TPI chairman and CEO Morris Chia.Dan Galbraith
As chairman and CEO of TPI, Canada's largest network of independent travel advisers, Morris Chia knows the benefits of a well-planned trip. But after more than 20 years in the business, he still lives for the unexpected – the experiences that happen, as he tells The Globe, "on the edges."
How often do you travel for work versus for fun?
I'm on the road a week or so a month. But it all blends in my business. I try to add on a day of leisure, either pre or post business, for some free time. If I'm not required at a meeting, I visit the pool or get outside on a boardwalk. I try to capture those moments.
Is there anything unusual you always pack?
I always wear my IWC Pilot's Watch when I'm flying. I've had it for six years. It's a bit of a cult watch.
Do you have any travel rituals?
At every hotel, I check out the bathroom first to make sure it's clean. I don't want to find a hair that doesn't belong to me. That's a no-go zone.
The TPI website boasts of a network of more than 850 'travel advisers' across Canada. How is a travel adviser different from a travel agent?The adviser component comes from someone who is providing advisory services, whereas an agent, generally, takes a more transactional approach. It's not about getting to know the customer. But there are advisers who take that approach as well. It's like in any industry: There are great ones and good ones and ones who shouldn't maybe be in that space. The right adviser can bring tremendous value and experiences and options that may not be apparent to the traveller, or hard for them to get; that's their expertise. They find out what is important and take an overall perspective. It's about developing a relationship, so they can better fulfill the dreams of the client.
You were born in Singapore but moved to Winnipeg in 1976. Most Canadians don't think of The Peg as a vacation destination. Give me your sales pitch.
Being able to travel the world gives me great perspective on what we have here. We have a great lifestyle. People forget that we have tremendous summers and a stunning lake country right in our backyard. We have culture – the Royal Winnipeg Ballet, the symphony, we've got our hockey team back, we've got a football team. Even though the winters are colder, the people here are [some] of the warmest and friendliest I've seen in my travels. The warmness permeates through the cold.
What's your best travel advice?
Typically a vacation is a scheduled event. But usually the unplanned moments are the most memorable. It's the stuff on the edges that comes from being spontaneous. Years ago in Europe, my wife and I went to the train station, looked at where the next train was going, jumped on and ended up in Venice for the first time. We stayed at the Hotel Danieli, still one of my favourites. We did the same thing a couple of days later and ended up in a small town in Switzerland called Crans-Montana. That was a precious moment. Appreciate the unplanned moments – that's my tip of the day.
This interview was condensed and edited.