The sudden death of popular travel influencer Anunay Sood has left Dubai's travel and social media community in shock and disbelief. The 32-year-old, who had made Dubai his base, passed away while travelling in Las Vegas.

Known for his cinematic travel content and storytelling, Anunay was a beloved and influential travel creator who had made Dubai his creative home. His reach extended deeply into the community, inspiring fellow creators across the region.

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Kaunain, a UAE-based travel influencer known as Cruising Cravings, shared her admiration for Anunay’s work, describing him as an inspiration.

“He was the first travel influencer who ever influenced me into creating travel content after I watched his dreamy visuals. The first travel blogger I ever followed,” she said.

She recounted a personal memory of her first trip after quitting her job, recalling how she contacted Anunay for local contacts in Kashmir. "I went to Kashmir and texted him for local contacts. To my surprise, a person with over a million followers actually responded and helped me with the itinerary. He was humble enough to promise he would soon host a Dubai meet-and-greet for travel bloggers here.”

Kaunain later learned that Anunay’s sister, who also lives in Dubai, had been following her work.

“She casually texted me saying she enjoyed my content. At that point, I didn’t know they were siblings,” Kaunain said. “When she mentioned being the sister of such a huge travel blogger, it made me realise how grounded their family is. They need all our prayers and strength today."

Anunay's post from Las Vegas

Parikshit Balochi, a popular RJ and social media influencer in Dubai, expressed his disbelief at the news of Anunay’s passing.

“I am stunned reading about his death. Life is so unpredictable, this is truly shocking. I have no words,” he said.

“It’s heartbreaking to lose someone so young and full of life. Anunay’s energy and his way of connecting with people through his content truly stood out.”

Ashish Sharma, a Dubai-based real estate agent and a traveller, said he has been following Anunay’s journeys for years.

“I have been to many places he explored, often retracing his routes. In fact, I had planned to visit Spiti Valley after seeing his recent posts from there. Still can’t process this… You lived with so much passion, heart, and adventure, brother. Rest in peace, Anunay. You’ll be missed deeply. Strength to the family."

Sharma added, "For many of us in Dubai who followed his adventures, he represented freedom and the courage to chase experiences. Seeing his posts from Las Vegas just days ago makes this loss even harder to believe."