Hailey Brown is on a mission to reshape how the world experiences travel and she’s doing it one audio guide at a time. In this episode, Despina Karatzias sits down with Hailey Brown, founder of VacayIt, a free audio guide platform creating immersive, sensory-rich narratives for travellers worldwide. Driven by her academic background in both tourism and psychology, and inspired by her blind friend Henry who described a safari as little more than “a face full of dirt,” Hailey identified a glaring gap in the market: the visitor experience journey had never been properly designed with people with disabilities in mind. From presenting at the World Tourism Forum in Lucerne during COVID, to winning a Global Innovation Award, Hailey’s story is one of courageous curiosity, bold asks, and deeply purposeful entrepreneurship.
What makes VacayIt extraordinary is that it was never just built for people with disabilities, it was co-designed with them, and the result is a richer experience for all travellers. Hailey unpacks the commercial case for accessible tourism, shares how her team has become intrinsically accessible by simply hiring the best people for the job, and reflects on navigating a business launch straight out of university with little more than a powerful idea and an unshakeable willingness to ask for help. This episode is a masterclass in saying yes to opportunity, designing for 100% of the population, and why the little things, being seen, heard, and made to feel like you matter, will always be the big things in travel.
In This Episode:
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- The origin story of VacayIt and how Henry’s experience of a safari sparked an industry-changing idea
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- How Hailey’s multicultural upbringing (California, Adelaide, and Queensland) shaped her passion for travel and people
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- Winning the Global Innovation Award at the World Tourism Forum in Lucerne, during COVID, and what came next
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- The power of co-designing with people with disabilities and tourism operators from day one
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- Building an intrinsically accessible workplace, and why it simply means hiring the best people for the job
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- How VacayIt’s audio guides generate valuable on-site data for tourism operators and destinations
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- Comparing Australian and American destination marketing structures and what makes each unique
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- Why asking for help (including cold-messaging CEOs on LinkedIn) is Hailey’s most underrated business strategy
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- Lessons from The Power of Habit and how psychology underpins Hailey’s approach to business and life
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- The commercial opportunity in accessible tourism and why it’s not just the right thing to do, it’s good business
Episode Chapters
04:05 Early Life Goals
08:02 Studying Tourism Psychology
09:23 Mentors In Tourism
12:50 VacayIt Origin Story
15:59 From Award To Launch
21:17 Co-Design And Hiring
24:21 Lessons Asking For Help
26:33 Mentorship Full Circle
30:35 Landing Tourism Australia
32:23 Ask Boldly Find Mentors
34:54 Oprah Moments And Clues
35:51 Accessibility Gap Breakthrough
40:05 How Businesses Use Vacayit
42:56 Destinations Data And Metrics
44:53 Tourism In The US Shift
46:29 Service And Being Seen
49:27 Founder Fire Round
54:51 Travel Favorite Bolivia
Connect with Hailey Brown
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/haileybrownn/
VacayIt: https://www.vacayit.com/
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Show hosted by Despina Karatzias and brought to you in association with the Institute of Excellence and the Australian Regional Tourism Network.
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