When you drive up to the terminal at the Dane County Regional Airport (MSN), a prominent sign claims, “It’s all about the journey.” As a marketer, I can appreciate why this slogan was adopted some eight years ago to encourage travelers to forego flights from Milwaukee (MKE) or Chicago (ORD) and depart closer to home. But as a traveler, I beg to differ.
There’s no doubt that the process of getting from point A to point B matters. And maybe, just maybe, you could make a case for the experience of the journey when traveling by car or train.
Air travel, on the other hand, is merely a means to an end. When I’m going on vacation, it’s all about the destination. The logistics of getting there can either enhance or disrupt my frame of mind as I transition away from real life, but the journey itself does not a vacation make. When I heed the call of vacation, I’m thinking a just-right balance of play and relaxation, no work, and quality time with my loved ones. Preferably with the sun shining and sand underneath my feet. While not thinking about making the trek home.
Photos from Fort Myers Beach (RSW)
