National Differences Forgotten On Tour

Press, Volume CII, Issue 30051, 8 February 1963, Page 2

National Differences Forgotten On Tour

Leading a party of 22 Swiss, German, French, Spanish, Italian and Swedish tourists round the world may sound like a trying ordeal for a young and attractive Frenchwoman but Mrs Maryse Koch, who is now in Christchurch with her party, is thoroughly enjoying it all There is no toternational feuding and fussing and the worst that has happened so far was a bad case of sunburn at Bali. “When you have a party of different nationalities everyone tries to make a

good impression on the others,’’ she said last evening. “They all behave very well.’’

After six years of guiding tours, Mrs Koch has found that tourists like to forget national differences as well as business worries when on holiday. “By the time tourists set off on a vacation they feel rather tired and a little lazy and only want to enjoy themselves,” she said. Married to a ‘‘ou.rist guide, Mrs Koch works for the same travel firm in Switzerland as her husband. “This is rather unusual,” she said. “Not many travel firms would accept a husband and wife as guides. But there are few guides available in Zurich. The Swiss do not care to take on such an adventurous job.” She and her husband seldom travel together on a guided tour unless it happens to be a party of about 80 travelling on the same aircraft.

“Even then the party is split into sections and my husband and I are usually so busy we hardly see each other,” Mrs Koch said.