For our other trade magazine Travelpro I was asked to write a piece about my favorite faraway destination. Amusing. And tricky! It’s – and I suspect for 90 percent of the travel industry – the most frequently asked question at parties, and also the most difficult: “what’s your favorite destination?” Pfff… It also depends on who you tell that. At the standard party with non-travel branchers, you have to be careful. On the one hand, an original answer is expected, because after all, you work in this sector. They expect something, and rightly so. But you can’t say Bali, South Africa or New York. That’s too simple, they could have thought of that themselves. If they haven’t been there already. No, you have to come up with a nice surprise. Namibia is a nice one, Vietnam even excellent. Or something with ‘the real’ in it. The real Mexico, so no Cancun, that kind of work. The real Thailand, even better. Then you take the word ‘Ko’ and then you take the name of your first pet and your first car. ‘Ko Sokje Toyota, that’s the place to be man!’ That they think: ‘ahaa, this person knows about it’. Safari But beware! You can’t overdo it. Because then, of course, you are immediately that arrogant blowhard who is paid to go on vacation. For example, never mention luxury safaris. Of that one time you stood there with a glass of sparkling wine at a setting sun, watching a horde of elephants hop by. I’m not the only one in the industry who has experienced it, but that arouses too much jealousy and understandably so. Just say something about glamping on the Beekse Bergen and holiday auctions or something. The following words are actually taboo in normal conversation: infinity pool, hot stone massage, corner suite, stretched limo, helicopter flight and hot air balloon. I think the biggest faux pas is the traditional champagne photo in Business Class. Don’t, everyone hates you. Answer But it still doesn’t answer my question of what to choose as a favorite far away destination. Well, there’s always a standard answer that you hear a lot. The well-known ‘well I don’t know, as if you have to choose between your children.‘ But we’re going to stop doing that. Everyone knows that you like some children more than others. ‘Oh, that’s Fleurtje, one hundred percent. We actually think Storm is a big disappointment so far’. Only you don’t say that…
