MakeYourAsia turns 6 this July 14th, 2022! It’s been such a roller coaster ride with all the ups and downs from the COVID-19 pandemic and difficult travel restrictions; but we’re proud to say that we’re fully back in business! The COVID-19 situation in Asia was extremely challenging as borders between countries were closed, not to mention traveling across provinces within a single country alone was heavily restricted. Almost every business sector therefore was halted during lockdown periods and to say that it was difficult for us – a travel and business consulting enterprise - to remain standard operations is an understatement. However, we not only pulled through the hardships of the pandemic but even managed to grow our team!
Within the past year, we welcomed two new members to the Travel team: Lukasz and Ngan; and two to the Marketing team: Kim and Louise. Lukasz and Ngan brought us a new breath into our operations with their expert knowledge of Asian regions as well as in-depth experience of the travel industry. Meanwhile, Kim and Louise came to us with refreshing perspectives for the tourism field and helped our operations grow in terms of social media and brand representation. Although our time together is not a lot, we are grateful for how well everyone is getting along with one another like missing puzzle pieces. Altogether, we are working towards our goal: sharing our passion for Asia.
In May 2022, taking advantage of the borders opening after years of challenging travel restrictions, we organized a get-together in Vietnam to meet the whole team for the first time ever. #MYAtogether2022 was a meaningful event allowing our members from Poland and Israel to finally meet everyone and unite in one city. Apart from enjoying each other company in the office, we explored the nooks and crannies of Saigon and introduced them to the local lifestyle. And that’s not all! Our team also enjoyed a 4-day stay by the Ho Tram seaside. Not only did our team bond through shared meals but we also got to know each other better on a personal level and reinforced our direction as a company with a creative workshop. Intensive yet fun, our two weeks together will be a motivating factor to keep us going till the next meeting!
The past year has not been easy on us; however, we pulled through and managed to get back on track with our first tours in Vietnam, Cambodia, Thailand, and Malaysia after the pandemic. Furthermore, face-to-face events have finally returned and allowed us to resume normal participation for the Central European Chamber of Commerce (CEEC) and the European Chamber of Commerce (EUROCHAM) after many virtual meetings and conferences during the state of the pandemic. Our CEO and co-founder, Lukasz Kozlowski, has also joined the Tourism and Hospitality Committee of EUROCHAM earlier this year and represented MakeYourAsia at the 30th International Meet the Bidder in Warsaw, Poland in June. It has been a tough year indeed, yet we found some amazing teammates along the way, building a solid path for better operations and we cannot wait to see what the future holds for us.