Liis Luha (37:48.484)
Actually, could jump on our bus and travel together with the group quite often. Because when you’re getting a nice contact with a client, then it happened quite often that I also had the chance to travel myself. Sometimes some group needed…
Jason Elkins (37:55.18)
Okay with the groups, all right.
Mari – Liis Luha (38:16.644)
not a guide, but a tour leader. And then I did this job and I had really many options to travel with groups. For example, we got big clients from Finland, student organizations, and they had charter tours or ski trips.
Jason Elkins (38:19.992)
leader and then I did this job and I had really many options to cover with growth.
Finnish student organizations. They had charter tours or ski trips to Slovakia and Poland. All winter long. Of course I travel with them. Go to take my friends. They had like five to six buses on the way every week. I didn’t have a family.
Mari – Liis Luha (38:46.36)
to Slovakia and Poland all winter long. Of course, I could travel with them and also take my friends. So they had like five to six buses on the way every week. And I didn’t have a family these days and I was free to travel. So there were a lot of options to travel.
Jason Elkins (39:08.181)
These days I was free to travel so there were a lot of options to travel. This is what I loved the most.
Mari – Liis Luha (39:16.238)
for me and this is I loved the most.
Mari – Liis Luha (39:28.792)
Yeah.
Mari – Liis Luha (39:36.9)
Yes and yes. I am traveling and I have also the family obligations. But of course I’m not traveling so much anymore. mostly when possible I try to have the conversation on Zoom or Teams and then on holiday of course then we need to travel. But I think I have traveled a lot.
Jason Elkins (39:37.848)
Yes and yes. I am travelling and I have also the family obligations. But of course I’m not travelling so much anymore. now mostly when possible I try to have the conversation on Zoom before tea and the holiday of course.
I think I have traveled a lot and I had the best chances for that. It doesn’t seem so important anymore.
Mari – Liis Luha (40:06.936)
when I had the best chances for that. now it doesn’t seem so important anymore. Now I’m just…
Mari – Liis Luha (40:28.708)
I have two daughters and they absolutely love to travel because I have taken them with me or with us always when it’s possible, also sometimes on business trips and they just love it.
Jason Elkins (40:48.984)
They just love it. It just has to be very cool that when you travel with your kids, you cannot make any big plans. When the kids are with you,
Mari – Liis Luha (41:08.398)
You just have to be very cool. When you travel with your kids, you cannot make any big plans. When the kids are with you, you just have to be flexible and travel in rhythm of children or children rhythm or how you say it well in English. So when they need to when you need to have a when they need to have a
Jason Elkins (41:18.712)
Go with their, yeah, travel with at their speed.
Mari – Liis Luha (41:37.592)
sleep in the afternoon, then they have to have it. You cannot push them to stay awake until the evening because this will ruin the day anyway. now it depends on the children. I have really cool two daughters and it’s really enjoyable to travel with them. Although I must admit that
Jason Elkins (41:38.328)
sleep in the afternoon, then they have to have it. You cannot get them to stay awake until evening because it’s the morning. It depends on the children. I have really cool two daughters and it’s really enjoyable to have them.
Mari – Liis Luha (42:04.868)
Sometimes I have also told them that I don’t go with two of you together. I take only one and the next time comes the next one.
Jason Elkins (42:18.484)
I can imagine, you know, I’ve got kids, they’re a little older now, but I also remember growing up when I was young, we were fortunate to travel quite a bit, but man, my brother and I just used to fight constantly. We were traveling the country in the US with my dad every summer. And I think he spent more energy just trying to keep us from bickering and fighting with each other than really anything else. And I remember the first time that
Mari – Liis Luha (42:42.564)
Mm-hmm.
Jason Elkins (42:47.542)
He said to me, I think I was 15 or something. And he said, well, I’m just going to take your brother on this trip. I was very offended. And it really hurt. And he mentioned, I remember he mentioned something about you guys not getting along, whatever, whatever. But I didn’t hear that. I was just very upset, but now a little older, a little bit more mature. I can appreciate why he might’ve wanted to just have one trip with him without fighting. And then he’s gone on trips with me and.
Mari – Liis Luha (42:55.694)
Mm-hmm.
Jason Elkins (43:17.118)
It works out, but anyway, lot of fun. I suspect you’ve seen so many things over the last, almost 25 years now that we could do a whole series of podcasts about what to do, what not to do on a bus or, or dealing with clients or working with tour operators and all these things. unfortunately we’ve only got this one episode now, so maybe we’re going to need to come back and, and, and dig into that more.
Mari – Liis Luha (43:28.324)
Bye.
