In Episode 14 of 85 Percent, host Beth Santos introduces Vanessa Fondeur of Latino World Travelers and Latino Travel Fest.
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- 20 minute read
In this episode, we’re diving into the incredible journey of Vanessa Fondeur, a bold Dominicana whose life story is rooted in resilience, adventure, and an unwavering commitment to her community. From her mother’s courageous decision to immigrate to the U.S., to Vanessa’s path through education and into entrepreneurship, she has continually broken barriers to create space for others. Founder of the global community Latino World Travelers and creator of Latino Travel Fest, Vanessa is not just exploring the world – she’s changing it. Join us as we explore how she’s opening doors for underrepresented voices in travel and inspiring a movement of Latinx travelers ready to see and experience the world on their own terms.
New to 85 Percent? Here’s a quick intro
Did you know that women make 85% of travel decisions, and yet make up just a tiny fraction of who we see in travel media and leadership? 85 Percent: A Wanderful Podcast showcases the trailblazing women of travel and the stories they have to share with the world. It’s hosted by Wanderful’s founder and CEO, Beth Santos.
The format is part interview, part narrative style, sharing the powerful, passionate travel stories that have changed the lives of the women who are changing travel right back.
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Introducing Episode 14 with Vanessa Fondeur
Vanessa is a bold and adventurous Dominicana who has dedicated over 16 years to education in NYC and is a passionate soul-led entrepreneur. She founded the award-winning global community Latino World Travelers with the mission of empowering her Latine community to explore the world and diversify the face of travel. Her dedication to advocating for representation and accessibility in the travel industry inspired her to create the groundbreaking Latino Travel Fest. This travel conference amplifies Latine voices and provides essential resources to help them integrate travel into their lives.
She’s the winner of the Inclusion Award presented at the 2024 Bessie Awards, for a brand that has shown outstanding commitment to diversity and inclusion in the last year.
Vanessa: And I was able to go to France, Spain, and Portugal for a whole summer. And it was the most incredible experience of my life. This is what really unleashed me. I hit the travel bug and that’s it. I never stopped.
Welcome to the 85 Percent Podcast
[00:01:19] Beth: Did you know that women make 85 percent of travel decisions, whether booking a trip for our families or cleaning the hotel rooms? Women are the backbone of the travel industry, but the people we see in travel shows, marketing, and leadership, they don’t look like us. Now we’re cutting through the noise to talk to the change makers, the trailblazers, and the women who make travel what it is and how we can make travel better for all of us.
This is 85 Percent. I’m your host, Beth Santos.
Meet Vanessa Fondeur
[00:01:43] Beth: Often the most profound changes in our lives are sparked by courageous moments. Sometimes, those moments are ours. An exciting and scary leap into the unknown, but sometimes they come from others happening long before we even realize them. For Vanessa Fondeur, these big, courageous moments started with her mother who immigrated to the U.S. While seeking a better future for her kids. It was this bold decision Vanessa’s own incredible journey, a journey rooted in resilience, ambition, and a desire to empower others.
Today on 85 Percent, I’m thrilled to introduce Vanessa. A bold and adventurous Dominicana who has dedicated over 16 years of her life, not just to education in New York City, but in an entrepreneurship journey dedicated to creating space for other Latinx travelers in the world. Vanessa’s commitment to her community started in the classroom, but it definitely didn’t end there. As the founder of the award-winning global community, Latino World Travelers, she has created a movement that empowers the Latin community to explore the world and diversify the face of travel. What started as a personal passion has become a global initiative that challenges stereotypes and opens doors for underrepresented voices in the travel industry.
Vanessa extended her leadership even further when she created the Latino Travel Fest, a groundbreaking conference that amplifies Latin voices and offers crucial resources to make travel accessible to everyone, regardless of background or budget. Her work has garnered widespread recognition. In 2024, she won the Inclusion Award at the Bessie Awards, celebrating her outstanding commitment to diversity and inclusion through her expansive vision,
[00:03:43] Vanessa is reshaping the narrative around who gets to travel and why representation matters. Her story. Is a powerful reminder that travel is about much more than destinations. It’s about breaking barriers, uplifting communities, and building a world where everyone feels invited to explore and thrive.
