DETOUR - 2GO Travel

Nothing but ExcellenceAs the EVP and Chief Commercial Officer for Passenger Businessof 2GO Travel, Stephen Rey Tagud is the one who redefined seatravel by introducing travelers to a whole new level of domesticcruising. He is the youngest board member in the 2GO Group,but Stephen proves that he is the best person for his position. Hestudied abroad and graduated with distinction from the International HotelManagement School in Switzerland with a diploma in Hotel and RestaurantManagement. He also graduated cum laude with a Bachelor of Sciencein Hotel Administration from the University of Nevada in Las Vegas, andearned his MBA in International Finance and Marketing from UniversidadEuropea de Madrid in Spain. He gained professional experience fromillustrious hotels such as Wynn Las Vegas, Paris Hotel and Casino, MGMMirage, and Hyatt Hotels. With someone like him as frontliner, what canone expect from 2GO Travel? Nothing but excellence.Tita Susan travelled to Boracay with Stephen onboard the CF3 vessel tofind out more about domestic cruising.What is the vision behind 2GO Travel?With 2GO being the new brand, we wanted to be the premier providerof sea transport to promote domestic tourism and be a domestic cruisethat would connect people from Manila to different islands and vice versa.How do you make it a cruise experience?We refurbished the ships, upgraded all the furniture, provided a verydifferent experience on board --we provided entertainment, restaurantfacilities and different activities for people to do on board.What is the best proof or symbol that it is a cruise line?For us, it is when you enter. We have the front desk, of course, the nicefurniture, the ambiance, that whole feeling that when a passenger enters,he will have a WOW! moment.What can one expect from 2GO Travel?We are a young brand, we are very fresh, and what we want to give thepublic is a very memorable experience onboard our ships. They can dineat the restaurant, listen to the band, have a cocktail at the bar, underneaththe stars, with their friends and family. It is a whole experience in itself. Theywon’t get bored.How safe are the ships?Our ships have international certifications with different classes. We havethe French and the American class societies. Of course, they do annualchecks and safety inspections. This is close to international standardsbecause we fly them here to inspect the engine and every nook andcranny of the vessel.What are the special events that one can do onboard?Limitless. You can do weddings. We’ve done a wedding onboard. We’vedone a lot of meetings and incentive trips, conferences. A lot of companiesride with us to conduct their meeting or seminars onboard, because it’s acaptive audience, people won’t go anywhere. So the selling point for mostcompanies is that their audience is captured, they listen, they train andafter that, when they get to the destination, that is when they do theirR&R. You can have your birthday party, reunions, anything. We can evenpackage it for you, if you have a special request for food and beverage,and when you book as a group, you can get a group discount. Basically,whatever you can imagine, we can do.How early do you have to book and how do you book?If you plan ahead and book early, you can definitely avail of the promofares. When people plan a trip, as soon as they know about it, they haveto book in advance to avail of the cheap rates. You can do that online onwww.2GO.com.ph or by calling our call center at 528 7000 and we haveabout a thousand ticket outlets all over, just look for the 2GO Travel signwith the travel agencies and you can book with them.What do you feel is your effect on domestic tourism?First of all, our country is very, very beautiful. As an archipelago, we havedifferent islands that people can see. We give our passengers an intimateexperience at sea. You can go to the view deck and see the islands, andsometimes, if you are lucky, you can even see dolphins or flying fish. Sothis is just another avenue to experience our islands, basically.Is it one of the intentions of your company to enhance domestictourism?Yes, definitely, because it is a different experience. We offer a domesticcruise that is very affordable and when you walk into the ship, you feel likeyou are in a hotel. If you sail with us, you’ll experience good quality hotelservice, great food, and a great time. And it’s easy on the pocket and that’swhat really counts.april - june 2012 travel time 83