Jeremy Jauncey on how social media transformed travel, and his role in the upcoming Tatler Best of Asia event

What started as a way to share photos of the world’s most scenic and breathtaking places on Instagram has since evolved into a multi-award-winning strategic, creative and content studio, with one of the world’s largest online travel communities. “Industries like fashion and beauty were much quicker to adopt the power of social media. But travel? Not so much,” he says. “I always had the belief that we had something special, and that customers would come if we could stay alive for long enough as we were building the business. Thankfully, here we are, talking about it now.”

So, how did he do it?

“Being politely persistent,” he says. “That’s a mantra that I’ve followed my whole life. Because as an entrepreneur, you’re going to get rejected. Not even just as an entrepreneur—rejection is just a part of life. And if you succumb to it, or you believe that’s the narrative that’s going to define you, then you won’t get anywhere. I always felt like we were ahead of the curve, and that one day, people would understand that this is important.”

Jauncey’s persistence paid off when, in 2014, Beautiful Destinations landed its first client—Dubai Tourism Board and Burj al Arab. To increase tourism to Dubai and the hotel’s presence in key markets, Jauncey handpicked top content creators—with a combined social media following of 12.3 million—and gave them a tour of the hotel and Dubai. Their posts took Burj Al Arab’s Instagram following from 4,000 before the partnership, to 65,000 by the end of the campaign. Better yet, the hotel saw a 38 per cent surge in online bookings.

It was then that Jauncey’s prediction of Beautiful Destinations being “something special” came into focus. “Back then, Dubai Tourism were really progressive and saw that the future would be mobile, social and content- driven,” says Jauncey, who now works with some of the world’s leading hotel brands, including One & Only and Marriott Luxury Collection, as well as fashion and watch brands like Panerai, Tod’s and Brunello Cucinelli. “Today, if you’re in the travel industry, the thought of not having social media or content as part of your marketing strategy seems crazy.”

In a full-circle moment, after stints living in London and New York City, in 2023, Jauncey and his wife—model and former Miss Universe, Pia Wurtzbach—moved to Dubai. “From a business standpoint, it’s thriving and vibrant, with many exciting companies moving here. There’s so much to support a great quality of life regardless of where you are in your life, [especially] if you’re young, or if you’re starting a family,” he says “Location-wise, it’s a great hub. The connections [from Dubai] to destinations around the world are second to none.”

It’s been a busy year and a half of travel for the pair, who tied the knot in an intimate ceremony on a private island in the Seychelles in March 2023, followed by a globetrotting honeymoon, which included a stop in Hong Kong.

“[Pia and I] had our second date in Hong Kong; it’s where we fell in love,” Jauncey recalls fondly, adding that the two were living on opposite sides of the world when they first met in London. “I had a business trip in Hong Kong that coincided with her being there—after three days together, we decided to give [our relationship] a shot.”

Since then, they’ve been living what can only be described as a dream life, travelling to some of the most spectacular corners of the world—from summers in Italy’s Lake Como to walking the red carpet at Cannes Film Festival, watching the sunset in the Moroccan desert to hiding out at a luxury island resort in the Maldives.

Travel may be business for Jauncey, but Beautiful Destination’s success can be attributed to his infectious sense of genuine wonder and curiosity, seeing the world through the same lens as the day he landed in Changi airport for the first time.

Recently, Jauncey travelled to Turkey—a destination that’s been at the top of his bucket list for years. “I like reading about history and people in history who’ve done great things. I remember reading Silk Road by Peter Francopan, who talks about the growth of civilisation across the so-called new world, about how Istanbul sat across the Bosphorus on two continents. Its whole history and heritage is based on celebrating different cultures and understanding different faiths, different backgrounds and different perspectives on life, which still rings true today. I just loved it,” he says. “I would go back in a heartbeat.”

One place he and Wurtzbach do return to again and again is the latter’s home country of the Philippines. “A lot of people don’t realise the high quality of the beaches in the Philippines, which I think are some of the best I’ve seen anywhere in the world,” says Jauncey, who proposed to Pia at the exclusive island resort of Amanpulo. “The cleanness and clarity of the water in places like Palawan and around Coron are really second to none. The people are so friendly; so welcoming. They’re so open to different cultures and different people, and they really make the experience unique.”

Jauncey adds, “Hospitality in Asia is just on another level, and has been for decades, if not hundreds of years.”

He will be proving this further this year: in November, he will act as co-chair for Tatler Asia’s inaugural Best of Asia event in partnership with Tumi, a ceremony that will bring together and celebrate the region’s top hotels, restaurants and bars.

“Getting together with the very best in the industry in Asia has never been done on this scale,” says Jauncey. “I think the moment right now is perfect, because more and more, the world is celebrating Asian culture, and being able to bring the best of hospitality in the region to the forefront is what I’m most excited about.”

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