The thing I love about Vanessa is she is a real grab life by the horns kind of person. She’s not afraid of observing the way someone does their hustle. And then she literally goes up to them and says, how did you do that? And that’s the exact skill that Vanessa used to build her professional career, but it didn’t start with a singular idea.
Rediscovering Freedom in Lisbon
Beth: It started, as it does for some, with a life-changing experience while studying abroad. Today, we’re taking you on an adventure to Portugal, a small country with a big presence in the tourism ecosystem today. But when Vanessa was there, it was still pretty off the beaten trail. Cobblestones and beautiful painted blue and white tile called azulejo, and the warm custardy taste of a pastel de nata, and the beautiful, soulful voices of Fado singers. But our story actually begins at a traffic intersection with a fountain in the middle.
[00:05:15] It’s evening and Vanessa is walking down the corner of a quiet praça in Lisbon. Normally, this area is bustling with pedestrians and traffic and a street performer or two. But now, at night, the only sound she hears is the hum of an occasional passing car and the gush of a fountain water bursting out from the ground.
The streetlights shine a hazy yellow light along the cobblestones around her. These cobblestones are special, organized in intricate patterns that dance along the sidewalk as she walks. She stops at the foot of an imposing stadium, the ring where Portugal’s bullfights are held. She can almost hear the roar of the crowd echoing from the bullfight the evening before.
Thousands of people gathering for a centuries old Portuguese tradition. But here, it’s quiet again. Vanessa is studying in Madrid, which, as a native Spanish speaker, feels almost like a second home with familiar sounds and culture. But Portugal? It feels like something different entirely. Here, she’s not just visiting a new country.
She’s immersing herself in a place where the language, the people, and the atmosphere are foreign. Yet exciting. Any passerby wouldn’t see anything but a completely normal everyday moment. But for Vanessa standing at that stadium, it was transformative. She dips her feet into the fountain, laughing as the cool, wet current sprays her toes.
[00:06:54] She’d spent her whole day navigating Portugal with a friend, no longer within the safety net of her school or her travel program. And suddenly this feeling washes over her. A feeling she hasn’t felt in a long time, freedom.
[00:07:11] Vanessa: You’re on your own. You’re not with the school anymore. You’re eating this delicious food that I never had before.
And that moment in Portugal was like, look at where we are. We were in front of a stadium where they do the torero, the bull. And in the night, it had this water that came from the floor, like a fountain and we literally said, one day, let’s just walk out of the hotel and get into the fountain. And we did, we literally walked across the hotel, started doing like turning around in the fountain and we just felt so free in the night, in the middle of Lisbon, just in this. It was like, without a care for the cars that were passing by. And I was like, wow, this is what traveling is like, just being yourself and being free, it was just such a great experience.
And I was like, wow, this is what traveling is like, just being yourself and being free, it was just such a great experience.
Vanessa Fondeur
From College to World Explorer
[00:08:09] Beth: Vanessa didn’t grow up in a world where studying abroad was easy. Or even familiar.
[00:08:15] Vanessa: I was the first one in my family to ever go to college.
[00:08:18] Beth: When she applied for school, she did all the paperwork herself, even though she didn’t speak the best English at the time. Growing up in the Dominican Republic, she was just nine years old when her mother left her and her three siblings. Her mom moved to the States where she could work, sending money back to her kids in hopes that she could get them a better life than she had.
[00:08:39] Vanessa: But we understood that she came to the U.S. to give us a better life, which she has done. She literally worked. With a shopping cart, selling pastelitos in the street, through the snow, through everything, any kind of weather, to be able to legalize here and bring us here for children.
[00:09:01] Beth: Vanessa didn’t see her mom again until she was 17. And while she looks back now as an adult and understands the impossible situation her mom was in, and the incredible sacrifice that she made. She can’t help but feel small remnants of the pain of her nine year old self who felt abandoned. It took time, and therapy, to heal the wounds of that separation.
But eventually, gratitude replaced the resentment. Vanessa knew that everything she had accomplished Going to college, traveling the world was because of her mother’s audacity to leave everything behind for the sake of her family.
[00:09:40] Vanessa: So I felt like I owe it to her to build a great life. I’m like to take advantage of all the opportunities because that’s exactly what she came here for.
