Why do we want to be in travel? - A question to ourselves

Why do we want to travel?

I believe that this question has been answered many times by different travel agents, travel blogs around the world. Still, this question presents itself to us like a stranger who has never left our side.

Especially during this trying time when travel restrictions are prevalent and travelling out of the country may not be happening in the near future. To me as a traveler, things definitely feel different now and even more so to our whole team in Ik Chin Travel who are reduced to working from home. With uncertainty looming in the tourism industry, the road ahead for us is rockier than ever before. Is this journey ahead worth it? Or is it time to call it quits and look for opportunity elsewhere?

Why do we want to travel?

As a self-reflection, the answer to this question is even more important now as we evaluate what value we hold on for. Is it worth sacrificing the time and effort to get through this dark, cold and stormy weather? As an economist by education, this is an opportunity cost. Holding on could mean lost time and opportunities to change the business or go on a different career path. It may mean a huge loss for me but I am still yearning for the sun to rise once more here.

 “Why do we want to travel?”

Was the question I asked the team in March when the Covid-19 pandemic seemed like it would linger on for a while. As a traditional travel agency we are faced with challenges from the OTAs (Online Travel Agencies) and with the convenience of air travel, people also chose to plan the holidays themselves and now, the travel bans. But what is it that made us feel that we still have a part to play in this ecosystem? What do we offer to all the holiday seekers out there? Thoughts were exchanged that day from personal experiences to individual hobbies and likes to the stories shared by our customers. After a long discussion, we concluded our 9 reasons why we want to travel and what we think Ik Chin have to offer to other travelers.

To fill our curiosity, To enjoy new experiences, To pass on values, To have spiritual growth, To lead a healthy life, To enjoy delicacies, To build relationships, To share and of course, to travel.

To us, Travelling has given us a sense of joy and excitement as we are able to change our environment and discover new things. Even the thought of such prospects where each new day can bring about new discoveries and encounters can stir up that adventurous spirit in us. Being away from our comfort zone keeps us wary of dangers and these heightened senses allow us to appreciate the little things much more compared to our numb selves back home. As such, there is no better time to be curious, try new things, meet new friends and engage in activities that you love.

Travelling is not only about what we experience but also having the chance to get to know ourselves better. The world is filled with many wonderful stories that are being played out even as you are reading this article. We catch glimpse of these stories every day and thanks to our better senses during our travels, we absorb and reflect on them. Through this, we get to understand what values do we hold dear and want to embrace.

Lastly, to us travelling is also about…well…to travel. It is about moving. Moving out of our daily routine, moving out of the problems we have waiting to be solved (only temporarily! Just a recharge before we take them on stronger) and… of course lots of moving (walking, my personal favourite). Moving keeps us healthy both mentally and physically - a perfect complement to our urban lifestyle.

And you know what the best part is? You get to take all of it home.

As part of Ik Chin Travel, as people who enjoys sharing about travel, we feel that we still have a lot to offer you.  Just like the thought of travel, the thought of the opportunity to share these values to you in the future excites us just the same. So no matter what lies ahead, let us travel on and keep the travel goodness alive!

Now, like the infamous Game of Thrones saying: “Winter is here”. But like every story, Spring will return and I believe we will emerge stronger than before!