Beautiful Destinations has created the first-ever travel creator academy in Dubai, offering wannabe influencers a unique opportunity to transform their passion into a profession and have their videos seen by its audience of more than 50 million followers worldwide. Olivia Palamountain reports

A new initiative has launched offering aspiring content creators the opportunity to transform their social media skills into a globe-trotting career with an all-expenses-paid training programme in Dubai.

The Academy by Beautiful Destinations bills itself as the world's first dedicated training programme for travel content creators, offering participants free luxury accommodation, a competitive salary and access to some of Dubai's most exclusive filming locations normally reserved for celebrities.

The three-month programme comes as research shows that 76% of travel bookings are now inspired by social media content, with "digital creator" consistently ranking as one of the most desired careers among Generation Z. The social media creator economy is projected to reach half a trillion dollars by 2027.

"We started Beautiful Destinations as a passion project with nothing more than a post on Instagram and have grown into a global business, working with the very best in the travel and tourism industry," says Jeremy Jauncey, CEO and founder of Beautiful Destinations, which boasts over 50 million followers across its social platforms.

"I want to share what I've learned with the next generation and give others the chance to experience the coolest career in the world. And there's no better city than Dubai - which has inspired Beautiful Destinations' creators since our earliest days - to do this in. You don't need to be an expert to apply – we're looking for raw, hidden talent," Jauncey adds.
The academy aims to create what Jauncey describes as "a new professional class of storytellers — people who can shoot, edit, grade, and deliver high-quality content that inspires travel. These are tomorrow's creative studios in a single person."

Successful applicants receive free accommodation in serviced apartments in one of Dubai's most sought-after neighbourhoods, a salary to cover living expenses and hands-on coaching from Beautiful Destinations' travel creators. Upon completion, participants will receive a Certificate of Participation from the Dubai College of Tourism and be offered a pipeline to well-paid content creation opportunities.Notably, the programme emphasises that prior experience or expensive equipment isn't necessary. "Whether you're filming in a local park or back garden, it's your creative eye that counts, not where you've been," explained Jauncey. "Some of our most successful creators started by making amazing content of ordinary places. We're not looking for people who've travelled the world – we're looking for people who can make any location look extraordinary."While the inaugural class of creators is set to begin their training this month, the academy plans to accept new cohorts quarterly. Those interested in future opportunities can still learn more and register their interest through the Beautiful Destinations Academy website.

The selection process involves a panel of judges including H.E. Issam Kazim, CEO of the Dubai Corporation for Tourism and Commerce Marketing (Visit Dubai) and Jauncey himself reviewing applicants' 60-second Instagram videos showcasing their perspective on travel, culture or adventure.