Testimonials
This reference is being provided for Ms Gerlinde Hofbauer, our Director of Sales and Marketing in Europe. Spice Island Beach Resort has been associated with 'Exclusive and Different', Gerlinde's Marketing company for over 15 years. Her company has done excellent work for my resort over the years and has certainly positioned us to be more visible in the European Marketplace. Gerlinde's main responsibility, apart from contracting tour operators, is the development of relationships with our industry partners. She has done this effectively since working with us and we are now in collaboration with all key tour operators in Europe. Even though media work was not part of her duties, over the years she has, on her own initiative, sought out public relations opportunities which afforded us lucrative press coverage in some prestigious publications. Through these initiatives, Exclusive and Different has assisted us in reaching our marketing goals which included raising our profile in several parts of Europe. Gerlinde's experience in her field is demonstrated by the high quality work produced and her dedication to promoting my resort at every opportunity, including the use of the electronic and social media for promotional work on our behalf. Gerlinde herself is a hard working professional who is extremely easy to work with. She would always seek her clients' interests and even though she gives sound advice from her perspective, she is always very open to her clients' opinions and preferences. In general, Exclusive and Different has proven to be a great asset to and resource for my resort in the past sixteen years. I therefore unhesitatingly recommend Gerlinde and her team.
Sir Royston O. Hopkin KCMG
CHAIRMAN & MANAGING DIRECTOR
Spice Island Beach Resort, Grenada
I am pleased to recommend Ms Gerlinde Hofbauer with whom I have worked over the last 20 years. She represented our very prestigious Company The Mustique Company in Europe and was an avid focused Worker. She was always one of the first to introduce the latest in technology on the job, and we benefitted greatly from this. Gerlinde is energetic and driven, and met every challenge with measured and effective response. She is truly an asset! I wish her every success.
Jeannette Cadet
Villa Rentals Manager
The Mustique Company
Gerlinde Hofbauer provides Sales & Marketing representation in Germany and Europe for three of my hotels in Barbados. Her company, Exclusive & Different, has partnered with the Mango Bay Group of companies for over fifteen years. Gerlinde and her team have always been professional to deal with and well-informed about both the product they represent and the market they target. Over the years, Gerlinde’s experience working in the Caribbean has made her many valuable contacts and formed close relationships over a wide range of the tourism sector. Our Reservations staff comment: “one great advantage of working with Gerlinde is that we can always reach her, despite the six-hour time difference between Barbados and Germany”.
Peter J. Odle
Chairman
Our cooperation with Exclusive & Different has always been flawless. Prompt service and a broad knowledge about the represented destinations and resorts are the biggest assets which a representative can have –
and Gerlinde Hofbauer does not only have the knowledge, she represents her clients with a real passion.
Patrick Mirbach
Product Manager Caribbean
DERTOUR GmbH & Co. KG
We have been working with Gerlinde and her company Exclusive & Different for many years now. She provided excellent service quality and we felt very good taken care of. We look forward to continuing our business relationship in the future.
Hillegonda Hillmann
Senior Manager Planning & Contracting Caribbean & Latin America
Airtours
This is to express our complete satisfaction with the services provided by Exclusive and Different, Mrs. Gerlinde Hofbauer. We work with them since 2005 and our partnership always strengthened since. They are very professional and reliable. They have taken necessary step to promote their products in a very professional and perfect way. We would highly recommend cooperating with Exclusive and Different and should you like additional information please feel free to contact us.
Marion Aliabadi
Owner and Managing Director
Design Reisen
We are cooperating since ages with Gerlinde and her company exclusive & different. It is our pleasure to recommend her service and know how in sales to anyone who is looking for a good representation and sales service. Gerlinde does know the central European outgoing markets and the tourism business in general by heart. We are always looking forward to welcome Gerlinde in our company with her product ideas.
