When the Middle East is your work

Author: Maaike Dukker - 't Hart

Ayani graduated from Breda University of Applied Sciences (BUas) in 2025  and with her Associate Degree (Ad) in Tourism Management in hand she set off for Oman to start working as a sales executive at LuxCrest, a company specialising in Sales & Marketing for luxury hotels. Theo is a lecturer at BUas, and teaches International Tourism and Sustainability, although he himself says that he is not a lecturer teaching tourism but an adventurer who also teaches. He travels a lot for his company, which specialises  in trips to less obvious destinations.

And the Middle East is one such less obvious destination at the moment. ‘It’s understandable that people aren’t choosing to go there at the moment,’ says Theo. ‘As an expert in travel to the Middle East and other destinations, I’ve recently been approached regularly by the press with questions about the impact of the unrest in that region on tourism. What’s striking is that the Dutch seem to be primarily concerned about their own economic situation. Prices are rising, travel is becoming more expensive, and we can’t afford to go on holiday as much. You hear very little about what it means for the people in that region themselves, the real victims.’

‘Absolutely true,’ agrees Ayani, ‘I also think there’s too much focus on the economic aspect. Hardly any attention is paid to the situation on the ground. That genocide is being committed, that locals no longer have an income, that the infrastructure is completely destroyed. Just look at what it means for the people caught right in the middle of it, I think to myself. And I’m not talking about the influencers who got stuck in expensive hotels and arrived at Schiphol in tears, even though they’d landed safely. Try to imagine how people on the front line would feel if they could land somewhere safely.’

‘A lot is said by people who aren’t properly informed,’ says Theo, ‘and it’s precisely those people who have a wide reach on social media.’

‘The picture that was painted certainly wasn’t always accurate,’ says Ayani. ‘When it happened, I got lots of text messages asking: ‘What’s it like there now? Are you safe?’ I didn’t really feel that sense of urgency; I was just lying on the beach.’

Which brings us back to the question: what were you doing at the time of the attacks?

‘It was during Ramadan,’ says Ayani, ‘my father was visiting me in Muscat. During the day we went swimming and for the evening we’d booked a helicopter flight over the city. We went ahead with that as planned; we flew amongst the drones, and yet I wasn’t afraid at all at that moment. Nor was I later, for that matter. Life goes on here.’

‘I was in Berlin,’ says Theo, ‘for the ITB (international tourism trade fair, ed.). I’d sent you an email a few days before, Ayani, when everything was still fine. Of course, there was some unease at the trade fair. Many representatives from the affected region couldn’t even make it there. There was this feeling that… business is crashing again, something’s happened yet again!’

‘In the end, my boss went to the ITB with just one colleague,’ says Ayani. ‘We suddenly had to handle and arrange everything here, so we really couldn’t spare any more colleagues. And now there’s a huge shadow hanging over the region, in every way. It’s hard for everyone, especially the locals, and it’s a real bummer – we were just starting to get things back on track business-wise.’

‘It’s terrible for the people there, but in terms of work, it affects me less personally,’ says Theo. ‘I operate in more countries, so you can cope with that. What Ayani says is true; it’s much worse for the local businesses, the hotels, the bakeries, who are being dragged into this mess. Tourists are staying away; they’re going to other countries, such as Morocco. And I’m happy for them there – don’t get me wrong – they’re friendly people, and it’s a lovely product. As an industry, you have to adapt. I’ve just come back from Greece, where I’ve been exploring new options. But it does break my heart that Iran – where I’ve organised and led so many trips and which has always been our biggest destination – is now being hit so hard. I hope that we’ll soon see things starting to change for the people there.’

’I’m wondering too,’ Theo continues, ‘if it takes another year, will you still have a job, Ayani?’

‘Of course, I don’t know. For now, there’s still work, although we can’t plan for next season yet. Luckily, I’m also still working for my old placement company, Perfect Journeys. If things come to an end here, so be it, and something else will come along; I’m convinced of that. There’s no point in worrying about it now. If it happens, it happens, and I’ll think of something. For now, I’m fine here; I feel safe enough too. I’ve got lovely people around me, and that’s what matters.’

‘That’s the right mindset,’ says Theo, ‘showing resilience and spotting new opportunities – those are the skills you need. We’re also going to place greater emphasis on geopolitics in the curriculum again. To prepare students even better for what might happen and how to deal with it. I’m delighted to be able to contribute to this, drawing on my extensive experience in the travel industry.’

Did you miss that bit on geopolitics in your Associate degree programme, Ayani? 

‘Not really, but it would be good if more attention were paid to it. Political developments may have a huge impact on the sector, after all. I’m absolutely delighted with my choice to study the Ad, because as part of my studies I went on a five-month work placement to Oman. I had the time of my life and made lots of friends; the people here are so warm and welcoming. I would have loved to have stayed there straight away. I lived with a colleague – I still do, in fact – and she treated me like one of her own children. It was because of her that I went back. We’ve become very good friends.’

‘You were also something of a pioneer, as one of the first students doing their placement at Perfect Journeys,’ Theo recalls. He was Ayani’s placement supervisor at the time. ‘I was assigned to her because I have a lot of experience travelling in the Middle East. Hopefully it was of some use to her, because I didn’t visit her during her placement; she was doing so well that I didn’t really have to worry about a thing. We did, of course, speak to each other online.’

‘You’ve definitely been a great help to me; you know the region so well,’ replies Ayani. ‘And yes, my work placement went well. Of course I missed my family then, and I still do, but I never once felt uncomfortable or unsafe. The people are really very friendly; it’s such a warm country, and not just literally,’ says Ayani with a laugh (she’s just turned on the air conditioning). ‘And you make friends quickly here. I still see my friends from my work placement every week.’ 

‘I do miss the Middle East,’ Theo concludes, ‘that different way of life, the hospitality. If you ring the doorbell somewhere here in the Netherlands around dinnertime, you’re expected to sit on the couch and wait, whereas there you’re invited to join them for dinner straight away.’