In The Press

Flight of the heatseekers - The Sun Herald 29th July 2007
'The cold snap has caused a spike in demand for midwinter breaks', wrote Paul Edwards. 'With single-digit temperatures gripping Sydney in recent mornings, it's little wonder travel organisations are reporting huge business in winter sun getaways. Karsten Horne, of Reho Travel, says the cold snap has created demand for last-minute getaways. "People are seeking the sun - but not always where you might think," he says.' Click here to read the full article

Going against the flow - ANZ Inbusiness - August 2006
With an increasingly competitive environment stemming from the growth of the Internet and falling commissions, travel agents have faced major challenges in maintaining a successful business. While others struggle, Reho Travel is thriving in these conditions focusing their efforts on building strong relationships with customers in target markets. Click here to read the full article

Airfares rise as agents forced to take pay cut - Sunday Herald - 9th July 2006
Airline travellers will be slugged up to $200 in extra charges on tickets by the end of the year as travel agents try to recoup losses caused by airlines cutting their commission rates. Click here to read the full article.

New Tours of Duty - The Age - Wednesday 5th July 2006
The travel agency industry is in turmoil as people increasingly turn to the internet to book their own transport and accommodation.
Without commissions from airlines and other carriers, agents must find other sources of income.
Karsten Horne, managing director of Melbourne/Sydney-based Reho Travel, predicts those who do not embrace new technology will collapse.
Click here to read the full article.  

Best in Air - The Sunday Age - 2nd July 2006 & Sunday Herald 16th July 2006
Want to fly from Melbourne to Singapore for less than $250? A rash of cheap fares from new no-frills Asian airlines mean soon you will be able to do that, writes Paul Edwards. "Now the Australian traveller wins," says Karsten Horne , head of Reho Travel. "There are virtually no commissions available anywhere these days, so the job of a switched-on travel agent is to find the best option for our clients and charge them a fee for the value we add to their booking" Click here to read full article.

A world of wonder awaits but don't leave it too long - The Sunday Age - 8th January 2006
Those in the know reckon now is the best time to visit China. Paul Edwards finds out why.
WHEN it comes to savvy holiday planning, you can't beat the knowledge and resources of travel professionals.
They know where the bargains can be found and where new travel horizons are opening. They're the first to know what's hot and what's off the boil.
In the coming year, members of our panel will be skiing in the Himalayas, cruising to Tahiti, going green in Ireland, barging through Germany and luxuriating in Paris. And that's just for starters! We sought the tips and plans of some of Australia's most switched-on travel people to help you decide your own destinations for 2006 - and we uncovered their personal travel secrets for the coming year..  Click here to read full article

Click to TRAVEL - Dynamic Small Business magazine - November 2005
The Internet has had a huge impact on the travel sector. Cameron Bailey talks to a travel agent who was at the cutting edge way back when doing an online booking was a radical geek experiment. The travel bug bites soon or later but in Karsten Horne's case it was a lot sooner than most. Recieving a ticket to South America as a high school graduation present was hardly unusual in a family that, among other adventures, went backpacking through Europe, Iran and Pakistan, after trying to sail from Australia to the UK in a rubber raft, sparking a search and rescue at one point - the raft was ditched at Yeppoon.  more

Holiday Businesses travelling badly - The Age - The ladder - 5th November 2005
"Smaller owner-operators gnash their teeth at having employed a graduate and trained them up for 18 months, only to lose them to one of the big corporate agencies."
Karsten Horne, head of Reho Travel says the problem is exacerbated by the lure of travel - agencies find themselves investing in trainees who then take off to travel the world. "However, there's a bright side to the travel industry - opportunities to attend training, functions, launches, movie nights nearly every night of the week," Mr Horne says. "In what other job are you offered a free trip overseas on a week's notice? Sure beats getting excited about electricity."
Click here to read full article

