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Say Yes To Travel

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Sarah Dandashy unpacks the tech and brands powering modern travel.

Say Yes To Travel is a hospitality industry channel hosted by Sarah Dandashy, covering the technologies, logistics, and brands that shape modern travel. Each episode examines how hotels, airlines, and travel companies build guest experiences that keep people coming back. The channel gives B2B hospitality buyers direct access to expert voices on trends, tools, and operators defining the industry.

5 episodes
Channel Brief·Say Yes To Travel · 5 episodes
Updated Aug 6, 2020

Travel industry experts navigate pandemic uncertainty in real time

Say Yes To Travel documents how travel professionals worldwide adapted to COVID-19 shutdowns through July 2020, offering grounded conversations with cruise experts, travel agents, and hotel concierges.

Say Yes To Travel believes that understanding travel's pandemic recovery requires direct testimony from industry insiders on the ground, not headlines alone. The channel grounds this belief by interviewing named professionals at specific luxury properties and travel companies, capturing their unfiltered perspective on timeline, restrictions, and operational readiness as of mid-2020.

Drawn from Cruises Might Be Back Sooner Than You Think Sa… and 3 more →

“Friday, March 13th I worked. By the end of the weekend, the hotel was closed and I was asked to not come back.”

Klaus Heldt, Concierge Supervisor, Mandarin Oriental Barcelona

By the numbers

15 countries

approved for EU entry by July 1, 2020

6+ years

duration of social media connection between host and cruise expert Stewart Chiron

120 rooms

size of Mandarin Oriental Barcelona, once most expensive hotel in Spain

March 13, 2020

date Mandarin Oriental Barcelona closed after staff worked the final day

What the channel argues

DataQantas Airlines ceasing all international flights until March 2021 signals extended airline caution.→
DataEU approved only 15 countries for entry as of July 1, excluding US, Brazil, Russia.→
DataSpain's Mandarin Oriental, a 120-room luxury property, closed abruptly on March 13, 2020.→
InsightAvid cruisers eagerly awaiting green light to cruise again despite industry being hit hardest.→
DataEU entry restrictions would be reviewed every two weeks, allowing status changes.→

What you'll learn

•Why the cruise industry faced unique pandemic pressure compared to flights and hotels, according to cruise industry expert Stewart Chiron.
•How Spanish hospitality operations shut down immediately and what day-by-day closure looked like at Mandarin Oriental Barcelona.
•Which 15 countries the EU deemed safe for entry by July 2020 and why the US was excluded.
•How major carriers like Qantas signaled confidence timelines by committing to specific restart dates in their capacity planning.

What to do about it

→Interview ground-level operators at your key travel verticals quarterly to track recovery sentiment and timeline shifts beyond headline announcements.
→Monitor EU border policy review cycles and country-list changes every two weeks to anticipate demand shifts for transatlantic travel.
→Track major airline international capacity commitments as leading indicators of when industry insiders expect safe travel windows.

Who and what shows up

Stewart Chiron

Cruise industry expert, The Cruise Guy

Connected with host Sarah Dandashy for over six years on social media; provided expert insight on cruise industry trends and recovery outlook.

John Dekker

Travel Agent

Repeat guest on podcast; provided real-time pandemic travel outlook and discussed major airline announcements like Qantas capacity decisions.

Klaus Heldt

Concierge Supervisor, Mandarin Oriental Barcelona

Witnessed immediate hotel closure on March 13, 2020, and described strict lockdown measures in Spain, one of the hardest-hit countries.

Anna Endrihovskaia

Chef Concierge and Les Clefs d'Or Concierge, Moss Hotel Moscow

Provided perspective on pandemic impact in Russia, a country underrepresented in US news coverage, offering comparative global insight.

Questions this channel answers

Q

When will cruises restart?

The channel does not provide a specific restart date, only that avid cruisers are awaiting the green light and industry experts like Stewart Chiron believe a return is sooner than many expect.

Cruises Might Be Back Sooner Than You Think Says “The Cr… →
Q

Which countries can Americans travel to?

As of July 1, 2020, Americans cannot enter the EU. The 15 approved countries include Australia, New Zealand, Canada, and Japan, with the list reviewed every two weeks.

What Americans Need to Know about the EU Travel Ban: Say… →
Q

How did hotels manage sudden closures?

Hotels like Mandarin Oriental Barcelona closed immediately with minimal notice, such as closing by the end of a weekend after working Friday, March 13, 2020.

Concierges Around the World: The Mandarin Oriental in Ba… →
Q

How long will airlines pause international service?

Qantas Airlines announced it would cease all international flights until March 2021, representing a multi-month pause from mid-2020 onwards.

The Outlook on Travel for the End of 2020 →
Topics:Cruise industry recoveryInternational travel restrictionsHotel concierge operationsAirline capacity planningPandemic border closures
Themes:Insider testimony over media reportingGeographic and sectoral variation in pandemic impactReal-time operational constraints in luxury hospitality

Industry context

The global cruise tourism market is expanding, forecast to grow from USD 191.27 billion in 2025 to USD 279.76 billion by 2031, while regional segments like Great Lakes cruising enter periods of unprecedented growth with fleet expansion.

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