It is our duty to remind the locals of the treasures around them, and tell them that every culture is important and worth keeping alive.

My journey on Instagram (@hessahalajaji) began back when I was in the US. Some of my friends suggested that instead of waiting to be asked about the photos of the places

I’m visiting, why not share that publicly? To be honest, the number of followers I gained baffled me. Summer travelers and Californian locals were following me to learn about the places I’ve been to, and my page began acting as a directory for them.

Now, whatever services I experience during my trips, whether it’s a boat ride or a tour guide, I share their information with my followers so that it can help them find what suits them. In return, people are now leaving me thank you messages for helping promote their business.

In turn, after seeing so many hidden gems, now I feel that it is my responsibility to convince people to invest in tourism in Saudi Arabia. My goal is to create a behavioral impact and get people to invest and explore these different cultures in the Kingdom. Locals are always happy when they see others asking questions and digging curiously. It is also our duty to remind the locals of the treasures around them, and tell them that every culture is important and worth keeping alive.

I live by an overused quote: “Enjoy the journey, not the destination,” because I enjoy every little detail of traveling, the pre-planning phase to the trip’s completion. Even if some things don’t go according to plan, such as not covering certain areas I wanted to, it gives me more incentive to return.

This experience has helped me build a name for myself. A lot of entities reach out to me to help with media coverage. I’ve helped cover Tantora Winter and Taif Season through their social media accounts.

I currently work with Turquoise Mountain Trust where we try to preserve the handcraft heritage in Saudi Arabia, while simultaneously developing existing crafts and maintain their originality and authenticity. The foundation also helps craftspeople to pursue their trade as entrepreneurs. It falls under Prince Charles’ trust in England, which has taken interest in restoring the craft industry in countries like Afghanistan, Saudi Arabia, Myanmar and Jordan.