Looking for adventure - The Age mycareer.com.au - 12th October 2005
Travel agencies are casting their holiday destination nets wider, writes Paul Edwards.
ACCEPTING that Australians may well believe that lightning may strike the same place three times, many travel companies appear to have hit the delete button when it comes to Bali. Marketing plans have been hastily rewritten since the most recent bombings, and industry observers are united in the view that this time the idyllic island will have a tough job of regaining its popularity. Karsten Horne, principal of Melbourne and Sydney-based Reho Travel, says he has not needed to change his marketing thrust since the Bali bombings, because his market sector is for those seeking "different" experiences. "In recent times we have been focusing our marketing on some of the more unusual and exotic destinations," Mr Horne says. "While it is a given that consultants in most agencies have basic knowledge on places such as Bali, Fiji, UK, Europe and Thailand, we are strong on most places in the world and have consultants who have travelled to more than 75 countries. He says this expertise drives Reho's marketing thrust, with its client base more likely to be interested in feedback on exotic countries than easily accessible information on more mainstream destinations. 
Click here to read full article

North and South - The Sunday Age - 19th June 2005
After a budget holiday? The Americas are right on the money. By Paul Edwards.
The Big Two in budget holidays over the next few years are shaping up as the two colossal destinations of the New World - North and South America. One of the great misconceptions in travel is that value for money is restricted to Third World destinations. In fact, you can drive hard bargains all the way from the beaches of Rio to the bars of Las Vegas. Karsten Horne, of Reho Travel, has blazed trails as a backpacker in the Americas and is savvy to most of the available bargains. "I still like to do things cheaply, but no longer have time to experiment," he says. "I need things organised before I leave, but that doesn't mean spending top dollar."
Click  here to read full article

At one with the world - The Sunday Age - 29th May 2005
Solo travel can be exciting, frustrating, expensive, economical, dangerous - and fun. If you're a solo woman, add 50% to all of the above. The Single female adventurer can boldly go where macho males might never dare, often relying on the kindness of strangers.  However, she will encounter challenges that a brotherhood of blokes will never see - and her travel diary will be filled with experiences that group travel can never provide. Karsten Horne, head of Reho Travel, says his company has six female consultants in the Melbourne and Sydney offices who have travelled extensively on their own and consequently provide expert advice for first-time solo travellers.
Click  here to read full article

Commission cuts mean higher charges - Business Travel, a special report
The Australian - 20th May 2005
Click here to read article

Pilgrimage for the patient  - The Age - 26th February 2005
If you want to be in Gallipoli in time for Anzac Day it's not too late, writes Paul Edwards.
THERE is still time to book a trip to Gallipoli to take part in the dawn service at Anzac Cove on April 25 - and not just because John Farnham won't be needing his ticket. Karsten Horne, of South Yarra's Reho Travel, has been booking travellers to Gallipoli for 12 years and says the numbers have grown each year, even allowing for official security warnings last year.
Click  here to read full article

After the tsunami - The Age - 23rd January 2005
Paul Edwards looks at the benefits of tourists returning to South Asia.
Even as earthmovers continue their grisly work among the ruins of what were glamorous resorts, thousands of Australians are tackling the dilemma of whether or not to take holidays on Asia's sands of death. Karsten Horne, head of Reho Travel, says he had many clients in affected areas when the tsunami struck, but fortunately all were unharmed. "The days after the tragedy were busy making changes to future bookings and assisting with insurance claims," Mr Horne says.
Click  here to read full article

Across the sea or around the corner? - The Age - 4th January 2005
Getting there keeps getting easier but deciding where is the hard part, writes Paul Edwards
Karsten Horne, Reho Travel Three factors govern what’s hot and what’s achievable in 2005 – frequent flyer points, TV travel shows and family adventures.
Click  here to read full article

Circling the globe - The Age - 19th December 2004
Fancy a stopover or two - or nine? Paul Edwards explores the joys of around the world tickets.
It's an exciting notion, isn't it - the thought of swanning into a travel agency, throwing down your credit card and asking them to send you around the world for less than a dollar a mile? Karsten Horne, Managing Director of Reho Travel, took up the challenge and had answers and prices within 30 minutes.
Click  here to read full article

Have gun online service, will travel - The Age "Next" - 7th September 2004
About a decade ago, many Australian travel agents believed the sky was falling. A wicked thing called the internet made it easy for customers to cut them out and book their holidays online. Karsten Horne, the managing director of Reho Travel, says his business, which employs 20 and has annual turnover of $20 million, had a cobbled-together reservation system before it built an integrated website.
Click  here to read full article