And then to bring her in that journey. So I took her to travel with me too. I took her to Spain. I took her to China
[00:09:58] Beth: as well. Watching her mom make that life changing sacrifice ignited something in Vanessa. She understood that you can’t take anything for granted, that you need to fight for the life you want. When she moved to New York as a teenager, she sucked out the marrow of life. She tried just about everything a teenager could try. She didn’t want to miss a second of opportunity.
[00:10:24] Vanessa: I went to a school called Newcomers High School. It was a school for immigrants. So there were kids from all over the world.
I met kids from Korea, kids from Colombia, from Russia, from Poland and meeting. So many international students, so many kids that had just arrived to the country, we were all in the same struggle, trying to learn English, trying to pass all of our region’s exams, trying to go to college, and that was like my first exposure to diversity, because in Dominican Republic, I lived a very sheltered life.
And coming here, it was like, wow, boom, New York City. So that kind of set the ground for me. I applied for scholarships. I went on trips with the Outer Bound School. It’s like a leadership and outdoor school. And it was all free because I applied for a scholarship. And I’m like, wow, schools like this exist?
So I went on hiking trips. I went to Maine for 22 days on a sailing trip, and I didn’t even know how to swim, but the shower was to jump in the ocean at six o’clock in the morning every day. And it was just like all those experiences. I was like, why aren’t people signing up for this?
[00:11:39] Beth: When high school drew to a close, she was determined to go to college. She filled out her own applications. Applied and was accepted after that, she found her way into a sorority being able to be surrounded by other women whose lives she could observe and ask questions about, gave her an agency she’d never felt before the opportunity to carve her own path.
[00:12:03] Vanessa: I saw these inspiring women and I’m like, “oh, they’re doing things”.
They’re doing, um, community service, they’re hosting events. And I’m like, oh, and they are very nice people, have good grades. I’m like, Oh, I want to join a sorority. Yeah. I joined and I saw one of them traveling to Senegal, and I was like, wait, how did you get to go to Senegal? I believe in following your curiosity because it leads to great things.
She told me there is this program called Studying Abroad. I didn’t even know the word studying abroad back then. And she said, yeah, and, and you can apply for scholarships. So I talked to a professor and I told him, look, I really want to go. It’s expensive. I don’t know how to afford it. And he’s like, oh, you can try to get financial aid.
That is this scholarship too. And that’s when I really learned like, Oh, if you really want things, you have to share it. That’s one, because you don’t know who’s going to help you. And you have to take advantage of the resources out there because there are resources out there. We just need to look for them.
[00:13:09] And I was able to go to France, Spain, and Portugal for a whole summer. And it was the most incredible experience of my life. This is what really unleashed me. I hit the travel bug and that’s it. I never stopped since then.
And I was able to go to France, Spain, and Portugal for a whole summer. And it was the most incredible experience of my life. This is what really unleashed me. I hit the travel bug and that’s it. I never stopped since then.
Vanessa Fondeur
When we were in Spain, we were staying at a hotel. I will say it’s a convent, a school convent. And they said, Oh, you’re going to have a four day weekend and you can choose to stay here or you can choose to go somewhere.
[00:13:43] Beth: So Vanessa booked a flight to Portugal. The rest you could say was history.
A Vision for Inclusive Travel: Bringing Latinx Voices to the Forefront
Beth: She wanted to experience life, she was passionate and dedicated, she asked questions. She dove in being in Portugal. Until she realized how capable she was. She didn’t need to wait for opportunities to present themselves that she could apply for, she could just create those opportunities for herself. Craved a space where she could connect with others who not only love to travel, but also shared her cultural background, her language, and her experiences.
[00:16:18] And when she couldn’t find that space, she decided to build one. That decision led to the birth of a vibrant, supportive community. Which started as a small Facebook group and grew into the award-winning Latino World Travelers. Vanessa began sharing flight deals, travel tips, and her own adventures.
Creating a safe and inclusive space for Latinos to feel represented in a world that often overlooks their stories over time, this community blossomed and her passion for amplifying Latin voices and travel sparked even bigger dreams leading to the creation of Latino Travel Fest, a groundbreaking conference designed to highlight and support Latin travelers.
