S1E4: Luxe Nomad: Discovering Middle East Opulence
Listen to full episode :
Step inside the world of luxury as our host Dan Christian welcomes Vanessa Budah, the esteemed GM of The VIP Dubai and The VIP Global, for an engaging discussion on discovering Middle East opulence. Prepare to explore the core of Vanessa's travel background, starting in the stunning city of Sydney, Australia, understand the nuances of her decision to embrace an incredible opportunity in Dubai, and gain valuable perspectives on emerging trends among both travelers and influencers, gleaned from her extensive travels in the Middle East, including her recent trip to Egypt.
Vanessa shares captivating insights into her journey from Sydney to Dubai and the unique experiences that led her to her current role. Her firsthand exploration of the Middle East provides unparalleled perspectives on the evolving preferences of travelers and the growing influence of social media personalities in the region. As an active and insightful user of platforms like TikTok and Instagram, Vanessa also offers a unique viewpoint on current social media trends shaping the travel industry. And finally, prepare for an impressive display of knowledge as Vanessa takes on our Trivia Challenge – spoiler alert: she excels!
Curious to explore the luxurious travel trends of the Middle East?
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Connect with Our Guest: https://www.thevipglobal.com/
Dan: 0:14
Hello everyone. Today I have the pleasure of speaking to Vanessa Buddha. I've had the fortunate experience to work with Vanessa for several years, and I got to see her impact close up on creativity, her thirst for new technologies, her incredible energy that you'll see shortly. Her dynamic team lead leadership, and also the collaboration she's had on many brands and businesses in the travel industry. She's also an influencer. I'm not sure if she'll describe herself that way, but I definitely see her as one on TikTok and Instagram. She. Definitely leads by examples. She's taught me a lot, even in showing me how to edit videos when we were doing a partnership with GoPro several years ago. She's a very well connected global PR executive and she's now based in Dubai and I'm really looking forward to our catch up and conversation today. Vanessa, welcome and thanks a lot for being here.
Vanessa: 0:58
Thank you so much Dan. I really appreciate you having me on the show and what an intro you made me sound great.
Dan: 1:05
Well, I think everyone will understand just how great you are as we have this conversation. But let's start at the beginning because as you know, this show is about travel trends, and I know you've got some of those to talk to us about today. But tell us your background. How did you get into the travel industry?
Vanessa: 1:19
Yeah, so I've been in the industry, well not the travel industry, but just doing what I've been doing, which is public relations and partnerships for the past 20 years. And I actually started out in the entertainment industry, so I was across tv, music, film and everything. And then I just kind of like explored around as you do when you're moving around your career and different paths. And then I got into agency world where I was actually looking after GoPro as on. One of my main clients so through GoPro I really connected on the influencer side of things and also like with content creation. And that really you know, opened up my eyes to what's out there and, you know, being creative again to tell stories. Then from there I actually went onto the travel Corporation. As you know, Dan, that's how we met, and I headed up the PO communications. For, for Australia and New Zealand and within, I was new to the industry, but you know, my skillset was transferable and I had such a passion and thirst for travel that it kind of came hand in hand. And I think within six months I was actually recognized as a rising star of the industry in 2017, which is really exciting.
Dan: 2:23
That's great. Now, so your background though, you were based in Sydney. I know you're now in Dubai. And so when you started out in travel, you were based in Sydney and so your focus was Australia and New Zealand at the time. And then you obviously traveled extensively as well cuz you were working across many different brands in the group. So tell us how, you know, breaking into the industry and then being able to combine not only your PR, but social media influence to showcase these travel experiences. I think that's one thing that you did that it was truly exceptional is that you were. Truly leading by example, by actually going on these trips and showcasing them in such a way that it really inspired other people to take those trips. So tell us a bit more about how you learned that. Cause clearly that's something you just, you, that was something you brought that was unique and made a, and made a big difference.
Vanessa: 3:09
Thank you. Yeah, really like the Travel Corporation for those that may not aware, had like 45 different travel brands, everything from Kentucky covering like the millennials through to like insight vacations and, you know, Uniworld River Cruises. So it just it took care of like all the different demographics and like anything you really need to be hands on with your brands and experience it for yourself as a guest so you know what you're promoting as well. And you know, that's where I was mixing like business with pleasure, where I was able to go on these trips and really ex. Experience it for like business purposes, but then also to like enjoy as well. And, and that's what work is all about. Like, just love what you're doing, like live it and breathe it. So it, it almost didn't feel like a job, the fact that I was there, like taking photos, you know capturing it on my GoPro, creating videos and helping it. Helping to promote it in a unique way and something that you know, like I loved sharing with the team at the Travel corporation in general is how important u GC is user generated content. Cuz there's one thing to have like polished content, which is, which looks more like an ad compared to like U G C, which is from like the user experience and that's so much more raw, authentic and it really, it is a lot more engaging way. To showcase a product and service as well. So, so there was mi a lot of that, but then also working with influencers that had like the 50,000 to like, you know, a hundred thousand followers to help them or use them, I should say, to actually like, get the message across via their platforms and reach a whole new audience as well.
