Beautiful Destinations CEO Jeremy Jauncey with Issam Kazim, CEO of Visit Dubai. SUPPLIED

Miss Universe 2015 Pia Wurtzbach’s husband, Jeremy Jauncey, has officially launched Beautiful Destinations Academy Powered by Dubai, the region’s first travel content creator academy, in collaboration with Dubai Corporation for Tourism and Commerce Marketing (Visit Dubai). The initiative marks a global first in professional development tailored to digital travel marketing. The academy aims to meet the growing demand for skilled content creators within the tourism industry, and is set to “create a new professional category within the tourism ecosystem,” said Jauncey, who is also CEO and Founder of Beautiful Destinations. “Dubai is a leading innovator in tourism marketing – a likeminded partner that shares our future-focused vision,” Jauncey added. “The travel industry is experiencing a fundamental shift in how destinations attract visitors. Leading research shows that 76 percent of travel decisions are now influenced by social media content, yet only 24 percent of tourism and hospitality brands have in-house teams capable of creating the calibre of content that drives engagement.” The academy, he said, directly addresses this skills gap by cultivating a new generation of certified digital marketing professionals in the tourism space. The curriculum blends creative storytelling with marketing strategy, helping creators master platform-native content that resonates globally. Issam Kazim, CEO of Visit Dubai, emphasized the initiative’s alignment with Dubai’s economic and tourism ambitions: “The launch of this innovative programme with Beautiful Destinations is a testament to our commitment to fostering creativity, innovation, and excellence in the tourism sector.” “This aligns perfectly with the goals of the Dubai Economic Agenda, D33, and our vision to make Dubai a leading global city for business and leisure,” he added. The academy is expected to build a sustainable pipeline of talent, promote diverse global perspectives in content, and provide certified professionals to tourism boards and hospitality brands. Jauncey and Wurtzbach tied the knot in a dreamy Seychelles wedding in 2023 and have since relocated to Dubai, where Beautiful Destinations is now based. In a previous interview with Expat Media, Pia described their life together as filled with “kilig” – a Filipino word describing romantic excitement. “That was one of the things I tried to teach him, a few Filipino words. It’s funny because he doesn’t know what it means but he’s kilig anyway. Definitely, we have a lot of kilig moments,” Pia said with a laugh. ICA/Expat Media
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