[00:17:00] Vanessa: I was already traveling and I felt like I didn’t have a community to share my travel stories with. Whenever I wanted to share it with my friends, they didn’t want to hear it really. I wanted to find other people that were feeding that desire, that wanderlust desire to travel. And I started joining other groups on Facebook, but in those groups, I didn’t really feel like I fit in.
Because I didn’t speak English that well and I wanted to be able to speak Spanish or Spanglish or, you know, and I just wanted to connect with other people of my culture and not feel so alone in this journey. And I decided, you know what? There’s so many incredible groups out there. Why don’t I create one like that, but for Latinos?
And that’s what I did. I created one like that, started sharing resources, like flight deals that were coming up, my experiences, and just talking about traveling a safe space. [00:18:00] That started growing slowly, started as a Facebook group. In 2018, I said, Oh, I’m going to start an Instagram account and I’m going to start featuring Latinos that are already traveling.
I’m spotlighting them because I already believe that representation matters and if other Latinos see themselves represented in these spaces, they will feel more inclined to travel to those spaces. And then I bought the domain. I literally bought Latino Travel Fest back in 2018. I knew at some point I wanted to do it.
[00:18:36] I just didn’t know when I was going to do it. Then I started hosting trips. Because I was hosting trips with my students and the adults started asking me from the group, why don’t you do trips with us? And I was like, you know what? I am going to start doing trips with you. I did one to Spain and then I did one to Mexico for Dia de los Muertos, which was on my bucket list.
[00:18:57] I taught Dia de los Muertos in my classroom for so many years and I never had the chance to go. And I was like, I’m going to go now. I’m going to take you on this trip. And we had such a great time. I cried like a baby. I was walking into the Pantheon and, um, the cemetery and seeing all of these flowers, people singing.
It was just like a powerful moment. And I was just like tearing. And, and I even recorded myself because I’m like, why am I crying? It was like an emotion that came on me and I just couldn’t control it.
[00:19:34] Beth: And then COVID hit.
[00:19:37] Vanessa: And I was like, okay, so I can’t host any trips. I can’t do anything that I have planned.
So I had to pivot. I started hosting virtual events and then I’m like, what am I going to do? What am I going to do? And I was like, you know what, let me launch the conference virtually. Let me see if this takes traction and if people really want this or not, I’m going to launch it virtually and let’s see what happens.
And I did. And it was a success. People loved it. We couldn’t travel, but through the conference, people were able to start thinking when the world opens, what can I do? How can I take on what I learned here and, and go. And it was great. And I did it again the following year. It was 2021 and 2022. When I did the conference and then 2023, I said, I’m going to launch it in person for the first time.
[00:20:30] Vanessa: This has never been done in the U.S. I’m just going to be crazy like that. I’m just going to do it. And I did it and it was great. We had 133 people and I was like, wow, for me the first time, this is amazing. And, and it was great because we were able to partner with, um, the Elizabeth, New Jersey. And that was like a different level of planning a conference now.
Oh, now you’re partnering up with a marketing organization for a destination. And it’s like, this is serious now. I just want travel to be more accessible to everyone, including my community. And I just want to open a magazine, you know, those magazines that are in the airplanes and just see people who look like me in those magazines, watch a TV show and, and see people who look like me in those TV shows.
And I’m like, if I can help amplify our voices and inspire someone to take it there and do it, that’s what I’m going to do.
[00:21:34] Beth: Contrary to what many believe, travel doesn’t have to be a luxury reserve for the wealthy. Vanessa discovered that there are countless ways to make travel affordable. From staying in hostels to using public transportation and exploring local cultures without the need for expensive tours, she’s made a point of proving that travel can be accessible to everyone.
Sharing stories of her own budget-friendly adventures, like getting married in Thailand. A place her family thought they would never visit. Through her experiences, Vanessa has shown that the world is open to all, and you don’t need a fortune to explore it. You just need the will to take that first step.
For Vanessa, traveling is more than just visiting new places. It’s about connecting with different cultures, savoring new foods, and most importantly, discovering yourself along the way. Each journey, whether taken alone or with a group, offers an opportunity to challenge your own ideas and push the boundaries of your comfort zone.
Vanessa believes that through travel, you can learn about the deepest parts of who you are, whether it’s finding joy in your own company, navigating unfamiliar streets, or daring to try something new and unfamiliar.