Dan: 4:36
So Vanessa, one of the examples that stands out for me is the fact that you are either self-taught a quick learner. So clearly you've worked with partners and you've worked with influencers as you just mentioned, that you had exposure to. But for those people who are listening to this, that are looking to break in the industry or who are in the industry and looking to upgrade their skills, how did you elevate yourself clearly to the point you are now at that stage? Was it just enthusiasm, interest how did you. Teach yourself these skills that enabled you to excel.
Vanessa: 5:04
Great question. It was, if I can share a story story with you, it was actually I was with GoPro in Colorado for the GoPro Mountain games. I remember going up the mountain thinking if only I could get into the travel industry and you know, and then utilize my skills. Cause I was like content creating with GoPro. And I wanted to do more of that kind of travel as well. So when I got back to Australia I had like all this passion and enthusiasm to really like hit the travel market. So, you know, so I was hands on, but also I had a lot of self-belief knowing that I can, you know, like, although I didn't have like 10 years of travel experience under my belt, I had tra 10 years of traveling under my belt. So, so that really helped in selling myself. So not only did I have the passion for it, I was able to bring in a new skillset, a new. Database, a new content opportunity to the travel corporation and the travel industry. Hence why I was, you know, nominated as like rising star of the industry. And, and with my with my entertainment background when we did events which I call red carpet events, you know, it wasn't just like a standard travel event where you get your name card and you sit down in your seat. Like, I was like, would a celebrity want to attend this event? So we really elevated that whole travel experience and like changed how events were done. Not just within our company, but other brands took note of it as well, which was which was really cool to see. And then just, you know, from all, all my experience working across, you know, the 10 years prior, like I, I maintained all my relationships. Like I've never burnt any bridges. I've always like remained you know, like genuine to all the people that I've come across over my over the years and so they stayed with me. And so when I did have opportunity to travel overseas, you know, there's a lot of influencers that can charge like$20,000 plus. But because we had a genuine connection and I knew things that made them, that, that they were passionate about, I was able to get them on board to, to travel with us, complimentary actually in exchange for amazing content and and, and opportunities. And, and again, it's to hit that a new market as well by them promoting on their channel.
Dan: 7:11
You've brought up a couple of interesting points that I definitely want to talk about when we get into the travel trends. You mentioned user generated content. Obviously you've talked about influencers and the importance of their role. You know, there's been certain backlash against influencers but there's no question that they are leading. The way in terms of inspiring people to travel, I mean, people are people are on social platforms and that's their form of discovery. And so when they get to travel sites, it's about where and when, but it's actually inspiring people to travel and go to new destinations. Many of those influencers, you can't understate their importance. Would you, would you say that's that your experience.
Vanessa: 7:46
There's that, there's the difference. There's influences that actually have influence. And then there's influenzas, as we say, is a joke. So, so that's why it's really important. It's really important to, you know, know who you are working with. Have a genuine relationship. Know who, who they're reaching out to know that they're, they're you know, have a look at their engagement. I tend to do things manually. I have a look at their engagement. I look at the kind of comments, make sure that they're not just like bots or they're, they're, they've been purchased you know, just to get those numbers up as well. Cuz otherwise that's like false advertisement and that does nothing for the brand at all. In fact, it, it actually damages the brand and the reputation. So it's really important to like, know who you are dealing with and hence why it's important to have like, genuine relationships and connections with these, with the influencers.
Dan: 8:32
I haven't heard that expression before, but I like it a lot cuz there's, I guess you need to avoid the typhoid Mary of influencers that are, could be out there
Vanessa: 8:39
Exactly. You know, cuz the dimer dozen, they're a dimer dozen otherwise. So you really just have to like, you know, know who the key people are and know that they're hitting your market as well. As an example of a really amazing influencer, Sam Evans, who You know, I worked with him in South Africa and then also Malaysia as well. I know that how important it was for him to travel with his mother, something that he really didn't get a chance to do. And because I had that genuine connection and, and knowledge of what, what motivates him. I invited him and his mother to come on our trips and she ended up like writing for like a few publications. He created incredible content that was used in marketing, public relations and for all our, our assets as well, and really drove the numbers up as well. He, he himself had like a large following on Instagram and YouTube.
