Ellis van Buul

“The love of travel was there from an early age. My ultimate dream job was to become a flight attendant. After secondary school (havo), I chose to study Travel & Hospitality at vocational level (MBO); a requirement to be able to follow the flight attendant training. During this course, I did internships in Curaçao and Tenerife. Those experiences abroad were the perfect learning environment for me. I learned more about myself there than I ever thought possible.”

Head in the clouds

“With my MBO diploma in hand, I went on to complete flight attendant training. My dream was finally coming true. But after six months, I realised the job wasn’t quite right for me. I missed the challenge and the depth. I wanted more. From accountancy to maritime studies, I looked into every higher education programme from A to Z. Eventually, one stood out: the Associate Degree (AD) Tourism Management.”

An entrepreneurial traveller

“What I loved about the AD programme? It is very practice-oriented, you gain a lot of experience in a short time, and you are given the opportunity to do an internship abroad. I joined a Dutch company in Valencia. During this internship, I discovered how much I enjoy marketing. I even followed an additional marketing course. That creative side, understanding target audiences, and the theory behind a strong sales concept really appealed to me. In Valencia, I discovered that I am not only passionate about travel, but also very interested in entrepreneurship.”

Travel bug in Gran Canaria

“After graduating in February 2024, I started working as a holiday representative in Gran Canaria. I welcomed guests at the airport, was their main point of contact during their stay, sold excursions and solved any issues when needed. It was demanding, but incredibly educational. Although I enjoyed it a lot, I started to feel the urge to travel myself again. I heard wonderful stories about Asia from colleagues. And once I have an idea in my head, I can’t let it go!”

Life lessons you won’t find in a book

“At the beginning of January, I left for Bali, the start of a six-month journey through Asia. Lombok, Cambodia, Vietnam, Laos, Thailand, the Philippines: I went everywhere. I stayed in hostels, made plans based on tips from fellow travellers, and along the way I met new people, languages and cultures, but most importantly, I got to know myself. That is what I love most about travelling: you find yourself in situations where you have to rely on yourself. Every journey brings new life lessons that no book could ever teach me.”

A desk job can always wait

“The Tourism Management programme has given me the freedom to spread my wings. Because I have been broadly educated – from marketing to hospitality, and from management to cultural differences – I will be able to work in many different fields later on. While friends around me are buying houses, getting married and having children, I am choosing my own path. A desk job can always wait. I feel it completely: this is the moment to explore the world.”