[00:22:50] Vanessa: Travel is having that cultural connection to other people, to other foods. I believe in exploration and discovering who you are through that process.
Challenging your, your mindset, your ideas, and just like the whole process of learning who you are at the deepest levels as, as, you know, as, do I like the company of just myself or how would I feel eating in a restaurant by myself or just getting lost versus, Oh, traveling with a group, how would I feel more comfortable?
You know, it’s, it’s just that, that process of discovering who you are, what you like, what you don’t like, what foods called your attention, what foods you’re never going to eat again. And I think a lot of people just stay in their comfort zone. And to me, travel is a stepping out of your comfort zone.
Traveling is also. more affordably than what I thought it was. Like I thought it was like this expensive thing, only rich people can do it, or if I get a scholarship that’s the only way. Not realizing that there are many different ways of traveling, staying in a hostel, you know, traveling in a group, using public transportation instead of trying to do a private tour, you know, if you want traveling to really happen in your life, you can really do it no matter what your budget is.
[00:24:29] I got married in Thailand and people were like, why are you going so far? Well, my country in February, when I got married, the flights are 800. And when in Thailand, there were 387 round trip to Phuket. And I’m like, let’s just go to Thailand. So we took 35 family members from my husband’s side on my side.
To a place they never would have thought they could go. We found Airbnbs for 17 a night and I’m like, look where you are. So it’s also this mystifying those beliefs that travel is expensive. It could be, but it doesn’t have to be.
Lessons Learned from Vanessa Fondeur’s Story
[00:25:10] Beth: An enormous thank you to Vanessa Fondeur for sharing her stories and her insights with us. As we wrap up, let’s take a moment to reflect on some key takeaways from my conversation with Vanessa.
1. Sacrifice and gratitude as foundations for success
Sacrifice and gratitude as foundations for success. Vanessa’s story is anchored in the courage of her mother, who made the difficult choice to leave the Dominican Republic and build a new life for her children in the U.S. That sacrifice is what set the course for Vanessa’s future, a future she never could have imagined without her mother’s bravery. Now, with a deep sense of gratitude, Vanessa honors her mother by sharing the fruits of that labor, ensuring that the opportunities her mother worked so hard to create are fully embraced.
2. The need for representation and building community
[00:25:57] Number two, the need for representation and building community. Vanessa’s travels showed her a world where Latin voices were often missing and that absence inspired her to take action in creating Latino world travelers. She built not just a community, but a movement, one that gives Latin travelers a space to share their stories and see themselves represented in the world of travel.
Her vision culminated in the creation of the Latino Travel Fest. A groundbreaking event that amplifies Latin voices and ensures that her community is seen, heard, and celebrated.
3. Travel is a path to self-discovery
Number three, travel is a path to self-discovery. For Vanessa, travel isn’t just about seeing new places. It’s about discovering who you are in the process. Whether it’s the quiet joy of dining alone in a new city, or the thrill of navigating unfamiliar streets, Vanessa believes that every journey is a chance to learn more about yourself. She also dispels the myth that travel is reserved for the wealthy, showing that with a little creativity and openness, anyone can experience the world.
Learn More About Vanessa Fondeur
Through her own adventures, she’s proven that stepping outside your comfort zone can be one of the most rewarding experiences of all. If you’d like to learn more about Vanessa, find her on LinkedIn at Vanessa Fondeur Adams or on Instagram under Latina World Traveler. Be sure to check out our show notes.
Our Community WanderStory
Beth: Now for my favorite part, our community wander stories. Each episode, I’m sharing a story from you, one of our listeners. Thanks This one comes from Lisa Verbeck about a trip to Africa and an interaction with a local entrepreneur that changed the way she thought about tourism, not as something we take, but as something we leave behind.
Here it is.
[00:27:52] Lisa: Hello. I would like to share a moment from one of my trips to Africa many years ago. It was a moment that changed not just how I travel, but also how I see the power of tourism. I was in a small village miles away from the city as part of a project to develop a new tourism product. We wanted to create something authentic, something that would show travelers the heart and soul of Africa, beyond the safaris and the luxury lodges.