Dan: 9:26
interesting. Well, I want to come to your transition with cuz clearly now I think everyone has a good understanding of your travel background, how you broke in the industry and really excelled based in Sydney. But clearly you are traveling globally and now your ilu influence is truly global. So about six months ago, or the beginning of 2023. You relocated to Dubai. So tell us a little bit about that experience. What, why did you move to Dubai? What are you focusing on there? I'm, I'm quite intrigued, so,
Vanessa: 9:54
Yeah. Professional and personal. I'd say professional. I had the opportunity to partner and become group general manager to a concierge company called the V I P Dubai. And personally, I just thought, you know what, why not say yes to adventure? There's nothing hold me back in Australia. You know, like Australia's an amazing country and I had great opportunities there and everything. But I think because I, I operated from such a global mindset, I, I felt like Australia was a little bit limiting, or not a little, but like a lot limiting for me. So I just I saw as an opportunity to like level up in the world and, you know, I'm one of those people that I can, I take risks. And I say yes to things, you know, there's a lot of power in saying yes you, you dunno what's around the corner. It could be the best decision you could have ever made or could be the worst. And if it's the worst, I can always go back home. There's always a plan b, a safety net. So saying yes landed me in Dubai in January. And to be honest, I haven't looked back. It's been the best decision of my life.
Dan: 10:53
Well, I think there's some inspiring words there for many people who are listening to this because I do see, you know, shortages of people that try to wrap their head around how certain people excel. And I think what you just highlighted is often the reason, the willingness to take chances looking for growth and, and saying yes. So but so, but now that you're in Dubai, And the v i p Dubai. So tell us a little bit more about the types of clients you're now working with there, because obviously that is a massive emerging market. The Middle East is a very exciting place to be with the travel industry. So tell us, what is your clientele, I assume is quite different than what, who you're working with in Sydney. So who, who are you working with there and what, what are you guys focused on?
Vanessa: 11:35
It's there's extraordinary wealth here, so I'm just getting my head around that. To be honest, my mind's pretty blown by it all. Like, you know, I know people can just drop a hundred thousand dollars a day, like it's nothing sort of thing, which is really you know, getting my head around that kind of lifestyle. But also you know, but also, On the flip, like educating them on what's out there. Like yeah, there's a lot of people that have a lot of money out there and they dunno how to spend it. You don't know what you don't know. And something that I, myself and my business partner are really passionate about is, you know, like our, our tagline is actually invest in memories and we genuinely care about the memories that we are. Creating for all our clients. So we work with a lot of, like b2b. We work with, for example, like other concierge companies, virtuoso luxury travel agents all around the world that, you know, they've got their clientele and they're like, Hey, we need like unlisted villas. We need these experiences. We need exclusive tickets to like the Oscars and, and we can actually package that all up. So the beautiful thing about this industry is all the concierges work together. We're not like there's no, there's no competition. We're actually all supporting each other cuz we all have our different clients. And we all have different contacts as well. So some b2b, they already have the concierge, but we elevate their experience in terms of, you know, they can do all the hotel bookings, they can work off the points and, and flights and everything. What we do is we can go get those exclusive tickets. We can create extraordinary experiences like imagine if you're a tennis. Fan. Imagine being with Roger Federer in a exclusive villa in Italy training with his coach, just having a hit of tennis. You've got Michelin star, you know, chefs brought in for like a beautiful lunch with your, like your family. Or maybe it's like a client experience. And then you're des dressed in Gucci as well. So these are all like once in a lifetime sort of experiences that we can create. Or perhaps it's you're in the Mediterranean or like off the Caribbean or something and you've got an incredible yacht and you've got your family there. You, you bump in a grand piano, you've got amazing like theater. Surround sound system and you've got like Vince Corbet, who's like an incredible pianist or like Han Zimmer actually performing the musical score to the movie that you're watching while in the middle of the ocean. So these are the kind of like next level sort of opportunities that we can do. We like to say that, you know, there's no. There's no experience or request that's too big, like we don't take no for an answer. We just make things happen. We can land helicopters in areas that you can't normally land as well, just quietly.
Dan: 14:10
Well, I think most people are familiar with what Saudi Arabia is doing right now with their tourism activity, and it's, it's certainly exciting to see. The number of projects that are underway and that how travel will really open up. What are you seeing? Like my first initial glimpses of Dubai specifically because, you know, I've seen, I've certainly seen your Instagram feed and it's full of amazing images and you've been traveling and exploring, so Yeah. What, tell us a little bit more for those people that haven't been to Dubai that really have a limited understanding of that city, that the United Arab Emirates, what that experience is really like.
