Haifa Beseisso, a Palestinian-born influencer, is living proof that travel and cultural understanding go hand–in–hand. As a travel influencer and storyteller, she is on a mission to break down cultural barriers, raise awareness about the Palestinian struggle, and encourage empathy and understanding through travel. In this casual chat with Dyuti Chetta, Haifa shares her journey, her favorite destinations, and her vision for a more connected and compassionate world.
On the topic of how her experience as a travel influencer has shaped her perspective on global events and conflicts, Haifa stated, “My experience as a traveler and in terms of shaping world events allowed me to distinguish between governments and people and that a lot of people care about peace and want to see us together and want to see goodness and sometimes we forget that. So it helped me separate the two, which is a very, very big thing.” She also emphasized that it taught her that we could all be of value by speaking up and being leaders or thought leaders in our community, and also through what we teach our kids.
She continued, “So when I travel, I get to sit with different communities and see how they create awareness in their community. So that’s something that I’ve learned as well.”
When asked about her favorite travel destinations, Haifa said, “Some of my favorite travel destinations are Zanzibar, for sure. For me, I think it’s the land of happiness. I love the vibe, I love the sunsets, the ocean, the activities, and the people so much. It is very authentic, it is very beautiful. And another country that I love is Bali, because it’s so rich with experiences, especially for people who are on a self-discovery journey. I like the nature of Switzerland and cheese fondue.I love eating that.”
She also mentioned Colombia as another destination, adding that it is so much fun and that the fruits there are so vast and so yummy. She also praised South Korea because of how dynamic it was, especially appreciating the playfulness of the people, the way they are into characters, the creative cafes and the creative ways of expression, and their amazing fashion.
Finding the right balance between positive content and raising awareness about the conflict in Gaza is a “very, very big challenge” for Haifa, as she unveils, “Like for me on social media, I’ve been doing it for 10 years and I’ve never had a year like this one since October where creating content has been one of the most difficult things to navigate,
especially that I’m Palestinian and from Gaza.” She also adds, “So I do think about my people and how it would make them feel if we are just sharing fun content and food around the world while they’re undergoing the genocide. So all I had to do is just slow down and travel for purpose mainly most of the time either to take courses and learn or other things. But it’s been very, very, very difficult and I think we’re still in it. So I had to slow down my work and pivot and think of other ways that I can use my platform. And now I’m working on it.” Haifa’s dedication to using her platform for meaningful purposes is evident. She knows that the power of her influence can help bring about change.
Beseisso’s desire to create an authentic connection with her followers is clear. She says, “I want to meet with my followers offline, travel with them, expand together, have important conversations and feel like we’re a community. So it made me want to grow into that more.” This kind of personal engagement with her audience helps create a sense of trust and intimacy, which in turn gives her a deeper understanding of how to best use her platform for both awareness and enjoyment. Haifa’s commitment to this type of authentic connection is a testament to her dedication to her craft and her followers.
Haifa’s journey as a travel influencer has been made all the more special by her memorable interactions with her followers. From a young girl who convinced her father to let her travel because she showed him Beseisso’s videos, to fans taking trains for hours to meet her, to strangers and followers becoming friends, these encounters have left an indelible mark on Haifa’s heart. “This is a beautiful question. I remember in Japan, I was traveling and by the gate, I met a girl who told me that her father let her travel because she showed him my videos and that it was safe to go. And if I can do it, she can do it. So that was really, really special. Another one is I had a meet and greet in Egypt and people, some people took the train for four hours to come and meet. Other people like followers would help us with our music videos in Morocco and be cast and support us behind the scenes. In Korea as well, some random strangers or followers would help me film and then we’d end up staying together and touring together.”
As Haifa explains about how she chooses the destinations to travel to and feature on her platforms, she reveals,“I let the countries call me.” She goes on to say, “I’ve been to Bali to take detox courses, water courses, yoga teacher training. I’ve been to Mexico to sit with the elders or the natives of the country. Haifa’s transformative journey doesn’t end there. She continues, “After COVID, I was interested to travel to the world within and go on transformative experiences. And if I sometimes get invitations, if I’m excited about the country, I go to it.” Her desire to dive into cultures with rich stories to share is evident when she adds, “Or if I want to learn from the culture, like right now, for example, I really want to go to Rwanda because they have a very exciting story of how they transformed the country from a genocide that they had into a very peaceful place. So it’s things like that that I like to travel to.”
Haifa shares some pearls of wisdom for aspiring travel influencers, sharing, “For me, my travel advice, my advice for this one would be to be human in their approach as much as they can and to talk to the locals from the country because that’s the best way to learn about what’s really happening before they talk about something. That is very important because so many times if we want to talk about social issues, we might offend someone without meaning. So I found that my best filter and source of knowledge is the actual locals and the people themselves.”
Visiting her homeland of Palestine was Haifa’s most challenging travel experience. “Just seeing people there and soldiers and like with guns and all is, that are just around and made it really tough for me to see that tension and that nature that people live in. So I would say actually visiting my own country was the most tough one and how much I wish for, you know, Palestinians to be free of occupation.” Haifa’s emotional response to the realities of life in Palestine is indicative of her deep empathy for her people and her dedication to using her platform to raise awareness about the struggle for Palestinian freedom.
When asked about how her Palestinian heritage has influenced her approach to travel blogging and content creation, she reveals, “I felt like I was a traveling story of the country and flag of the country where I just tell people about the country everywhere I go and representation. And also it made me want to show our people that nothing is impossible and that if I can do it, they can too.”
Hafia adds, “And that there’s hope and we deserve to live and we deserve to explore and we deserve to be alive.” Her commitment to using her platform to share the Palestinian story and to inspire hope in her people is a testament to her strength and resilience in the face of adversity.
Haifa also discusses the role she believes travel can play in fostering understanding and empathy between different cultures, mentioning that traveling is one of her favourite teachers away from media and stereotypes, and that when we break that image of separation, there is space for more union and love that can be created by people, and then they get to feel it by experience. “You can change someone’s life by just hosting a dinner of people that they previously didn’t like and now they get to sit with them and see them and love them, and we hear so many stories, especially from the West, when they come to the Middle East and then they see the generosity, they fall in love with it. They go back to their country and they become ambassadors and share their experience and love of that place, so that’s why I love travelling. I wish it was like mandatory or like in schools, because for me personally, it’s like transformed my life and helped me so much.”
As for her future plans and projects, Haifa shares that she’s “One of the projects we’re excited about is called the Love Movement where we want to travel around the world, have conversations about love and wisdom and learning from the locals and the elders and kids, even of different nations. And we want to dance for peace.” She’s even collaborating with Guinness World Records to break a world record, though the details are still under wraps.
Haifa’s story is a testament to the power of travel to break down barriers and bring people together. Whether she’s sharing the beauty of Zanzibar or raising awareness about the Palestinian struggle, Haifa is using her platform to create a more empathetic and understanding world, one destination at a time. As she continues to dance for peace and share her love for travel, her story serves as an inspiration for us all to step out of our comfort zones, connect with others, and make a difference.
B
y – Dyuti Chetta
