Say Yes to Travel looks at the topic of wellness in travel and its new place in the industry’s evolution. Joining host Sarah Dandashy is Brian Chappon, CEO of Centred Travel Wellness. The company connects consumers to specially curated services relating to wellness in cities across the world. The app’s objective, Chappon said, is “taking wellness with you” with telemedicine services, fitness/yoga options, wellness retreats, and more. Chappon always had the travel itch and called his success with Centred the culmination of “22 years of entrepreneurial failures.” The app was picking up momentum ..read more

Host Sarah Dandashy chatted with Evan Kharrazi, founder of Kharrazi Natural Health, a health coaching service for overworked hospitality professionals.  Kharrazi has an interesting background as both a dancer and a hotel operations expert. He started this new journey last year after losing his hotel revenue manager job due to the pandemic. “I was depleted and went to Israel to reconnect. I found my purpose to help others who put others first,” he said.  Kharrazi’s intent is to help hospitality workers prioritize self-care through his programs. He also wants to help their employe ..read more

On this episode of Say Yes To Travel, I talk to Andrew Lock, the Founder and Host of The Travel Pro Show, a travel show for frequent flyers and business travelers or anybody looking for luxury travel. The duo talked about Lock’s background, his love for travel, and the international flights during a pandemic. Lock is British-born and now a dual British/American citizen. After his first time on a plane, he got the travel bug at the age of 7 - on a family vacation to Bulgaria. He established a travel agency in his mid-teens, booking flights and travel experiences for friends and family. He start ..read more

After a difficult year in tourism, travel is recovering. While safety is still top of mind, the experience of luxury travel is changing, too. Discussing trends in the space and what her company is seeing, Florence Li, Director of International Sales and Marketing for Songtsam, joined Say Yes to Travel host Sarah Dandashy. Li explained a bit about the Songtsam portfolio. “We are a boutique, high-end chain with lodges and hotels in the Yunnan province in China and Tibet.” “People realized because of the pandemic that we are one world and interconnected. In the future, travelers will focus m ..read more

Last year, the travel industry experienced disruptions like never before due to COVID-19. This trillion-dollar global industry was more than just a business—it was a part of the human experience. With lockdown orders and basically no ability to travel outside one’s country, consumers began to find creative ways to see beyond their back door. Frank Martini, President of Yankee Leisure Group, a rail vacation agency, witnessed some notable trends in 2020. One of which was a revival in train travel. Train travel fit perfectly for what people were looking for in 2020. Trains aren’t just for co ..read more

On this episode of Say Yes To Travel, I talk to Dr. Geoff Trenkle and Lauren Trenkle, PA MPH. I have been interviewing professionals from around the world who have been adapting to stay afloat during the pandemic. This episode is unique because I am talking to folks not directly involved in the hospitality industry, but their work directly impacts the industry. The duo of Trenkles created Total Testing Solutions, which helps individuals, businesses and families, test for COVID-19. They also help folks adapt to the safety measures out there. This allows those in the industry to test themselves ..read more

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Say Yes to Travel featured a special guest recently, Mr. Scott Eddy. Host Sarah Dandashy excitedly welcomed her friend and hospitality expert, influencer, and entrepreneur Scott Eddy. Eddy’s unique stories began with his days as a stockbroker. He then said goodbye to the corporate world and took a fateful trip to Southeast Asia. For the next 17 years, he lived in Europe and Asia, creating relationships and learning from other cultures. He entered back into the business world by starting one of the first digital agencies in Southeast Asia, where hospitality brands came to know and trust him. He ..read more

On November 1, 2021, Palm Beach opened its newly renovated Town Marina. Say Yes to Travel host Sarah Dandashy chatted with Assistant Town Manager Carolyn Stone and dockmaster Mike Horn to explore this exciting project. The dock, originally from the 1940s, was at the end of its life. As the only public marina on the island, rebuilding was a process. Stone said, “We really started from scratch, and my role, which includes oversight for revenue that’s not tax dollars, was to oversee the project.” Horn, who has been with the city for eight years, echoed that the old docks were beyond repair ..read more

Lund spent 30 years with a large hotel brand, starting in operations then shifting to financial roles. What he learned was that non-financial folks in the business had no understanding of the numbers. This epiphany resulted in leaving his day job and starting The Hotel Financial Coach, training, teaching, and speaking on financial leadership. Lund stressed that every department head needs financial literacy. “Leaders need to be fully functional, managing their departments and their numbers,” he said. That insight is more important now after a disruptive year, one that came after 100 straight m ..read more