Johannes Reinders
Senior Product Manager Caribbean, Mexico & Latin America
FTI Touristik GmbH
Our association dates back to 20 years when I first met her working as a product manager for two reputable wholesalers in Germany/ Austria and subsequently as a sales representative for a leading marketing company. From the experience gained in the field of sales and marketing she saw it fit to open her own company, Gerlinde Hofbauer Marketing and Representation Services. The establishment of her company could not have been more fitting as around the same time Blue Horizons Garden Resort was seeking representation services for the German speaking market. As a result of our association over the last 18 years, she has promoted and established our resort as one of the forerunners in Grenada and the Caribbean in the German speaking market, namely, Germany, Switzerland and Austria. The unique service offered has been cost effective for us and has increased the number of tangible bookings, highlighted the awareness of our fine product and reduced the communication costs between ourselves and our client base in Europe. Her aggressive sales and marketing strategies which specialize in the upper scale tourism market with the corresponding clientele have been one of the benefits of our working relationship. She has excellent contacts with wholesalers, travel and incentive agencies, the press and several key personalities in the tourism industry. This has also proven to be a great asset to our establishment. She has targeted various segments of the market, namely consumers, travel agencies, wholesalers/ tour operators and developed packages and incentives which has enhanced our revenues in Continental Europe. Her outgoing personality and friendly demeanor, highly self-motivated and positive approach has been an invaluable asset to the development and success of Blue Horizons Garden Resort. It is with great pleasure to work with her. I am delighted to endorse Gerlinde as a leading professional in her field and would highly recommend her services.
Arnold Hopkin
Owner/Manager – Blue Horizons Garden Resort, Grenada
While Marketing Director for Mustique Company for eleven years, I have the pleasure of working with Gerlinde who had responsibility for both Germany and Switzerland relative to our villa rentals. During that tenure, we developed a close working relationship, traveled and entertained clients together and continually kept the island in the forefront of the appropriate media. Her knowledge, contacts and enthusiasm never ceased to amaze me, nor her constant pursuit to stay ahead of the curve with respect to the many industry changes and challenges. She is a devoted professional and one that provides value to the numerous tasks at hand.
Sincerely
Linda Bruno, ISHC
Consulente International
Greenwich, CT. USA
Gerlinde Hofbauer has represented our intimate beach resort for more than 10 years in a very successful manner. Manchebo Beach Resort & Spa is an independent property and therefore does not have the chain ties that many of our competitors have. Gerlinde has successfully placed our resort in the German speaking markets and has penetrated the market to further grow our business. During the past years she also represented us in the Italian and Scandinavian markets with excellent results. Gerlinde maintains excellent relationships with the travel agents, tour operator partners as well as with different offices of the Aruba Tourism Authority in Europe always looking out for us to grow our market share. Gerlinde always provides great feedback and reports about her sales and marketing activities and makes certain to follow up with both new prospects as well as resort management. Over the past 3 years the resort has done many renovations which were well introduced in the marketplace by Gerlinde and has resulted in a spectacular 100% growth over the past 2 years in the German market. I can highly recommend Gerlinde hofbauer's representation services for those looking to have a strong partner in Europe.
Edgar Roelofs
General Manager
Manchebo Beach Resort & Spa, Aruba
Gerlinde Hofbauer is a passionate Hospitality Professional and her company, Exclusive & Different has been representing Anguilla for over seven years in Germany, Switzerland and Austria. I have had the pleasure of working with Gerlinde as Chairman of The Anguilla Tourist Board for two years from 2010 to 2012; additionally I had prior knowledge of her company during my tenure as General Manager of Cap Juluca from 1997 to 2006. She is a dedicated and passionate Hospitality professional and represented Anguilla with those same qualities even when the destination was forced to reduce the marketing budget in her area, due to the tough economic constraints the island and the region have been experiencing since the commencement of the global financial crisis in 2008. Her knowledge, relationships, access to the Industry’s professionals and media in those countries coupled with her innovativeness enabled the destination to maintain its presence in the market place. She tirelessly explored opportunities, for accessibility to Anguilla through Antigua, Miami, Puerto Rico, St. Marten and the cruise lines, with much success. I would highly recommend Gerlinde Hofbauer’s company, Exclusive & Different as Marketing & Representation Services in Tourism for any destination, hotel or company.
Eustace “Guish” Guishard
C.E.O / Managing Director
Guishard & Associates, Anguilla
During my tenure as Director of Tourism for Anguilla, a position which I held from 1992 – 2009, I had the privilege of working with Ms Gerlinde Hofbauer for 3 years in her capacity as Marketing Representative for Anguilla in the German speaking markets. Gerlinde has an attitude that embraces all challenges and encourages collaboration....she never allowed limited resources to phase her. I found her to be honest and straight forward in her approach to work and she carried out obligations with vigour and resolve. I highly recommend Gerlinde and her company Exclusive and Different.
Amelia Vanterpool-Kubisch, Anguilla
