Seeing the World Differently with Virgin Atlantic’s Justin Ho

Transformative Travel experiences are aplenty when you work for Virgin Atlantic

Saltee is a brand that stands for the open-minded, the inquisitive, and the culturally curious….

As much as we enjoy taking our SPF products around the world, we also love hearing about transformative travel journeys from destinations that have made an impact and have left a long-lasting positive impression on others- those experiences that enlighten you and help you see the world differently.

We had the chance to explore transformational encounters with one of Virgin Atlantic’s leaders, Justin Ho. Justin shares his transformative travel experiences, travel tips, and his love for travelling with our luxury SPF. 

Join us as Justin shares his travel stories and how he sees the world differently….

A moment of transformative travel can be as sensational as a yacht adventure during which you discover the azure waters of a barely visited Aegean islet. Transformative travel can mean something different to us depending on our experiences. For Justin, he shares with us that it’s about learning other people’s cultures and immersing in their worlds. 

On our first travel adventure with Justin, he takes us on his trip to India and expresses how that trip was one that made him see the world of travelling differently. His first impression of this trip was how different it was.

The culture hits you straight away- the congestion, the heat and the smells are all massive.

He also explained how these differences attracted him and got him in the mood to want to learn more about the country and its people. 

He remembers on the crew bus when looking through the windows seeing cows on the road and  elephants carrying goods to market, thinking,

“Wow, where am I? But then realise that it is just the norm and how one’s eyes are opened to all of these new experiences.”

Have you ever had a ‘WOW’ moment when travelling to a particular destination? Justin shared that his first visit to New York City was one of the most memorable WOW moments in his 20+ years of travelling. It hit him when he was standing in the middle of Times Square and saw all of the colourful billboards- that’s when he gasped and thought to himself, “WOW”. He had only known New York City through television and always thought of it as such a stereotypical way of promoting NYC- the colourful billboards and tall buildings.

But when you are there, he shared that moment of catching your breath:

“It is exactly the way you see it on TV. How real New York was from what I’d seen on

TV since I was a child.

You see a hotdog stand at every corner, the steam rising from the ground- it’s real and it’s just spectacular to experience in person. A place that creates so much

imagination yet, it’s so real”.

Justin contrasts NYC to Disney – with the differences being real people and natural history. Like so many parents Justin also shares how he’d like to take his kids to NYC one day and have that same experience again but with them. He elaborates how New York City reminded him of the movie “Ghost”, exactly how he imagined a subway to be.

“Each place has its own culture and there are so many places in the world where

you can get that WOW factor.” 

Travelling to a different country can be a life-changing experience as well as an overwhelming one when things seem to be too distant. So how can you make the best out of the differences you experience when travelling to a different country?

Justin also has some excellent recommendations to immerse in the culture of a new country:

“Eat like the locals do because you can get the freshest and most authentic ingredients. You know that whatever other locals eat, it’s going to be of really good value.” Anywhere you end up going it’s all about immersing in the unique experiences, it’s beyond going on holiday, but about seeing the world differently.”

“The world is much smaller than we think. Transformative travel does change you when you are there experiencing a different culture first-hand.” 

With many years of travel and countless cultural experiences Justin has some smart travel tips for the Saltee community including the importance of a good eating routine. No surprise that he considers wearing SPF essential. An insider tip is that Virgin crew apply SPF when they get changed into their uniforms and are ready to take on the day. As an avid traveller Justin is also a fan of
Saltee’s Hydrating Mist

“Hydrating Mist is really, really good as it helps your skin stay hydrated. Staying hydrated on board where the air is so dry is vital for any traveller.”

Another tip from Justin is to have a good skin routine.

Virgin Atlantic’s campaign message is, “See the World Differently”, Justin mentions how it doesn’t matter if you see it from a crew or customer’s perspective, we can always see the world differently and the beauty of being able to travel there is you can experience it there as opposed to experience it through social media or TV. 

At Virgin Atlantic, they work hard to make travel much more inclusive and accessible and make their customers understand how to fully embrace a destination.

If you are one of those who like to plan, Saltee can be pre-ordered and will be valeted to your seats when you arrive to fly with Virgin Atlantic. 

Saltee is always ready to See the World Differently  ✈️