Meet our Regional Representative, Junaid!
Here at The Learning Adventure, the key factor that makes our tours so special are the people that plan them. Many of our team are seasoned travellers themselves, and they know firsthand just how life-changing travel experiences from a young age can be. This means that when you’re discussing possibilities for your educational tour, you’re doing so with a number of people who are just as focused on maximising the potential from a trip as you are.
Today, we’re shining a light on Junaid – our regional representative in the UAE and GCC region.
Hi, Junaid! How did you get into your current career?
I’ve been fascinated with getting on planes, trains, and ferries since I was about 2 years old and my parents took me to Hawaii! We bought a coupon booklet which wouldn’t tell you where you were going next. But you just had to show up at the airport and see where the next flight was going and if it had availability. We would often have breakfast in New York, Lunch in Memphis, and then Dinner in San Francisco. It was epic!
What do you think the value in educational tours is?
There is no education that can ever be considered complete which doesn’t take into account varied perspectives. We know through scientific data that more pluralistic and diverse societies have a plethora of different perspectives thriving, where people who identify with different cultures and geographies come together. This is what is so special and powerful in the school trips at TLA. Students get to meet native fishing villagers that have survived in their profession for close to a millennia, or see diversity in nature and learn how fragile our ecosystem is. They get to interact in a fun, yet academic learning environment that focuses on integrating what they learn in the classroom with what the real world is practicing in science, economics, and technology, among other areas.
What’s been the highlight of your career with TLA?
I think what I am most proud of so far has been getting to confirm last minute booking requests for schools. We had a fairly large group that had no flights to a relatively expensive destination. I managed to find them a very fairly-priced air ticket with a premium airline – I couldn’t believe it, and neither could they! It brought me a lot of joy to know that the students would be able to travel.
Tell us more about your favourite places to travel!
Arctic long-distance road-running is hands down the best, in Sweden and the north of Norway (Svalbard). Combine that with the Aurora Borealis, and you are on another planet. However, if I had to pick one place to travel to forever – I would have to pick Hawaii!
If you are a school based in the UAE or GCC region, and you’re interested in learning more about The Learning Adventure’s exciting educational tour opportunities, you can reach out to Junaid at the below.
+97 1508674801
✉︎ [email protected]