Vanessa: 14:45
That's a great question because prior to moving to Dubai, there was such a perception about the UAE and the Middle East. You know, that women are so limited with what they can do. And yes, there's certain countries that you know, that there's a lot of issues, but you know, in particular, like Saudi and, and, and Dubai as an example, like women have, like, we are treated so well, like so much respect. It's so safe. Like Dubai is so safe, you can leave your wallet. On a table and phone and no one will touch it probably cuz of the fear of going to jail or getting deported. The fear is real, but but what it does, it weeds out all the riff raff and it's only the best of the best that are actually living here and, and also traveling as well. And there is just so much to do as well. Like even, even me living here in six months, I can see the growth already happening. Like at the moment there's. Over 3.5 million people living in Dubai, and by the end of the decade they want to see over 11 million. And they're just building new cities left, right, and center. It's, it's phenomenal. They're building like the, what's to be the largest the largest casino like in the world as well. They've already have the largest mall in the world that has there's a ski resort, there's a diving center. Like there's everything, everything is here. It's incredible. And then every, and what it was a bit of an epiphany actually, like the reason it's so energetic here is because there's so many different parts of this place that makes you think you're in a different country. So there's always like this fresh energy. Like one time I was just like, I, I live in the marina and I was walking down a side street. All of a sudden there's like cobblestone. I felt like I was in Europe. And then I go to like West Palm, which is like a Miami or like your beach bar hopping in like Europe or Ibiza or something. And then you look at the skyline and it's like New York and then you're out in the desert and it's like Palm Springs, like, you know, it is just, it's really quite phenomenal. And a lot of people ask me, you know, what is it that you love about Dubai? And I'm like, it's actually the people, like everyone is so friendly and welcoming cuz there's a lot of expats that live here and they know what it's like to, to move to a new city, move to a new you know, culture and, and everything. And they're really here to support each other. And I find like, In the work front, like when people ask what you do, it's cuz they genuinely wanna help you in some form. And that's, that's, that's really the beauty of, of Dubai. Sometimes I sound like I work for Dubai tourism maybe come to Dubai. But it's really I, I'm so passionate about the place and I, I look forward to every time I return to my new home cuz it's the center of the world.
Dan: 17:13
No, I was gonna say it's great to hear it from your perspective because I've been to Dubai a few times and last year the Acceler Acceleration team worked really closely with the team at Dharma and launched multiple brands and this new marketplace and the team I know that is based in Dubai is committed to staying in Dubai. They love it there. They're an Abu Dhabi in fact, but they love living in that region. I know it's a little hot this time of the year, but other than that, it's a wonderful place to live with so many different opportunities.
Vanessa: 17:40
Yeah. So my tips are like you know, our summertime here, it's hot. It's like, 40 to 50 degrees. So people either return to their homes, they go to Europe or America or something for a holiday. But wintertime is the best. It's the most pleasant and that's the, the peak season as well. So our wintertime would be like a Canadian summer if that sort of thing. But but also, you know, to be honest, like cuz I'm such from Australia, I'm such a nature person and I was like, oh, how am I gonna go living in Dubai where it's. Basically all just like manmade. And then you come here and you, you, I'm not even affected by it at all. And like, I, like it's shiny. But it's actually just really exciting. And like the, the beaches here are amazing. Like I love living on the marina. And if you wanna go for a hike, you can just drive an hour out and go for like a beautiful hike or you just jump on a plane to Georgia or Egypt as I just did, which is only like two and a half, three hours away. So you are, you know, you can, you can dip in and out as you please, as we know, like Dubai's, you know, one of the greatest stopovers and, and center of the world.
Dan: 18:45
Yeah, well the A three 80 has definitely helped with that for an extended period of time with being in the number of a three 80 s that they had in the fleet for Emirates. And cause I've certainly flown that from London heading to Australia. I think many of us have, or you certainly have. And so it provides a great stop over destination, but now it's really a destination unto itself. Not only for the region, but but the world. So I'd like to just, I think we've got really now onto the topic of travel trends and that's, The first one, I just I've got a, another question about that, but then I think we can otherwise keep, keep going on some of the travel trends themes. And I do have, of course, some travel trivia ready for you which we'll get to. And, but in terms of Dubai. So certainly it has become a leading global de travel destination. The international visitor numbers continue to surge, especially on the other side. You've talked about how livable the city is. Is there any other aspect that you think is worth highlighting, especially as the region as a whole? Like I think last week you were in Egypt and so the region as a whole is seeing a great resurgence. When we traveled to Dubai, we actually went to Jordan, and I think that for, especially for people in. Let's say North America, Canada, us. But there's sometimes a limited understanding of the Middle East and that region and safety of travel, as you've already highlighted. And so, Yeah. If, give us a little bit more about what you see happening in that region over the next 10 or 15 years. Is it your, your plans to to be there longer term? Not that you have to commit to that. I know you're loving it six months in, but it certainly seems to be for many factors, the, the place to be for the next decade as, as the travel industry evolves.
