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Erna Low (28 July 1909 – 12 February 2002) was an
Austria
Austria, , bar, Östareich officially the Republic of Austria, is a country in the southern part of Central Europe, lying in the Eastern Alps. It is a federation of nine states, one of which is the capital, Vienna, the most populous ...
n
Jewish
Jews ( he, יְהוּדִים, , ) or Jewish people are an ethnoreligious group and nation originating from the Israelites Israelite origins and kingdom: "The first act in the long drama of Jewish history is the age of the Israelites""The ...
businesswoman who settled in England and is best known for her work in the ski travel industry.
Low has been cited as a pioneer in the development of the
package holiday
A package tour, package vacation, or package holiday comprises transport and accommodation advertised and sold together by a vendor known as a tour operator. Other services may be provided such as a rental car, activities or outings during the ho ...
and was the founder o
Erna LowTravel Services Ltd. She worked in the holiday industry for over sixty years. She retired in 1995.
Early years
Low was born in
Vienna
en, Viennese
, iso_code = AT-9
, registration_plate = W
, postal_code_type = Postal code
, postal_code =
, timezone = CET
, utc_offset = +1
, timezone_DST ...
in 1909 as the only daughter of Eduard Carl Lӧwe and his wife Emma. She remained in the city throughout her childhood and education.
She became the
Austria
Austria, , bar, Östareich officially the Republic of Austria, is a country in the southern part of Central Europe, lying in the Eastern Alps. It is a federation of nine states, one of which is the capital, Vienna, the most populous ...
n
javelin champion before moving to
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe b ...
in 1931, with ten borrowed pounds in her pocket, to research a
PhD thesis on
Lord de Tabley, a Victorian poet and botanist. During her studies, Low traced the grandchildren of de Tabley and was invited to stay at the family home in
Knutsford
Knutsford () is a market town in the borough of Cheshire East, in Cheshire, England. Knutsford is south-west of Manchester, north-west of Macclesfield and 12.5 miles (20 km) south-east of Warrington. The population at the 2011 Census was ...
,
Cheshire.
While living in
Bloomsbury, Low earned a basic living as a language tutor, but decided that she needed to earn more to finance trips back to
Austria
Austria, , bar, Östareich officially the Republic of Austria, is a country in the southern part of Central Europe, lying in the Eastern Alps. It is a federation of nine states, one of which is the capital, Vienna, the most populous ...
to visit her sick mother and fulfil her passion for
skiing
Skiing is the use of skis to glide on snow. Variations of purpose include basic transport, a recreational activity, or a competitive winter sport. Many types of competitive skiing events are recognized by the International Olympic Committee ( ...
.
Low's business career in the travel industry began in 1932 when she placed an advertisement in the ''
Morning Post
''The Morning Post'' was a conservative daily newspaper published in London from 1772 to 1937, when it was acquired by ''The Daily Telegraph''.
History
The paper was founded by John Bell. According to historian Robert Darnton, ''The Morning Po ...
''. It read:
'
Winter Sports
Winter sports or winter activities are competitive sports or non-competitive recreational activities which are played on snow or ice. Most are variations of skiing, ice skating and sledding. Traditionally, such games were only played in cold are ...
–
Austria
Austria, , bar, Östareich officially the Republic of Austria, is a country in the southern part of Central Europe, lying in the Eastern Alps. It is a federation of nine states, one of which is the capital, Vienna, the most populous ...
, fortnight, £15 only, including rail and hotel, arranged by young Viennese Graduette for young people leaving
Christmas
Christmas is an annual festival commemorating the birth of Jesus Christ, observed primarily on December 25 as a religious and cultural celebration among billions of people around the world. A feast central to the Christian liturgical year ...
.'
Low set up a permanent home in
Britain
Britain most often refers to:
* The United Kingdom, a sovereign state in Europe comprising the island of Great Britain, the north-eastern part of the island of Ireland and many smaller islands
* Great Britain, the largest island in the United King ...
and became a citizen in 1940, changing her name from Lӧwe to Low in the process.