It was one of those days, warm sun, clear sky, and it was just a slow, steady pace of life. As I walked through the village, I noticed a woman sitting on a small stool, making a basket from dried reeds. Her fingers move quickly and skillfully and she barely looked up as we passed by. I noticed the basket was beautiful and I complimented her on her work through our guide and she smiled at me, but she did not stop weaving.
On our way back hours later, there she was. By this time, something had changed. The basket was almost finished and she was just working with this new sense of urgency. As we approached, she stood up and smiled again, but this time she was holding out that basket. I realized in that moment. That she had finished it just in time for us to see.
I bought it, of course, and I still have that basket to this day. That exchange seemed small, but it carried a lot of weight. I realized that our presence wasn’t just a passive experience. We were creating ripples, tiny, life-altering ripples. That woman saw an opportunity, a chance to turn her skill into income, and it would change her village forever.
[00:29:43] And I saw for the first time the real impact that bringing tours to a community could have. It wasn’t just about the money. It was about the sense of pride that she had taken in her work. The connection formed across so many different worlds and opportunities that could unfold. It [00:30:00] was a stark reminder that tourism isn’t just about what we take, photos, memories, experiences.
It’s also about what we leave behind, responsibility we have, and that we carry as travelers. That day I realized that with every tourist we’d eventually bring to the village, we’d be changing lives. Sometimes in subtle ways, sometimes profoundly. It was humbling. And it shaped how I approach my work from then on.
I learned that tourism can be transformative, but only if done thoughtfully, with respect and understanding, and a delicate balance of the communities we visit. Lisa Verbeek. Founder of Herbet Consulting, a marketing communications agency focused on travel and tourism.
[00:30:48] Beth: Don’t forget, we are collecting travel stories from you, our listeners. Go to 85 Percent podcast to submit a two minute travel story and tell us about something that fundamentally changed the way you see the world. Who knows? Maybe you’ll be featured on our next episode.
Our Next Episode features Kim Callender and Arabella Bowen
Next on 85 Percent, I’m speaking with Kim Callender and Arabella Bowen of Solo Traveler, a startup that aims to break down barriers by delivering personal, candid, and trusted advice from women globally.
[00:31:18] Kim: Maybe that’s too far. Maybe going to another country is too far. Maybe going to the other side of the country is too far, but what about going to the other side of the town that you live in? What about going one town over? What about taking yourself to lunch at a place you’ve never been to before?
Beth: Thank you so much for listening to 85 Percent. Make sure if you want to follow along this journey, you hit that subscribe button wherever you get your podcasts so you can keep up with new episodes every week as they drop. Of course, we want you to follow along online as well. Or you can follow me on Instagram at @MaximumBeth. Catch you next time. Safe travels, everyone.
About the 85 Percent Podcast
Women make 85 percent of travel decisions. So why are we not 85% of travel marketing?
85 Percent explores what it means to be a woman in travel through interviews with leading women in the travel, tourism and hospitality industries.
From CEOs, to travel influencers and writers, to women who work in cleaning and maintenance, we’re cutting into the underbelly of an industry that is predominantly made of women, but still fails to include them, and is hosted by Beth Santos, founder of leading women’s travel network, Wanderful.
About the Host, Beth Santos
Beth Santos is a passionate entrepreneur and community builder out to disrupt travel for women worldwide. She is founder and CEO of Wanderful, an international collective of travelers and travel content creators on a mission to make travel better for all women. She is the creator of the WITS Travel Creator Summit, a leading event for women and gender diverse travel creators, the annual Bessie Awards to honor women of impact in travel, and the first major outdoor travel festival by and for women, Wanderfest.
Beth has been named one of 17 changemakers shaping the future of the travel industry by Business Insider, one of 12 women to follow by Conde Nast Traveller, and one of 20 influential women in the travel industry by Travel Pulse. In 2022, she was named Godmother of the Azamara Onward cruise ship.
She is the author of WANDER WOMAN: How to Reclaim Your Space, Find Your Voice, and Travel the World, Solo and works to amplify underrepresented voices in travel while challenging each of us to do better in her work as a keynote speaker, an industry consultant, and a startup and small business coach. At home she is a co-owner of Ula Cafe, an inspired cafe and community hub in the Boston neighborhood of Jamaica Plain, where she lives with her husband and children.
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