“My idea is to propose a unique concept grounded in responsible luxury.”
Once upon a time there was an international banker who spoke six languages and had a brilliant career behind her. Judge for yourself: after schooling in Nice and the US, Maya graduated from Nice-Sophia Antipolis University with a Master’s degree in Economics and Business then followed that up with an MBA at the prestigious Rio de Janeiro federal university in Brazil. Such a broad gamut of skills saw her working as a financial analyst in the fusion and acquisition departments of investment banks in Germany and Spain, and as a financial services consultant in Switzerland. In short, her future was secure. Except that… one day she decided to chuck it all in to live her dream of working at something she was passionate about and which would bring together her professional skills and her love of travel, languages, discovering other cultures and sustainable development. So in 2016 she launched AYAT Luxury Selection, a web-based marketplace offering exclusive tourist accommodation for the high-end clientele, enabling them to rent the world’s most beautiful properties. “My start-up offers a completely new take on travel, the idea being to propose a unique concept grounded in responsible luxury, meaning connected with the environment, through a selection ofextraordinary villas located in places whose nature and cultural heritage have been preserved.” Fundamentally the concept is about valuing the safeguarding of historical and cultural heritage and natural resources, with all the properties located in places that prioritise preservation of their natural local assets. It’s proving a winning strategy as Maya’s villa offering is expanding by the day, with 200 to date. Following a dream while increasing our awareness of nature – what could be better?
Par Alexandre Benoist
Côteweb 2021, création de site Internet sur Nice