War Years
The outbreak of
World War II
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing ...
made ski trips to
Austria
Austria, , bar, Östareich officially the Republic of Austria, is a country in the southern part of Central Europe, lying in the Eastern Alps. It is a federation of nine states, one of which is the capital, Vienna, the most populous ...
impossible, so Low planned alternative visits to
Switzerland.
For much of the war she worked for the
BBC #REDIRECT BBC #REDIRECT BBC
Here i going to introduce about the best teacher of my life b BALAJI sir. He is the precious gift that I got befor 2yrs . How has helped and thought all the concept and made my success in the 10th board exam. ...
...
in
Worcestershire
Worcestershire ( , ; written abbreviation: Worcs) is a county in the West Midlands of England. The area that is now Worcestershire was absorbed into the unified Kingdom of England in 927, at which time it was constituted as a county (see H ...
where she would monitor German broadcasts for the Intelligence Service, but she disliked this role and chose to become a lecturer in the
Army Education Corps.
She then developed the 'house-party' concept. Low recognised that families were separated by war service and offered the opportunity for people to meet one another at
Christmas
Christmas is an annual festival commemorating the birth of Jesus Christ, observed primarily on December 25 as a religious and cultural celebration among billions of people around the world. A feast central to the Christian liturgical year ...
. She leased
boarding schools and invited paying guests to stay. This venture became a company in 1946 and was later known as Enjoy Britain Ltd.
1947 – 1979: Erna Low Travel Service
In 1947, Low set up Erna Low Travel Service Ltd out of Reece Mews, South Kensington.
She worked with schools to run school courses and utilised the post-war demand for foreign travel to develop holidays for which the majority was paid before departure. A foreign exchange allowance of £50 meant that travel experts were in demand and Low's company provided this.
Low was very adept at finding new resorts for her clients in both the summer and winter market. Erna Low's 1948 brochure said: “
Winter sports
Winter sports or winter activities are competitive sports or non-competitive recreational activities which are played on snow or ice. Most are variations of skiing, ice skating and sledding. Traditionally, such games were only played in cold are ...
are on the map again” and by 1950, it included 24 continental trips. Low placed emphasis on the personal touch and until the mid-1950s, she accompanied each group on their trip.
An all-inclusive fortnight in a first-class hotel with Erna Low cost 38 guineas and after the introduction of
charter flights
Air charter is the business of renting an entire aircraft (i.e., chartering) as opposed to individual aircraft seats (i.e., purchasing a ticket through a traditional airline).
Regulation
Charter – also called air taxi or ad hoc – flights ...
in 1954, she even reduced costs by advising her clients to travel in ski clothes to save on excess baggage expenses.
Weekend train trips to
Austria
Austria, , bar, Östareich officially the Republic of Austria, is a country in the southern part of Central Europe, lying in the Eastern Alps. It is a federation of nine states, one of which is the capital, Vienna, the most populous ...
became a regular feature in this period of the company's development and customers were provided with a music carriage for entertainment during their 24-hour rail journey on the 'snow train'.
Low's business continued to grow and in 1972, with a staff of sixty and a turnover of £1.5 million, she opted to sell. She bought her name back in 1975 with the business struggling, but sold again in 1979 to become a consultant to the travel industry.
Late career
Low reinvented her company in 1981 under the name Erna Low Consultants Ltd. In this role, Low concentrated on developing the health spa market throughout
Europe
Europe is a large peninsula conventionally considered a continent in its own right because of its great physical size and the weight of its history and traditions. Europe is also considered a subcontinent of Eurasia and it is located entirel ...
. She became the official representative in the
UK of resorts at
La Plagne,
Les Arcs and
Flaine
Flaine is a ski area in the Haute Savoie region of the French Alps, and is a part of the linked Grand Massif domain. It is in the territory of the communes of Magland and Arâches-la-Frasse. Flaine is linked to Samoëns, Morillon, Les Carroz ...
, while she was decorated for her services to tourism by
France
France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans. Its metropolitan area ...
,
Italy
Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, and its territory largely coincides with the homonymous geographical ...
and
Austria
Austria, , bar, Östareich officially the Republic of Austria, is a country in the southern part of Central Europe, lying in the Eastern Alps. It is a federation of nine states, one of which is the capital, Vienna, the most populous ...
