After studying hospitality management, Elke began her career in South Africa. She quickly fell in love with the country and was inspired by its exceptional standards of service and hospitality. This experience led her to successfully manage a Dutch travel company specializing in journeys to Africa for many years. When she met Harco, they discovered a shared passion for Africa and creating exceptional customer experiences. Elke subsequently joined the company to further strengthen the sales department. Shortly thereafter, the customer journey approach was introduced, ensuring clients could rely on frequent and personal contact throughout their travel planning process. By truly getting to know travelers, it becomes possible to create memories that last a lifetime and build long-lasting relationships.

After completing his studies, Harco traveled to Zimbabwe in Africa. While organizing canoe expeditions through the unspoiled wilderness, he discovered his passion for travel and extraordinary experiences. It became his mission to help others enjoy once-in-a-lifetime journeys as well. He wanted travelers to return home with memories that would enrich their lives, just as his own experiences had done for him. Driven by this vision, he founded a travel company that focuses not on standard packages, but on understanding the individual wishes of each client and creating fully tailor-made journeys. This philosophy remains the foundation of ITG Companies today. The personal approach proved successful, and ITG Companies now offers travel experiences to more than 120 destinations worldwide.

In her most recent role as Head of Contracting, Marlous was responsible for sourcing and contracting accommodations for Sunweb’s Sun Holidays division. Prior to that, she held various positions at TUI and RIU Hotels. With more than twenty years of experience in product management, contracting, and sales, she brings a wealth of knowledge and expertise to her role as Chief Product Officer. Marlous commented: “I am looking forward to contributing to the continued expansion and growth of ExperienceTravel/ITG and to achieving great results together with Harco, Elke, and the team.”