Vanessa: 20:23
I think it can only grow from here, like considering. So the expat friends that I do have here and from people that I speak with, like their passports get like filled with stamps and they have to get a new one within 10 years just cause it's so filled with stamps because they're always traveling. And a lot of friends, they travel to places that they normally wouldn't go to cuz Australians will go to Europe, we'll go to America, we'll go to the most. You know, the kind of like, not basic, but like, you know, where we know where we can trust and we've got limited time to travel, whereas, because Dubai is a base, we can just go for the weekend to, to Jordan, to Petra, to, to Egypt or, or what have you. And I feel like the growth of Dubai will only lead to more growth for the Middle East because of everyone just. Taking like four day trips here or one week trips, hit there and everything. And as, as people move here, they get a greater understanding of the culture of the ar Arabic world as well. And something that you know, understanding like the Muslim culture as well, that that's something new for me and it's such a beautiful, peaceful religion. Like it's all about family and community and you know, what's portrayed is obviously like the bad The, the negative extremist side of things, but as, as a whole, like, it's such a beautiful community and it's, it's wonderful to be a part of. I experienced my first Ramadan in March and that's where, you know, they're fasting for like a month and everything and it's like, it is hard, but the whole beauty around it is at like 8:00 PM everyone like gets together. We're all eating, celebrating you know, and it is just like commitment to the religion in each other as well. So so there's that element. I think with anything you just have to, like respect, respect the culture and, and the country that you're in as well. So that's what I mean, like, it's, it's eliminated the riff rft, like, you know, people might complain about the rules and regulations, but it's pretty much set up for the Western world and they have to, if, if they wanna hit those numbers, they had, they had no choice but to like, You know, up until two years ago, you couldn't hold hands with your partner. You couldn't, you know, wear, wear certain items of clothing. Yeah. You couldn't drink in certain areas. But all the hotels and a lot of like locations are beautifully set up for like, the best restaurants in the world, the best clubs, the best bars and everything. Just, just don't be drunk and disorderly in the street. And that's how you should be behaving in a regular basis anyway. You know, there's no barbs or anything like that. People are just so respectful. You just cover up when you're at a mosque, when you're around a lot of locals, like Emiratis, like for example, like in the mall. You can't just like walk in like you've walked off from the beach. So, so that's really it. You know, like before I, before I moved here, I googled all the rules and regulations cuz I wanted to be culturally appropriate. And what I read, I was like, what am I doing? You can't do this, you can't do that. And I was like, what have I signed up for? But it was almost like propaganda a little bit. It was like old news. Like I said, it was probably maybe five, 10 years ago, but they haven't updated that. And until I moved here I was like, wow, like what you read online is actually very different from what I'm living at.
Dan: 23:23
For sure, and perception is everything as you know, and obviously you work in. Pr. And so understanding the perception about tours, which you overcame, and now even the perception of the Middle East as a region, you're being based in Dubai and showcasing the experiences. Actually, one of the ladies I had a privilege to work with at at Dharma, she was based in Dubai, and she went to Saudi Arabia to go diving. She was an avid diver. And she went for the weekend and she commented afterwards that she didn't tell her parents till she got back cuz she didn't want'em to be worried that she was going to Saudi Arabia for the weekend. But it is one of those, like, as travel evolves, as our world continues to change and adapt, all of a sudden what seemed very uncommon, unfamiliar, the idea of going scuba diving for a weekend in Saudi Arabia will become much more a, a reality for more and more people. Yeah.
Vanessa: 24:10
Yeah, exactly. And I just wanna touch on the safety because while I was traveling through Egypt for a week, I had a lot of friends hit me up, like, is it safe there? You're traveling on your own. And you know, like, like I had a guide with me. Like there's, there's so many like private guides and you just go on TripAdvisor and. Or you can hit me up and I can give tips. But but on TripAdvisor, like you've got the best guys that are all lined up. A lot of them, they, they study this throughout school to be like a guide in Egypt or, or around the world. So, and, and they're not really that expensive either. And it's, you know, it's so much more rather than just taking photos of the pyramids to actually like truly understand, you know, what the pyramid is all about and, and the, the stories behind it and everything. It's just so immersive and you can essentially, like I had a private tour with my, with my guide. And and then, you know, speaking of Saudi Arabia, like at the moment they've got the Forbes International Women's Event, which is just showcasing like Middle Eastern women and like all the great things that they're doing for the region, like unheard of a couple years ago, but it's happening now.
