Time is short, so let the experience be intense

Thomaz Correia is 32 years old and a copywriter at an ad agency. He is a surfer and during his free time, he usually travels around the world searching for the perfect wave. He has done a lot of traveling, has lived in Portugal for four years and has just returned from a trip to Indonesia.
Thomaz believes that in the future, tourism trips will not be only dedicated to visiting tourist points. The trips of the future will be in search for life experiences. “Something that will add to my life”.

In Thomaz's opinion, be the trip to relax, to surf, to travel with the children or to visit museums, the trip should make a difference in one’s life. It is not enough just to take a picture in front of an important monument. It should be a new experience that adds to the way in which one sees and relates to life. He does not want to be only a passerby, but integrate himself to those moments and turn them into something unforgettable. Even if its only for a week, four days or three days.
Thomaz believes that in the future, the process of traveling will change until the ideal way is found. But technology can bring new things and increase access to information. I had the opportunity to experience this in San Francisco. A virtual guide where “you type in a code with your location and then listen to the description of the places which you are going by through the iphone”.

People are having less leisure time. “Time is short, so let the experience be intense. If your goal is to relax that let it be an intense relaxation”. During his trip to Indonesia he went to a totally deserted island to surf. “It was an adventure because to go to such an inhospitable place like that one.... Even though it had a bit of security and support infrastructure it was a great adventure. To be able to get that special wave and surf practically all alone demands a lot of work. "The adventure started with the trip itself. It is a long trip. 14 hours to Dubai, then 7 more to Jacarta and 12 hours to the island, having to change airplanes and face different time zones. Being faced with a different culture and changing the rhythm of one’s body’s needs like eating, sleeping and going to the bathroom until reaching the destination is what helps it become an unforgettable experience."

We asked him about his opinion on low cost airlines and Thomaz believes that it is a market that has proven to be very good and efficient. It allows one to travel at a very low cost, but in his mind the trend is that it be ideal only for shorter trips. “For intercontinental trips that take a long time and are more tiresome the low cost airlines have to squeeze the seats in order to fit more passengers. It is similar to ground travel, only its air travel. No such flight is pleasant. In truth you are traveling inside a can. For long distances, if this can is too small, the trip ends up being very unpleasant. I don’t know if low cost ends up less expensive for intercontinental flights. The cost benefit is not that great.

Thomaz believes that the future of these trips is more related to leisure than to business since technology increasingly allows one to solve business related issues through video conferences or the internet. It is not so necessary anymore to personally go to a distant place to solve a business issue, also because the use of virtual means one gains professional time. On the other hand, the lack of time for leisure and the metropolitan work and life routine makes people desire to travel to other cultures during the little time they have available. He believes that people prefer to leave, alone or with the entire family, and relax outside their daily environment. For Thomaz, a trip offers more relaxing holidays than relaxing at home. Traveling works as an escape valve. Regarding the Emirates brand, Thomaz says: “The treatment I got from Emirates: Exceptional".

"A 14 hours trip from São Paulo to Dubai. The treatment and the final product, the package. The airplane and the service, all focused on satisfying your comfort needs; at least one flight attendent speaks your language; there is a good entertainment system.... To fly Emirates is to fly relaxed, comfortably. Emirates has these values in its brand."

But when it comes to Emirate’s communication, Thomaz would like it to be a bit less formal. Emirates is also “more” and does not communicate this. It has a very bureaucratic communication. “The sober tone is important to transmit safety, but it could be a bit more daring, relaxed, modern, and emotional. Currently I don’t think that the Emirate’s communication speaks to me. It lacks charisma."

I recognize it as a Premium brand. Traveling with the Emirates is like an ego massage.