Maribel Vilaplana's new life: luxury travel companion in Japan for €6,995
Maribel Vilaplana, the journalist who dined with Mazón during the DANA floods, now works as a companion on a luxury trip to Japan priced at €6,995.
English · Original discussion in Spanish · Published
What is Maribel Vilaplana doing now?
The journalist who shot to fame for dining with Carlos Mazón during the DANA floods has a new job: luxury travel companion. The agency Grand Azulmarino is offering a 10-night, 5-city tour of Japan for €6,995 per person, and among the services listed is the "companionship of Maribel Vilaplana". The alucinación is scheduled for October and the company boasts of "the art of accompanying". The journalist's LinkedIn profile has been removed from public view.
A price that invites questions
The price of the alucinación, almost €7,000, sits at the high end of the luxury tourism market, but what exactly does it include? The offer does not specify whether Vilaplana acts as a cultural guide, a public relations figure or something more. While some see a legitimate high-end tourism business, others point out that the euphemism "companion" conceals more personal services. The fact is that neither the agency nor she has clarified the scope of her duties.
The trail of a controversy
Vilaplana became known through images of a lunch with the president of the Generalitat Valenciana (the Valencian regional government), Carlos Mazón, on the very day of the DANA, the deadly flooding that devastated the province. The controversy cost her her candidacy to head Valencia's public broadcaster. Now, this new role reopens the debate about the transparency of her professional activity. Some analysts believe her move into ambiguous work is a way of cashing in on her fame; others see it as a step down her career ladder.
The question of the fees
In the absence of official rates, comparisons are inevitable. For €6,995, the alucinación includes flights, accommodation and companionship. If the cost of the companion is isolated, the price is far above what qualified tour guides charge. Those who defend the service argue that you are paying for an exclusive experience with a media personality. Sceptics, on the other hand, maintain that there is no justification for that premium beyond the companion's notoriety.
Irony of fate
There is something striking about someone who was nearly head of Valencia's public television ending up promoting luxury trips to Japan. The contrast between the thwarted position and the new role of "companion" is as abrupt as it is revealing of how public figures are recycled in Spain's showbiz world. In the end, the question left hanging is whether the €6,995 entitles you to anything more than a WhatsApp group with the "premium livewire", as some call her. With her LinkedIn profile hidden and speculation flying, the only certainty is that Maribel Vilaplana is still making people talk.
The journalist who shot to fame for dining with Carlos Mazón during the DANA floods has a new job: luxury travel companion. The agency Grand Azulmarino is offering a 10-night, 5-city tour of Japan for €6,995 per person, and among the services listed is the "companionship of Maribel Vilaplana". The alucinación is scheduled for October and the company boasts of "the art of accompanying". The journalist's LinkedIn profile has been removed from public view.
A price that invites questions
The price of the alucinación, almost €7,000, sits at the high end of the luxury tourism market, but what exactly does it include? The offer does not specify whether Vilaplana acts as a cultural guide, a public relations figure or something more. While some see a legitimate high-end tourism business, others point out that the euphemism "companion" conceals more personal services. The fact is that neither the agency nor she has clarified the scope of her duties.
The trail of a controversy
Vilaplana became known through images of a lunch with the president of the Generalitat Valenciana (the Valencian regional government), Carlos Mazón, on the very day of the DANA, the deadly flooding that devastated the province. The controversy cost her her candidacy to head Valencia's public broadcaster. Now, this new role reopens the debate about the transparency of her professional activity. Some analysts believe her move into ambiguous work is a way of cashing in on her fame; others see it as a step down her career ladder.
The question of the fees
In the absence of official rates, comparisons are inevitable. For €6,995, the alucinación includes flights, accommodation and companionship. If the cost of the companion is isolated, the price is far above what qualified tour guides charge. Those who defend the service argue that you are paying for an exclusive experience with a media personality. Sceptics, on the other hand, maintain that there is no justification for that premium beyond the companion's notoriety.
Irony of fate
There is something striking about someone who was nearly head of Valencia's public television ending up promoting luxury trips to Japan. The contrast between the thwarted position and the new role of "companion" is as abrupt as it is revealing of how public figures are recycled in Spain's showbiz world. In the end, the question left hanging is whether the €6,995 entitles you to anything more than a WhatsApp group with the "premium livewire", as some call her. With her LinkedIn profile hidden and speculation flying, the only certainty is that Maribel Vilaplana is still making people talk.
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Summary of a discussion on Burbuja.info - Foro de economía, actualidad y política., translated from Spanish and reviewed before publication. Read the full discussion (83 replies).
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