Dan: 25:13
Yeah. Very interesting. Well, clearly you're across a number of travel trends. Middle East is one, but your role being global, your background in Australia, I'd love to hear if there are any others that stand out to you, especially with the people listening to this podcast that are, you know, that are in the industry or looking to become part of the industry. I. So trying to choose where they should focus their time and efforts. What else are you seeing? Some insider knowledge, if you will, as to what other trends that are emerging that you're focusing on?
Vanessa: 25:37
Yeah, pleasure is a big one. So I guess the travel that I was speaking about was more like lifestyle, but pleasure is a huge one for like corporates. You know, those and what we used to do when we have like a conference in London or something and then kind of tap off the back of that just to like see Fran mixing. Business with pleasure. So, and that's a big one for hotels as well to like really jump on that, to make sure that, you know, they're set up for like for people to work remotely as well. So and I, I do this all the time where I'll go for business and then I'll spend about two, three days or something just like working for my hotel and then, you know, going on little tours or, you know, going to the beach or everything, catching up with friends. And then that's when you get that. Beautiful, like work life balance as well. Like it really does exist and you know, as an age old saying, but if you love what you do, like work-wise, like you're not even working. I can work all hours of the day or night and it's, it's, it's like I'm just speaking to friends and that that was something that was really important to me and to my business partner Korean, that everyone that we deal with, whether it's. B2B or b2c, we want them to feel like they're part of the family. Where it's like just a genuine connection as well. So it's a pleasure to receive a message sometimes at 10:00 PM you know, from one of our partners you know, wanting to send their client to like Kane's film Festival or something. Like, it's actually really invigorating.
Dan: 26:55
That's very interesting. So pleasure. Which isn't a great name, but it obviously is, it just doesn't roll off the tongue with enthusiasm. But the concept clearly many people, listeners are gonna be very familiar with and I think that, you know, when you do travel for business, you're also Keen to, you know, experience a local restaurant or go out and see a show or add on a couple of days. So for sure. And, and but the interesting thing, obviously in certain instances, business travel has been down companies making decisions about restricting costs. But then travelers deciding this is the opportunity that then if I am gonna travel for business, cause it may be less, they're actually adding on to the time. So it certainly, it. That's where I think kinda the flip side of a trend where if there's less business travel or if your companies are being more selective when you go for business, it would also make sense that those people who now are traveling less frequently are more keen to add on time when they're finally able to travel again. So that's, that's essentially what you're seeing with Do Dubai. Does that just, does that apply to the region or do you think that applies broadly?
Vanessa: 27:58
Broadly, definitely not just the region. Definitely like yeah, just everywhere really.
Dan: 28:03
And is there anything else that stands out to you?
Vanessa: 28:05
So I was just gonna say is part, part of pleasure as well is like potentially bringing your family like, You know, I can speak for Dubai here, where it's like, it's set up for like every different, kind of like if you're a solo traveler, traveling with your partner, traveling with family, there really is something for everyone. Like, there's so many theme parks everywhere, like the Atlantis on the Palm, like that's got a massive theme park and it's also a luxury hotel as well. So you can be an adult and then put the kids, you know, into like just send them to like the, the theme park and have a nanny and. Yeah, it's really set up for that. Sorry, what was your question? That was just a thought of mine.
Dan: 28:41
No, no, it's, it's our was the group side of that travel. Like, because there's, obviously, there's business travel for independent travel if you're going for a meeting, but I'm assuming that it's group business travel as well. If there's conferences, conventions, that, that is a significant factor.
Vanessa: 28:55
Definitely, and that's actually what I had in mind when I was originally talking about pleasure, like when you've got a conference. You know, like, and it's such a distance to travel to London or to LA or something like that. So while you're over there, you may as well make the most of it. Hence pleasure where you can mi mix the business with the leisure.
Dan: 29:12
The Skiff team just recently went on their, their 10th anniversary and they went back to Iceland where they had their first trip. They had 10 people and they started, they have 75 people now. And the intrepid team actually were the ones that hosted them, but it was, you know, you can clearly see when a team thrives together and it's got a great culture and they actually want to travel together and have that experience where they're doing work, but they're actually, they're, they're doing what they love and they're traveling at the same time.
