Travel to discover the world and yourself

Introduce yourself in a few words..

My name is Nikolina Kurteva and I have been working in tourism and hospitality for over 20 years. I love to travel, I have visited many countries and I enjoy meeting people from different parts of the world. For some time now, I have been a business consultant for various new and  innovative projects in hospitality and tourism. This gives me the opportunity to travel even more.

What does traveling the world mean to you?

Discovering new places, getting to know new cultures, enriching myself.

How many different countries have you seen so far? Share an interesting story or highlights from your travels?

So far, I have visited 27 countries.

During a business trip to Germany, I missed my flight connection and had to stay overnight in Frankfurt. There were less than 8 hours until the next flight, but we were still accommodated in a hotel near the airport. In the same situation was a stranger from Belgium, with whom I started talking  while we were waiting at the airline's counter. When we arrived at the hotel, we decided to have dinner first, after which we moved to the lobby bar and spent a few more hours talking. She was also returning like me from one of the largest exhibitions in tourism. When we finally decided to check into our rooms, it turned out that we had no more than  two hours before we had to head back to the airport.

Do you like to repeat destinations? Give examples and motivation "for" or "against"?

Generally no, I prefer new ones. Or if I repeat, I try to choose different routes or places. There are also destinations that I always enjoy visiting again. Such are the Maldives, for me a true paradise where I find complete peace. Each separate atoll is different and unique.

What was the first trip that truly changed you as a professional and can be said to have changed your thinking?

My first trip to Asia changed me a lot. Until then, I had only traveled in Europe and my encounter with this new continent fascinated me immensely. Everything was new for me, the food, the customs, even the tourist and cultural attractions. This completely changed my thinking. Seeing the humility of the local people and how happy they are,  made me a more tolerant person.

What do you learn about yourself and your professional skills when you are in a new cultural environment?

I am always amazed at how quickly I adapt to different environments. Sometimes our customs are completely inappropriate in another country and the ability to adapt to the local culture is extremely important to show respect to the local people.

Have you met people or ideas during your travels that have influenced your career path?

Yes, the lady I mentioned in the previous lines actually became a consultant for large international companies after developing a very successful career in one of them. She inspired me to make the decision to leave the corporate world and start working in consulting.

Do you think that traveling helps you expand your professional network? How?

Yes, of course. My profession is related to travel and accommodation. By traveling and staying in different hotels, I meet various people and teams. Very often I then work together with them or we exchange experiences and ideas. This way I can learn about news in the industry, see new practices and then apply them in Bulgaria by adapting them to the local market.

What skills do you develop the most when you travel, and how do they affect your work?

I develop my flexibility and adaptability the most. I believe that  these are two extremely important qualities that contribute to our more successful development professionally.

Is there a city or country that has inspired you to start a new business or project?

Yes, my trip to Bali inspired me to start practicing yoga, I even took a course to become an instructor and I am planning a project related to that.

When you are in an unfamiliar country, do you feel more motivated or more distracted? Why?

When I am in an unfamiliar country, I feel focused on what is happening to me at that moment. I would say that I become more motivated.

Are there destinations that act as a "restart" for your creativity and ambition?

My return usually acts as a restart, I feel recharged and ready for new things.

How do you manage the balance between work and pleasure when you travel?

Very simply – when I travel for work, it takes precedence, and when I travel for pleasure, the fun takes precedence and even work is absent. The only exception is the new ideas that come to me during the latter type of travel and which I then turn into work innovations.

How have travels changed the way you perceive the value of money?

I have always preferred to spend my money more on travel than on things. In this sense, the value that travels have and the satisfaction they bring me are priceless.

Do you travel to find new ways to make money?

Not directly. But indirectly I have received ideas from my travels that I later materialized into work projects.

Do you think it is better to spend on experiences rather than material possessions?

Of course, the value of experiences is much higher than that of material possessions.

How do you see the future of digital nomad life?

I believe that more and more people will choose this way of life. Both professions and employers will have to adapt.

Are there specific countries that are more favorable for work and investments?

Developing countries are always more favorable for investments, offering greater opportunities for work and professional development. On the other hand, they are more unstable. So everyone must assess what is more important to them.

If you could choose one place in the world to develop your next big idea, what would it be and why?

I would choose some small and unknown place. The more exclusive it is, the better.

What are the destinations you would definitely recommend to be visited and why?

First of all, you should know your homeland, travel in Bulgaria. And of course, Europe and other continents. Wherever you are, discover different places, non-traditional ones.

What is the career advice you would give based on what you have seen around the world?

Travel to understand the world and yourself. In travel, you can often get to know others best. For example, if you travel for work, observe your colleagues or your team members. How they behave in different situations. And from that, you can learn much more about them than from their behavior in the office.