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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 Adapts to Pandemic: Expert Voices on Recovery

As COVID-19 disrupted global travel in mid-2020, industry insiders and on-the-ground hotel leaders share what recovery looks like across cruises, air travel, and international borders.

Say Yes To Travel documents the travel industry's early pandemic response by interviewing frontline professionals, travel agents, cruise experts, and hotel concierges who witnessed the disruption firsthand. The channel's core argument is that understanding hyperlocal, expert perspectives from different regions and verticals reveals both the severity and the differentiated nature of the crisis, and hints at recovery timelines that the news cycle alone does not capture.

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

“What has been so interesting about the pandemic is that it has removed us from our borders.”

Anna Endrihovskaia, Les Clefs d'Or Concierge, Moss Hotel Moscow

By the numbers

120 rooms

Mandarin Oriental Barcelona hotel size, once Spain's priciest

15 countries

EU-approved destinations for travelers when US was banned

March 2021

Date Qantas announced for resuming international flights

6+ years

Duration of social media connection before meeting Stewart Chiron in person

What the channel argues

InsightQantas Airlines ceased all international flights until March 2021, signaling industry-wide pause.→
DataEU restricted US travelers as of July 1, opening to only 15 approved countries including Australia, New Zealand, Canada, Japan.→
InsightMandarin Oriental Barcelona shut down by March 13 weekend with staff asked not to return immediately.→
InsightSpain imposed strict lockdowns allowing departures only for groceries or medical visits.→
InsightCruise industry avid travelers awaited regulatory green light, but mainstream media focus remained on flights and hotels.→

What you'll learn

•Major international airlines halted long-haul flights for extended periods, with Qantas ceasing international service until March 2021.
•The EU travel ban reviewed every two weeks and could be revised if US or other countries' pandemic situation improved.
•Spanish hospitality workers faced sudden closures with minimal notice, experiencing Friday work followed by weekend shutdown orders.
•Travel industry recovery was geographically fragmented, with different rules and timelines across Europe, Australia, Russia, and North America.
•Industry experts like travel agents and concierges tracked recovery readiness before mainstream media reported on specific verticals like cruises.

What to do about it

→Interview frontline professionals in each geographic region and vertical (hotels, airlines, cruises) separately to map recovery patterns rather than relying on aggregate news.
→Monitor EU travel ban review cycles every two weeks and track which countries move on or off the approved list to anticipate client destination availability.
→Build contingency staffing and communication plans for hospitality venues, modeling rapid closures and reopenings based on regulatory signals.

Who and what shows up

Stewart Chiron

Cruise industry expert, 'The Cruise Guy'

Bonafide cruise expert who provided insight into cruise industry recovery timing and trends.

John Dekker

Travel Agent

Appeared twice on the podcast to discuss pandemic travel outlook and major airline announcements like Qantas's international flight suspension.

Klaus Heldt

Concierge Supervisor, Mandarin Oriental Barcelona

Documented the immediate hotel closure in Spain on March 13 and conditions on the ground during strict lockdown.

Anna Endrihovskaia

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

Provided perspective on how the pandemic removed people from borders and offered comparison of pandemic impact across geographies.

Questions this channel answers

Q

When will cruises restart?

Avid cruisers awaited regulatory green light in mid-2020, but cruise expert Stewart Chiron and the podcast did not specify a restart date in these early episodes.

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

Which countries are open to US travelers?

As of July 1, the EU approved 15 countries including Australia, New Zealand, Canada, and Japan. The US was not approved but could be added if the pandemic situation improved, with reviews every two weeks.

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

How did lockdowns affect hotel and hospitality workers?

Mandarin Oriental Barcelona closed by the weekend of March 13 with staff told not to return. Spain imposed strict lockdowns allowing departures only for groceries or medical visits.

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

What is the travel outlook for end of 2020?

Travel agent John Dekker discussed current conditions in July 2020, noting major airline cancellations like Qantas ceasing international flights until March 2021, but the full outlook beyond that point is not detailed in this episode.

The Outlook on Travel for the End of 2020 →
Topics:Cruise industry recoveryInternational travel restrictions and border policyHotel operations and hospitality staffingTravel agent market outlook
Themes:Hyperlocal expert testimony over aggregate newsFragmented geographic and sectoral recovery timelinesRegulatory policy as travel enabler or blocker

Industry context

Global cruise passenger volumes reached 37.2 million in 2025 with 7.5% annual growth, while the industry expands fleet capacity and diversifies regional hubs beyond traditional markets like the Caribbean and Alaska.

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