Vanessa: 29:35
Yep. Exactly. And it goes back to like what we were discussing when I used to travel with the travel corporation. Like there were so many like pinch me moments where I was like, I can't believe I'm getting paid for this right now. And that really is like the best feeling in the world where it's like, I just love what I do. And then when you love what you do, it really comes across in everything that you do. In, you know, in the, in your, with your colleagues, with your family, with your friends. And also like being in public relations and marketing like, Putting the message out there as a genuine message, like, you're going to love this because you, you know, like, it's so important. And I think, you know, through the pandemic, you know, like the time is now. Like, enjoy yourself. You know, like get the work done and, and, and enjoy yourself in the process. And, you know, and this isn't by sheer luck that I've landed here, it's also having a positive mindset. You know, like having clear intention of what I want. And, and I speak for everyone of what you want from like the industry that you're in and, and the job that you have. Like when you've got a clear intention and you've got a positive mindset behind it, like truly anything is possible. And I'm living proof of that. Like, you know, I wasn't even in the travel industry and here I am like a partner and general manager to like a high net worth concierge company.
Dan: 30:48
No, you certainly are. I got, well, one of the things I, I wanted to ask you about on that same topic of positivity is kind of the health and wellness side of travel. Cause I know that's important for you and I've certainly seen that in your travels, and I think for all of us, it's more important than it's ever been, as you just pointed out, post pandemic and some of the factors that came into play for many of us, whether it's losing loved ones or or just being limited. By virtue of the pandemic and realizing that time is finite and you do need to get out and see as much of the world as possible, but you also need to take good care of yourself. So I would, I would love to hear what you are seeing in the holistic travel wellness style. What, what are some emerging trends? I'm not talking about sustainability, of course, that's a whole other topic, but I'm just specifically about wellness and holistic travel. What are the, the trends that you're seeing for like personal and professional development?
Vanessa: 31:39
Absolutely traveling with purpose for both personal and professional development, as you mentioned, and transformative travel. Where it's, you know, not just having a cocktail by the pool, but it's like, yeah, having a cocktail by the pool and then bring it into, you know, a room where you're filled with like, inspirational people that are giving presentations on, you know, lifestyle management. Tapping into like relationships business, how you can like, elevate your experience. And basically it's enabling guests to fill their cup again, because a lot of people go into these retreats. For, for a reason. And that the reason is they're just drained. You know, like mothers, fathers, et cetera. They're just drained. They've lost themselves in the process. They dunno who they are anymore. Or, or maybe they're just like, you know, singles and just like a bit over it at the moment. So, going into this kind of environment, when you're surrounded by so many like-minded people that are there for the same reason and purpose and intention, it, it, it's really amazing in the context that you can make. Like for example, I was just an. Egypt with it's called Unconventional Life, which is really a business and life accelerator. And it al also mixes a bit of spirituality as well, where, you know, we're like meditating in pyramids. And then just having these incredible experiences off the back of it. And these are people that, you know, are really high flying executives that are going to these kind of conferences and thinking outside of. You know, just the, the black and white things of how we did things traditionally. It's like open your mind, expand it, and see what comes from it, and just incredible people to work with. I'm actually going to, to Fiji in a week. I'm, I'm doing my first guest speaking gig. Actually. My, my topic is on the power of yes. That I chose that it's actually the year of, yes, I called it the year of Yes. And the power behind it. And I'm, I'm living and breathing it, so I'm gonna speak to 60 to 70 women from all over the world that are coming to Fiji to stay at the Shangrila. At an event called She Evolves. And basically it's a mixture of, you know inspirational speakers, like I said, that just tap into all the different areas and, and for women just to like, you know, be themselves again and meet other like-minded women and, and just feel alive. And they launched this particular event last year. And there are so many events like these, like all around the world, but I can speak from experience here that you know, a lot of them, like they came for the first day, within the first day, you made friendships that you feel like you've had for a lifetime, and already they're so excited just to, you know, have those four days with everyone, go back home and be full again, to be really present for their, for their husbands, for their boyfriends, for their, for their family. And some of them even brought their children as well. So, you know, there's, there's all these different opportunities that are out there and I, I just feel like. For a lot of things whether it's like transformative, where whether it's like high end luxury you know, exclusive experiences, you don't know what you don't know. So that's what my job is to actually like, put the message out there and for podcasts like yourself to get the message out there that, you know, there is so much more outside of the box that we can do for ourselves. And then also you know, and when we are filled up, then we can really give to others and, and the community.
Dan: 34:43
Yeah, that's very well said. I think when you look at your role and experience, and you talk about some of those aspects of being connected and that obviously is been important part of your success, but also it's just something that you. You gravitate to that you initiate and it's clearly something that you are very engaged with and it's and so I think this is, this podcast is hopefully gonna be inspiring to a number of people that are listening to this discussion. But I I want to get to our travel tri ones, cause I wanna put you, I have a chance to put you on the spot and see if how you fare compared to some of our other guests on our trivia. Top five.
Vanessa: 35:23
Okay. Probably not that great. Well, let's go. There's Gil.
