Redefining the role of Travel Influencers with Jeremy Austin & Angie Villa

Plane tyres accelerate to speeds once inconceivable to humans, then without indication, there’s that faintest perception of being suspended in air as hearts pound against ribcages and the child within screams “Thunderbirds are go”. These are the claws of travel that grab individuals, never letting go and instead inspiring a need to escape the mundane. With an increasing number experiencing such novelties, and social media overflowing with luxurious and unheard-of destinations, the word of travel influencers has become the new gospel. Two such influencers, Jeremy Austin and Angie Villa, have indeed been captured by this travel bug. Their exceptional photography and videography capture the most exclusive luxury resorts and properties all over the world. Posting several shots from each location, Jeremy and Angie have taken the travel industry by storm and have gained a loyal following of over 1 million travel enthusiasts on all their social media platforms who hold on to their every recommendation.

There’s a collective conception that travel influencers have magic wands that whisk them away too far-off lands while effortlessly bestowing upon them success and fortune. Speaking with Jeremy, this quite evidently isn’t the truth. Having only taken his first trip – with partner Angie, the other half of this dynamic duo – back in the summer of 2015, hard work, determination and persistence have driven their every day since. At this time, Jeremy and Angie had a vision were staying in the likes of Hilton hotels would transform into high-end, exquisite places. They imagined that paying for everything would be substituted for the creation of bespoke and quality content for brand and hotel campaigns.

It is easy to think that this comes naturally to travel influencers. However, like many reading this, Jeremy and Angie started photography as a way to document their travels through simple camera gear, such as GoPro’s and making videos with iPhones and iMovies. When asked how this transpired into the sleek collection now on their Instagrams, the answer lay in the region of timing, consistency and hunger. Unlike other content creators, Jeremy and Angie were determined to share with the world more than one image from each destination, explaining their confusion over why others didn’t share tons of content. Raising the bar within travel and social media, they started sharing two photos every day for the first year, seeing it as “why not share as much. There is an endless amount of content, so why not share”. Like any who put their minds to work, such a strategy made a name for both Jeremy and Angie, leading to the formation of their media company, Visionary Media Group.

Utilising both their Instagram accounts and company, Jeremy and Angie now take opportunities to go out on big trips by working with brands, resorts and private villas. Creating high-quality video productions for their websites and social media – which they help manage – Jeremy and Angie’s work goes beyond simply giving them exposure on social media. Perhaps it is this level of care and precision that attracts so many, going some way to explaining why it is impossible to replicate. It’s not just skill but heart, soul and passion that goes into creating content that allows one to travel vicariously through alluring photos and videos. Unsurprisingly then, many – including celebrities – have been inspired to journey to these destinations and hotels for themselves.

The ethos of their work is encapsulated in their desire for “people to feel like it could be them, for them to jump into their photos and let them feel as if they’re escaping to that place with them”. Generously, Jeremy and Angie have created a YouTube channel with 30+ video productions telling intimate stories of each villa and resort while the launch of their Presets back in August means their faithful followers can edit their own photos to have the same subtle but strong aesthetic as Jeremy and Angie’s photos in seconds.

One might be asking right about now, how do Jeremy and Angie manage to create photos that achieve such escapism? Whether one’s intention is to learn more about them or simply to take better photos, uncovering the process is nonetheless fascinating and attainable. They say research is the key. The verb might install displeasure in some – for who goes abroad to do research? But, for Jeremy and Angie, knowing what they’d like to capture beforehand gives their photography an edge, as seeing these places awakens the possibility of shooting something even more extraordinary, from a unique perspective.

In an age where Instagram is the go-to for inspiration and discovery of hot and current destinations, the battle is to be recognised, as 95 million people upload photos every day. Jeremy says it right when advising on how to take better photos, hailing that everyone should find their style, for “when you find your own unique style that is when you can really develop and stand out from the rest”.

For Jeremy and Angie, this doesn’t just come from their photography but from the selection of places they adventure to. If asked what the most exclusive hotel or resort would be, most would reply Four Seasons or Soneva Fushi. They’d be right, but they’d also be wrong. What separates Jeremy and Angie from other travel influencers is their niche for exclusivity – in fact beyond exclusive – hotels that only a handful gain access to and new properties only recently opened, as both have little to no content featured on social media. Now, more than ever Jeremy and Angie’s devoted followers can experience a glimpse of their exclusive lifestyle by reading and then booking one of the 30 luxury hotels and resorts tried and then discussed in their newly launched and in-depth guide to the Maldives. From dream honeymoon destinations to serenity and wellness hotels and resorts, Jeremy and Angie’s guide provides the epitome of luxury, revealing just how their unique brand is repositioning what exclusive and luxurious travel looks like.

One such location is Amanzoe Resort in Greece, which features separate villas. Jeremy and Angie got to experience Villa 20 which left a lasting impression on their followers as over 7K wanted to know more. With 9 bedrooms spread over 6 levels, a swimming pool, private spa and beach, Doric-columns and 360-degree views of the Aegean Sea, this marble villa pays homage to classicism and feels more like the residence of a powerful Greek God. The scents of the sea and private Greek-Mediterranean cuisine prepared by quality chefs are coupled with the sun illuminating the surrounding olive trees, vineyards and the citadel of Mycenae. While luxury often equals quality service, Amanzoe Resort prides their service on providing guests with whatever they want and whenever they want it. But what captured the eye of Instagram searches is the designs incorporation of nature, for how many can say they’ve been completely immersed in Greece’s ancient landscape?

Like most things this century, following trends is a mark of one’s social standing and the same can be said for travel influencers. But Jeremy and Angie don’t follow trends, they make them. Sustainable travel has over the last decade become an increasingly important factor in even the most discerning traveller’s plans. Jeremy and Angie’s pick of Six Senses Seychelles is paving the way for a new luxury form of sustainable travel. Here, being in tune with nature is unavoidable as the hotel lodges only use plants, shrubs and trees indigenous to Seychelles while allowing guests to swim up close with turtles. But what’s more exclusive is its seductive privacy from the everyday world, culminating in kayaking opportunities to a private island called Cocos for bespoke picnics, unique chances to sunbathe and explore without the company of others or for cocktails by the seafront brought to you from the hotel staff.

Whether it’s the Amazone Resort in Greece or Six Senses Seychelles, Jeremy Austin and Angie Villa’s extraordinary photographs and videos, created for both their Instagram accounts (@jeremyaustiin and @missangievilla) and brand campaigns, are a unique blend of exoticism, luxury and charm. Unsurprisingly, such a triple talent provides this age of global and intrepid explorers with inspiration that ignites curiosity and wanderlust of the strongest nature.

Article by Beau Monde Staff Writer, Jade Braham