The Bessie Awards recognize the achievements of women and gender-diverse people making an impact in the travel industry
BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS, Monday, December 13, 2021 – Wanderful has announced that Juliana Dever has been nominated for the Trailblazer Award at the 2022 Bessie Awards honoring women and gender-diverse people of impact in the travel space. The Trailblazer Award is for the go-getter who has thrived in the past year in building her own empire and carving out a path for future leaders in the travel space.
After years of global off-the-beaten-path travel, Juliana Dever evolved from a travel blogger at CleverDever Wherever to a cultural immersion tour creator. For the last three years, she has directly impacted tourism with deep-dive trips into cultures that don’t often receive the spotlight, attention, or dollars.
Personally scouting and curating each slow-travel adventure, Juliana seeks out local, independent female guides and together they research and support home chefs, family-run activities, and community-based lodging. The mission is always authentic human connection and direct support of locals with a female-first approach. Her people-to-people experiences are now available in the Republic of Georgia, Slovenia, and Poland.
“We are absolutely thrilled to recognize such an extraordinary group of creators and brands this year for our fourth-annual Bessies,” said Beth Santos, Founder and CEO of Wanderful. “We hope that by showcasing their work we can inspire more builders in the space to contribute their voices to make our travel industry even more thoughtful, inclusive, and meaningful.”
Named after Bessie Coleman, the first woman of African-American descent and the first of Native-American descent to hold a pilot’s license, the Bessie Awards is dedicated to recognizing the achievements and efforts of influencers, creative entrepreneurs, marketers, and industry members who have contributed unique voices and impactful work to the travel industry.
“I’m truly so honored to be included as a finalist along with the rest of these amazing nominees. The collective positive impact that we can and do make on tourism together exceeds the achievements of any one person and I look forward to watching that ripple across the world.”
Voting is now open and winners will be announced at the Bessie Awards ceremony on Saturday, 14 May 2022 at 7 p.m. CT at the Marriott Downtown in Kansas City, Missouri. To view the complete list of this year’s finalists, visit bessieawards.org.
ABOUT JULIANA DEVER
Juliana Dever is a professional actor, writer, and world traveler. She’s traveled to more than 60 countries, lived in 4, and spends several months abroad each year curating female-focused journeys to eastern European countries. She’s been featured on Smithsonian.com, Frommer’s, ABC, NBC, and her travel blog CleverDeverWherever.com was named Best Independent Travel Blog in North America by NATJA (North American Travel Journalists Association).
ABOUT WITS CREATOR + BRAND SUMMIT
WITS is the premier event for travel’s top marketing talent. Creative entrepreneurs, influencers, DMOs, and industry come together to discuss future innovations, build dynamic collaborations, and change travel worldwide, all while supporting and empowering a dynamic community of women and gender diverse people. Learn more at witsummit.com.
ABOUT WANDERFUL
Wanderful is a global lifestyle brand that specializes in helping all women travel the world. Reaching over 100 million women worldwide each year, Wanderful connects travelers through a thriving membership community, meetups in 50 global cities, group trips, global events like WITS Travel Creator + Brand Summit, and the first major outdoor travel festival for women, Wanderfest. Learn more at sheswanderful.com.
