By Nickky Faustine P. de Guzman
How you get there is as important
IF MONEY were no object, where would you go? To Boston or Zurich or perhaps to Africa for a safari?
Last Holy Week, thanks to Japan’s lenient visa application, many Filipinos traveled to the Land of the Rising Sun. A barrage of photos on Instagram flooded feeds and teased travel appetites. One of these tourists was style icon Amina Aranaz-Alunan who went to Japan last year.
“It’s one of my first trips with the whole family. We were surprised that the children were independent. We enjoyed the city so much that my eldest gained five pounds from all the Japanese food we ate. It’s so nice to see my kids exposed to different culture and moods,” said Ms. Aranaz-Alunan.
But traveling isn’t just the destination -- getting should be an experience.
“We know that travel is as much the journey as the destination. Every travel story is an inspiration and every new journey is a story waiting to be told. In the end, a life well traveled is a life well lived,” said Cathay Pacific Philippines country manager Alan Lui at the recent launch of its newest social media campaign, “Life Well Travelled.”
Travelers are encouraged to hashtag their travels, #LifeWellTravelled.
“Social media is important when people travel. They share their photos and experiences online so their friends could know what is a good destination or a good airline. It spreads the word. People share their experience with their friends and family. On the other hand, it makes us more responsive in the customer’s needs. It keeps us more updated to what’s happening,” Mr. Lui told BusinessWorld.
The airline is opening a bigger and refurbished lounge at NAIA Terminal 3 and is investing in new aircraft. Its lineup of new destinations include Newark, Manchester, Zurich, Boston, and Düsseldorf.
The Future of Business Travel
Cathay Pacific traditionally caters to business travelers. “But there are growing numbers of pleasure travelers. Traveling is changing. More and more [people] are able to afford overseas travels. They are getting younger and younger. We are expanding. A lot of travelers are now going to Japan for leisure,” said Mr. Lui.
Among Filipino travelers, Mr. Lui said that Hong Kong remains the top destination. “We still carry a lot of people in the States and Europe, but still a lot of them [are traveling] for business,” he added.
More than half of its Filipino passengers are business travelers he noted. “They don’t mind paying high prices, because we’re a bit pricier, but they get the service that they pay for.”
For basketball player and businessman Chris Tiu, it all boils down to service, albeit there is a serious price tag attached to it. “It’s all about the experience. I don’t mind spending more time in the airport and getting my flight delayed [as long as the service is good]. The Wi-Fi is also free so I can check my e-mail and reply to my businesses,” he said.
Here’s How to Live Life
But whether one is a business or leisure traveler, traveling should always be a pleasure.
“Life well traveled is not just about going to the city to see what it offers. It’s about the experience, from planning a trip, deciding where to go, to planning the itinerary. It’s part of the excitement. It’s the decision making: where to stay, how many days, the budget to allot. It’s the entire life lesson that traveling teaches you. There are always new memories you’ll put in your memory bank,” said Ms. Aranaz-Alunan.
Another frequent flyer, stylist Liz Uy, recently flew to Russia with her family. “I was scared at first but when I was there, it was amazing. I got to see the Kremlin at night. Sumakit nga ulo ko kaka-history every day (I got a headache from all the history every day),” she said.
She gave her top five tips on how to have a life well traveled:
• “Know your destination and research thoroughly so you won’t waste time when you’re there.”
• “Understand a culture. I was excited to see how different one place is from another. In Russia for example they call their comfort room, WC or water closet. Here, we call it CR (comfort room). Others call it loo or washroom.”
• “Travel with your loved ones because you create a completely new memory with them that you’ll cherish.”
• “Traveling starts from checking in to the flight to reaching your destination. If it’s bad service, una pa lang sira na agad ang araw mo (from the beginning your day is ruined).”
• “One travels to inspire and be inspiring. This applies most especially in my line of work. Say, in London, they dressed cool, in Paris meanwhile, the people are very chic. Fashion-wise, I get inspired from another country. I hope that I also inspire others when I get inspiration from my travels.”
“It’s one of my first trips with the whole family. We were surprised that the children were independent. We enjoyed the city so much that my eldest gained five pounds from all the Japanese food we ate. It’s so nice to see my kids exposed to different culture and moods,” said Ms. Aranaz-Alunan.
But traveling isn’t just the destination -- getting should be an experience.
“We know that travel is as much the journey as the destination. Every travel story is an inspiration and every new journey is a story waiting to be told. In the end, a life well traveled is a life well lived,” said Cathay Pacific Philippines country manager Alan Lui at the recent launch of its newest social media campaign, “Life Well Travelled.”
Travelers are encouraged to hashtag their travels, #LifeWellTravelled.
“Social media is important when people travel. They share their photos and experiences online so their friends could know what is a good destination or a good airline. It spreads the word. People share their experience with their friends and family. On the other hand, it makes us more responsive in the customer’s needs. It keeps us more updated to what’s happening,” Mr. Lui told BusinessWorld.
The airline is opening a bigger and refurbished lounge at NAIA Terminal 3 and is investing in new aircraft. Its lineup of new destinations include Newark, Manchester, Zurich, Boston, and Düsseldorf.
The Future of Business Travel
Cathay Pacific traditionally caters to business travelers. “But there are growing numbers of pleasure travelers. Traveling is changing. More and more [people] are able to afford overseas travels. They are getting younger and younger. We are expanding. A lot of travelers are now going to Japan for leisure,” said Mr. Lui.
Among Filipino travelers, Mr. Lui said that Hong Kong remains the top destination. “We still carry a lot of people in the States and Europe, but still a lot of them [are traveling] for business,” he added.
More than half of its Filipino passengers are business travelers he noted. “They don’t mind paying high prices, because we’re a bit pricier, but they get the service that they pay for.”
For basketball player and businessman Chris Tiu, it all boils down to service, albeit there is a serious price tag attached to it. “It’s all about the experience. I don’t mind spending more time in the airport and getting my flight delayed [as long as the service is good]. The Wi-Fi is also free so I can check my e-mail and reply to my businesses,” he said.
Here’s How to Live Life
But whether one is a business or leisure traveler, traveling should always be a pleasure.
“Life well traveled is not just about going to the city to see what it offers. It’s about the experience, from planning a trip, deciding where to go, to planning the itinerary. It’s part of the excitement. It’s the decision making: where to stay, how many days, the budget to allot. It’s the entire life lesson that traveling teaches you. There are always new memories you’ll put in your memory bank,” said Ms. Aranaz-Alunan.
Another frequent flyer, stylist Liz Uy, recently flew to Russia with her family. “I was scared at first but when I was there, it was amazing. I got to see the Kremlin at night. Sumakit nga ulo ko kaka-history every day (I got a headache from all the history every day),” she said.
She gave her top five tips on how to have a life well traveled:
• “Know your destination and research thoroughly so you won’t waste time when you’re there.”
• “Understand a culture. I was excited to see how different one place is from another. In Russia for example they call their comfort room, WC or water closet. Here, we call it CR (comfort room). Others call it loo or washroom.”
• “Travel with your loved ones because you create a completely new memory with them that you’ll cherish.”
• “Traveling starts from checking in to the flight to reaching your destination. If it’s bad service, una pa lang sira na agad ang araw mo (from the beginning your day is ruined).”
• “One travels to inspire and be inspiring. This applies most especially in my line of work. Say, in London, they dressed cool, in Paris meanwhile, the people are very chic. Fashion-wise, I get inspired from another country. I hope that I also inspire others when I get inspiration from my travels.”
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