Jason Elkins (43:45.292)
But before we wrap it up, I’m curious, what did I forget to ask you? What should I have asked you? Or what do you want to make sure that our listeners know either about you, Estonia, your company, your services? What do we want to make sure that they know?
Mari – Liis Luha (44:03.812)
Maybe the question why I am still here for so long time because it’s not so usual
Jason Elkins (44:10.675)
That’s a question you probably ask yourself that a lot, I’m sure. No, just kidding. Yeah, okay. All right, why are you still there?
Mari – Liis Luha (44:16.196)
Yes, that’s true. Because I absolutely love this job because it’s never routine. I couldn’t imagine, for example, to work as a bookkeeper or accountant to deal with all the same things constantly, day by day. I mean, my job is to meet new clients
Jason Elkins (44:37.212)
see all the same things constantly day by day. mean, my job is every day new clients, new troubles, new trips, new contracts, new adventures. It’s never the same. Even now after 25 years, there are situations where I can say that, now…
Mari – Liis Luha (44:45.068)
new travels, new trips, new contracts, new adventures. It’s never the same. And even now after 20 by five years, there are situations where I can say that, now I think I have seen it all. Then comes the next phone call. my God, I never had this kind of situation before in my life. So this…
Jason Elkins (45:00.384)
I
Mari – Liis Luha (45:12.728)
This is what it makes so interesting and then really enjoyable so that I still after 25 years come to office and my eyes are shining and then this is important.
Jason Elkins (45:30.326)
I get that. think that that’s a common thread that I’ve seen through, you know, through my career working in tourism, but also just through the conversations that we’ve had here on the show is I feel like, I feel like everybody that’s been on this show, you know, it’s like that idea of, I don’t think there’s anything wrong with accounting. My father’s an accountant. My daughter’s an accountant. Let’s skip to generation. just don’t. Yeah, no, no, I get that. And that’s why I’m saying it, you know, it’s like, I love accountants, but
Mari – Liis Luha (45:52.341)
No, no, no. This was just an example.
Jason Elkins (46:00.172)
But if I was looking at spreadsheets every day, all day, yeah, that would be really tough. And I think a lot of our listeners can resonate with that and that just that desire for some, some adventure, let’s just call it, you know, adventure. Like, you don’t know what’s going to happen every day when you go to work and, and dealing with clients, you definitely make sure, make sure that you never know what’s going to happen on any given day. So what advice would you give to somebody?
that’s a thing to this that maybe is an accountant and it’s not for them and they want to get into the tourism business. Do you have one or two pieces of advice that you would give your younger self if you were going through this again?
Mari – Liis Luha (46:44.068)
You have to be absolutely…
Jason Elkins (46:45.752)
It doesn’t have to be younger because it could be somebody my age.
Mari – Liis Luha (46:50.562)
You have to be very, very flexible. It’s what I have learned. The plans are there just to change them. So I can plan whatever I like, but the clients have their own ideas and then I have to reschedule.
Jason Elkins (47:09.176)
That’s a really good one. That’s a good point because if your personality is such that you need some stability and certainty in your life constantly and you’re the type that needs to know what you’re doing three weeks from now down to the hour, it might be a tough fit. But it’s super interesting because as those of us that work in the industry, oftentimes we are building itineraries for clients.
that are very well thought out, very planned. it’s interesting that we maybe sometimes build out these itineraries and make plans for people, but then maybe in our own lives, we don’t like having it all that structured, but our clients do. I don’t know, what do you think?
Mari – Liis Luha (47:56.26)
Might be the case, I mean, one thing is that I plan the trip for the client. this usually doesn’t change, but I also need to plan the work for the buses and drivers. And this tends to change too often. Yeah.
Jason Elkins (48:06.712)
Yeah, there’s a lot of moving parts. That’s for sure. So, well, this has been a fast pass. Anything else you want to touch on before we wrap up?
Mari – Liis Luha (48:33.124)
You can ask something.
Jason Elkins (48:35.274)
All right, well, let’s do this because I want to make sure our listeners hopefully, you know, kind of know a little bit about you. We discussed you guys are doing, you know, charters all over Europe, really, it sounds. You mentioned, you mentioned Morocco, right? And Turkey and all that stuff. So anybody that’s listening to this, we’re going to have a link to your website so they can go take a look and connect with you guys and…
develop some sort of partnership or whatever comes out of that. That’s great. so I just really appreciate you taking the time to chat with us and let’s come back and do it again sometime soon. Thank you so much. It was very interesting. Thanks, Mari Liis I appreciate you and we’ll chat with you soon. Have a great day.
Mari – Liis Luha (49:13.614)
Thank you so much. It was very interesting. Thank you. Thank you.
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