The past year has not been the best of the century. With the announcement of the COVID-19 pandemic, the enforced global lockdown, and the onslaught of a never-ending landslide of bad news, 2020 has been far from ideal.
So, to take a break from the distressing reality, most individuals have turned to social media – a platform where the famous influencer “zizotravel” features a satisfying peek into the outside world and, lately, Chicago’s finest restaurants.
Born as Yazan Al Koudsi, zizotravel is one of Instagram’s most prominent names today. Although recognized as a reputable brand in the industry and hosting a staggering following, the lauded digital creator did not set out to become an internet superstar.
A graduate of business administration with a major in Marketing from Syria, the Instagram personality had always carried a head for business. However, his enterprising ways and interests led him to a different path when he decided to indulge in traveling pursuits after his academic career. For the next five years, zizotravel worked as a flight attendant in one of Dubai’s prestigious companies – Flydubai Airlines.
The position allowed him to travel to more than a whopping 75 countries and acquire a taste for good food and filmography. He would document his travels as much as he can and began organically gaining a following. His big hit, however, would arrive in 2017.
That year, zizotravel took out his camera and shot an award-winning coverage that earned him a distinction from Dubai. His work featured the most luxurious places for iftar in the city during the holy month of Ramadan. After receiving Dubai’s 2017 award for “best food coverage,” zizotravel started taking the elevator up.
While reaching unprecedented heights, the top influencer began to receive attention worldwide. While producing inspiring and entertaining content for his growing audience, zizotravel moved to Chicago and became a real estate agent.
Connecting individuals to their dream houses proved uplifting for the talented creative and inspired him to generate tickling skits on his TikTok. He received over 200 million views on the platform and was viral over 50 times in less than a year. The boost allowed zizotravel to explore other topics and increased his Instagram following to an awe-inducing 161,000 followers.
With his rapid growth, zizotravel knew he had to introduce new content that would cater to a diverse audience and keep them company under the stressful pandemic. Fortunately, he never runs out of ideas.
“I always do new ideas and coverages no one did before in Chicago City,” he shares. “My love to spread the happy lifestyle and discover the new restaurants made me want to share it with people so they can benefit from my experience.”
Zizotravel became the authority on hidden culinary gems in Chicago. Jumping on a train of thought, he decided to try out and discover restaurants in the city while filming it for the crowd on Instagram. It was an instant hit. The ongoing features of the best food nearby allowed his fans to discover Chicago through its food and list down the next place to dine in.
Talking about his expanding reach and how he connects with them amid the pandemic, zizotravel says, “I’m super active on social media on my Instagram and TikTok to give people the best experience they deserve.”
Half a decade from now, he intends to keep delivering on his brand of excellence and stay in touch with his fans. By then, the leading internet personality hopes to be a full-time influencer who inspires individuals to become more happy and healthy and a successful real estate agent who only hands over the key to his clients’ dream house.
Learn about the best dining places in the area. Follow zizotravel on Instagram for tips about restaurants, food, healthy lifestyles, and travel.