Dan: 35:27
I try to customize these based on your background and experience. So let's start with one that we've been talking about, which is the Middle East. What is, I'm gonna, this one, you've got three options. What is the most populous country in the Middle East? Is it a Saudi Arabia, b Iran, or C Egypt?
Vanessa: 35:43
I'd say Egypt.
Dan: 35:44
Well done. You were there last week, so we're talk 33 million compared to 81. Compared to 98. So it's, yeah, it's, it's, most people just don't realize, especially Canadians, three times the size of our country, population size, or Australia too.
Vanessa: 35:56
My travel guide, in fact, told me the population of Giza and also Cairo. So that's why I was able to answer that question, and it's huge.
Dan: 36:07
Yeah, well this one will take you back to your roots or a couple of these. In Australia, an oxbow Lake is also known by what name, What body of water is significant. It might even be in the waltzing Matilda song. It might even be the name of a surf company.
Vanessa: 36:24
Billabong.
Dan: 36:26
Well done. There you go
Vanessa: 36:27
Oh, I'm not that bad.
Dan: 36:29
Two for two so far. Next one. The chocolate hills are a famous to attraction in what? Southeastern Asian country?
Vanessa: 36:37
The Philippines,
Dan: 36:38
Yes. Your homeland. Yes. Originally.
Vanessa: 36:41
My motherland. Yeah.
Dan: 36:42
Yeah. Motherland. Yes. I didn't realize that. That was one of the ones as I was prepping for our discussion, that I had no idea there's like these 1200 small grass hills that apparently during the dry season become chocolatey brown. And have you ever been, have, is that, have you ever been there?
Vanessa: 36:57
I haven't, there's so much of the Philippines I want to explore. I've only been to the mainland and villages. Yeah.
Dan: 37:04
No. Okay. Yeah. Well, the now getting closer to where you are, what is the name and location of the world's tallest building?
Vanessa: 37:11
Dubai. That would be the Burge Khalifa. And here's a fun, here's a fun fact. They're actually building an even bigger building to top the Burge Khalifa.
Dan: 37:21
Is that right? Okay. And, and how much taller will that be?
Vanessa: 37:24
I don't know, because I think Saudi, I think Saudi was building one to top Burge, Khalifa. And then Dubai came out and was like, oh, we're building another one that's even bigger. So they like to, they like to be the world world record holder for many things.
Dan: 37:40
Well, here's one that also comes close to you in the United Era of Emirates. How many Emirates are there? Are there three? Are there seven or are there 10?
Vanessa: 37:49
I should know this. I'm gonna say 10.
Dan: 37:51
Oh, it's seven. There you go.
Vanessa: 37:55
Ah, okay. It'll probably become 10 or maybe, maybe I'll like future casting.
Dan: 38:01
Four outta five. When I give you, I'm gonna give you a chance at one bonus question. This is not relevant to any of the regions we've just discussed, but the wor, this is just a fascinating bit of trivia that I I found interesting and hopefully others will too. The world's very first underground railway opened in 1863. In which city is it? London, Paris, or New York?
Vanessa: 38:23
London.
Dan: 38:24
Yeah. Well done. Okay. There you go. I'm gonna give you five. Outta five. Yeah. It was powered by Steam engines, gas lit, and I guess 38,000 people traveled on the very first day. So you can just, it just shows you how far we've come when we think about a three 80 s flying in and outta Dubai to get. 150 years ago, gas lit carriages underground for the first time. So this has been such a great conversation. I do want to give you a chance, though, to leave us with your parting thoughts or any specific calls to action that people wanna follow up with you or your team or just places that people should gravitate to after listening to this discussion.
Vanessa: 39:01
Yeah. So I guess thank you for, for the opportunity. First of all. You know, you can check us out on the v i p dubai.com or follow us on Instagram. We've also got the v i p global, so we're not limited to just Dubai. Also for any luxury travel agents, virtuoso agents anyone playing in that. Space, feel free to reach out because we work a with a lot of you. Again, it's, you know, getting access to like villas, certain experiences, et cetera, that you may not be able to get hold of. We can certainly do that for you. And I'll leave Dan with my details and then you can email me or, or hit me up on Instagram.
Dan: 39:46
Yeah, we'll be sure to include that when we post this. So those of you be listening to it, you'll be able to find those in the comments. But I'm so glad to see you doing so well. I expected nothing less, and I'm convinced that the future continues to be very bright for you, and you're gonna appear in many headlines with all the, uh, initiatives you have on and, uh, and continue to be someone that leads in this industry and. It's great to profile, you know, a female executive that is a person is doing great things. So thank you for spending time with us and we wish you continued success. Thanks, Vanessa.
Vanessa: 40:16
My pleasure. Thank you. So great to see you, Dan.
