For many people, travel means packaged deals and itineraries that cater to the masses. We are herded to major tourist attractions; we stay within sanitized environments and eat the same sterile restaurant and cafe food. If you are lucky, you might penetrate this bubble long enough to connect with a local person or two ... maybe.
The question is, how many of these tour packages have your personal name on it, besides the bill? Does mass tourism allow you to explore foreign cultures and places in the context of your own interests? Does it enable you to connect with like-minded locals? Does it allow you to discover the city’s best-kept secrets? Probably not.
Mohammed & Peyman Parham Al Wadhi are two Emirati brothers that started the gourmet shawarma sandwich concept “Wild Peeta.” Through Wild Peeta, they shared their passion for gourmet shawarma sandwiches with people across the globe via social media. Continuing to dream big, the brothers embarked on another challenge by launching their own social TV show “Peeta Planet.”
Arab News sat down with this incredible team and had the below discussion:
How did you guys come up with the idea?
Wild Peeta (WP): We came up with the idea four years ago. We decided to take a vacation and let our social media followers decide the itinerary for our trip, including the country we would visit. What followed was the most meaningful trip we ever had because we were able to experience the country through the suggestions of locals, not tour operators.
What does Peeta Planet mean?
Peeta Planet comes from our restaurant’s name, Wild Peeta. It was a social media hash tag we used in 2009, when we experienced our first social travel adventure. The name stuck.
What do you think the Arab entertainment sector is missing?
Local content.
When will the show start airing?
The first episode aired on April 17, on Dubai One TV. Every week we will feature one country. Our show can also be viewed on www.YouTube.com/peetaplanet
What is your advice to the youth out there who have a creative idea but do not have the financial support to launch it?
Make sure you are bringing an innovative idea to the market. We also highly recommend working with like-minded people who have a wealth of experience, as it facilitates the launching process. Develop a solid plan that clearly explains your needs and try to be thrifty in your expenditure. Finally and most importantly, never give up!
You launched a gourmet shawarma sandwich concept called “Wild Peeta” — tell us more about that?
Its the first of its kind concept and we plan to grow slowly on the national front. We’ve learned the hard way that great things take time.
What has been the most eye-opening trip in your experience so far?
Every country has been an amazing adventure because we experience it through the lens of social travelers.
What was the most shocking incident in your trips?
We are not easily shocked, as social travelers we experience both the beauty and the imperfections of any place.
You bridge cultures and bring in a new fresh concept to the Arab World. What is the message you would like to convey?
Middle Eastern youth are not portrayed accurately across the world. As such, we are trying to show people that what unites us is a lot more than what separates us. We are actually more alike than different; we share similar values, fears and aspirations.
Follow them on twitter @PeetaPlanet
Email: [email protected]
