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About US
Grounded in Practical Experience Across Global Tourism
With over 50 years of combined experience across the global tourism sector, we understand this industry from every perspective — as operators, developers, marketers, and consultants.
Our team has worked within tourist boards, DMCs, NGOs, and outbound tour operators, leading initiatives in marketing and sales, contracting and product development, digital promotion, business consulting, trail development, and experiential travel design.
This diverse background means we don’t just create strategies based on theory - we help bring them to life. We know how to position products, strengthen operations, and connect organisations with the right partners to grow with purpose and confidence.
Our Team - The Driving Force
Paola Vucemilovic-Grgic
With nearly two decades of experience in the tourism industry, I have worked across the full value chain of tourism development - from on-the-ground DMC operations to international representation and market expansion.
My background spans senior-level business and product development, supplier contracting and relationship management, itinerary design, and the commercial realities of selling travel in competitive international markets.
Having worked across multiple regions and markets, I bring a deep understanding of how destinations are perceived, how buyers evaluate products, and how expectations differ across cultures and source markets.
Fluent in four foreign languages, I believe real impact in tourism comes not from scale, but from the stories we help create, the partnerships we build, and the values we carry.
David Symes
With nearly three decades of experience across the global tourism sector, I have worked for both the public and private sectors, covering outbound travel, DMC operations, and destination development. I have also consulted for the private sector and NGOs providing strategy and business development services.
I believe in a practical, hands-on approach and have a clear understanding of the entire tourism value chain.
Having served as the Director of the Jordan Tourism Board for the UK and contributed to landmark projects like the Dana-Petra Trek, I understand how to translate high-level strategy into tangible, community-connected products and experiences.
Today, I work with tourism organizations to move beyond traditional models focussing on experience-led product developmet, market positiong and building tourism offers that are resilient and provide genuine benefits to local communities. I help our partners build tourism products that are not only commercially viable but built for the long term.
Our collective experience includes work with or for:
A selection of our previous projects
Trail development & promotion, now part of the Jordan Trail
Key account management for charter operations in Croatia
Marketing & social media strategy for a luxury hotel in the UK
Developed cross-border tours and programmes
Trail promotion and distribution strategy. Now part of the Palestine Heritage trail
Set up their luxury
DMC Division
Why Partner with Beyond Footprints
Stefan Szepesi
Executive Director Abraham Path Initiative
David developed and presented a clear travel trade strategy for our partner in Palestine to promote the long distance walking trail. This provided our team at the API and local suppliers with a better undestanding of a our routes to market through the international travel trade.