I was fortunate to be one of the few travel agents from the United States who were invited to Dubai to attend TFest. Since I was there I also decided to visit Expo 2020, the Dubai Mall and Burj Khalifa. I had up to 72 hours to get the COVID-19 PCR antigen diagnostic test before I arrived in Dubai.

First, Expo 2020. It was absolutely incredible! It was like Epcot on steroids with the more than 200 countries represented in their individual pavilions. This amazingly unique trade show felt so fresh, and with a motto of 'Connecting Minds, Creating the Future' it's no wonder. The event objective was to foster creativity, innovation and collaboration between nations, cultures and institutions. Since this is a global event, I had the opportunity to make many new and beneficial connections.

I was so in awe that I had no idea where to start. I ended up walking in one direction, thinking I could be done by 10 p.m. when it closed. I was wrong. You need at least three full days to see everything. The massive layout blew me away as I've never experienced anything like this before. I was sure to visit the USA Pavilion, one of the more visited pavilions. Our history was shown in warp time but did include a replica of the Space X shuttle, so that was pretty cool.

Attendees had to either be tested COVID-negative or first be vaccinated to gain entrance. The event enforced all necessary safety precautions, thoroughly checking everyone coming in. Face masks were required at all times, even when just walking around. The event started on October 1 and ends on March 31, 2022. I hope everyone in the travel industry gets to experience Expo 2020.

Goodbye Tradeshow, Hello TFest!

I was super impressed. TFest is more than a global luxury travel festival. It's a networking event movement that puts human beings first and businesses second. Held at The Palm, White Beach, Atlantis, the amazing event brought in over 400 travel professionals. The festival started on October 10 and ended on October 14. It's only in its second year, making it one of the newest travel trade shows.

The atmosphere was surprisingly relaxing. Attendees quickly connected, hoping to network with others who want to do business on a whole new level. I was excited to meet everyone, and the match-up was great as there were many vendors I wanted to certainly do business with. Even though I was doing about 15 one-on-one meetings a day, I still felt as though I could have done 10 more.

After TFest was over, I had one entire day and night to play. So I went to the Dubai Mall and the Burj Khalifah and then visited Expo 2020.

I arrived at the mall as soon as it opened since it was so incredibly hot and humid. I enjoyed the shopping experience and made a few Louis Vuitton purchases. They were half the price of what I would have spent here, and tax-free.

After mall shopping, I went to the top of the Burj Khalifa building, the tallest building in the world with 160 floors. The remarkable skyscraper holds world records for the best human-made structure and the highest restaurant. I arrived at the top in one minute and was amazed at how much they were building it out. I felt as though I was a part of history in the making. Imagine seeing New York when it was just 50 years old!

I had lunch at a local Turkish restaurant. I unassumingly ordered enough food for four people so I sat and grazed for two hours. It was soon late afternoon so I decided to attend Expo 2020, which was about an hour away. If I took an uber it would've cost about $80 one way. So I went to the information booth to ask if there was another way. Found out there's a bus that leaves every half hour from the mall to Expo 2020 and for free. So I rode the bus, which was a pleasant ride as I got to enjoy amazing desert views along the way.

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