.
Low continued to work in the 1990s and gained membership of the
Chartered Institute of Marketing
The Chartered Institute of Marketing (CIM) was founded in 1911. It has over 30,000 members, including more than 3,000 registered Chartered Marketers. CIM offers 130 study centres in 36 countries, and exam centres in 132 countries.
In 1952 Prince ...
for her feasibility study on
Strathpeffer. She was also the vice-president of both the Kensington Chamber of Commerce and Women of the Year Association, and won a 'Women Mean Business' award at the age of 83.
Low handed control of the company to her successor and loyal employee, Joanna Yellowlees-Bound, in 1995.
In May 2000, the company was entered into the British Travel Industry's 'Hall of Fame'.
Personal life
Low was renowned for her formidable style, and she was never known to avoid confrontation. On one occasion, a senior executive with a rival company won an award at a trade ceremony. Clearly bitter at a setback earlier in his career, he said: “You once refused to employ me, and look where I am now.” Low's response provided an insight into the way in which she worked. “I still wouldn't employ you,” she said.
Low was a consummate networker and taught royalty, actors and politicians to ski.
Despite her often intimidating façade, Low made many friends through business and while travelling. She was the godmother to a number of children, including the actress
Emily Lloyd
Emily Alice Lloyd-Pack (born 29 September 1970), known as Emily Lloyd, is an English actress. At the age of 16, she starred in her debut and breakthrough role in the 1987 film ''Wish You Were Here'', for which she received critical acclaim an ...
, following a friendship with her grandmother, Uli Lloyd-Pack who worked for Low for over 30 years, and Uli Lloyd-Pack’s son,
Roger Lloyd-Pack
Roger Anthony Lloyd-Pack (8 February 1944 – 16 January 2014) was an English actor. He is best known for playing Trigger in ''Only Fools and Horses'' from 1981 to 2003, and Owen Newitt in '' The Vicar of Dibley'' from 1994 to 2007. He later st ...
.
Low never married and chose to live alone in
South Kensington
South Kensington, nicknamed Little Paris, is a district just west of Central London in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea. Historically it settled on part of the scattered Middlesex village of Brompton. Its name was supplanted with ...
with her dog.
Death
Low died at the age of 92 on 12 February 2002 at her home in
London
London is the capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary dow ...
.
The Future of Erna Low Ltd
The company continues to operate in the ski industry with Low's principles forming an integral part of Erna Low's identity under the direction of Joanna Yellowlees-Bound. The company, still based in the mews house in South Kensington from where Miss Low lived and worked, has since branched out into real estate and has a successful property company, Erna Low Property, with an office in Arc 1950, in the French Alps.
Erna Low Ltd marked the 80th-year anniversary of Low's ''
Morning Post
''The Morning Post'' was a conservative daily newspaper published in London from 1772 to 1937, when it was acquired by ''The Daily Telegraph''.
History
The paper was founded by John Bell. According to historian Robert Darnton, ''The Morning Po ...
'' advertisement in 2012 and Mark Frary's biography, ''Aiming High'', was launched at the
Coronet Cinema
The Coronet Theatre, formerly The Print Room, is an Off West End theatre located in the former Coronet Cinema in London. The building originated as a theatre in 1898; the modern company was founded in Westbourne Grove, West London, and opened i ...
in
London
London is the capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary dow ...
on 11 October 2012.
In addition to this, Erna Low Ltd produced a short film of Low’s life from many thousands of hours of archive cine films.
In 2019, Erna Low Ltd was acquired by University snowsports specialis
Nuco Travel “Just as Erna favoured me to take over her life’s work, I am now delighted to pass on the mantle to the next generation, and who better than an innovative and thriving ski company such as Nuco Travel, which I have known since its inception and where I am a minority shareholder. With Erna Low managing director Jane Bolton ensuring our values remain a priority, I know the company will continue to blossom as part of the Nuco family.” explains Joanna Yellowlees-Boun who retired as chief executive of Erna Low, after 37 years at the helm.
References
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Low, Erna
1909 births
2002 deaths
Austrian businesspeople