Dominic Lau's ultimate travel companions - his Ducati motorbike and Tumi Alpha Bravo Kingsville backpack
“I love travelling, especially air travel,” declared Dominic Lau and I do a double take. I couldn’t think of a more painful thing than to be cramped into a tiny airplane seat for hours but the Hong Kong host’s excitement about flying seems genuine.
The man has spent most of 2014 outside Hong Kong, travelling mainly for work. Lau continued, “I travel an awful lot. I love everything from packing at home, the cab journey to the airport, being at the airport and being on the plane. I love long haul flights and am so well seasoned that if you put a blindfold on me, I’m able to navigate my way from check-in counter to my gate.”
The Alpha 2 range is Tumi's most spacious and lightest ballistic nylon collection!
If that’s true, then it makes perfect sense that the Supermodel Me host has joined the stable of Tumi Asia Global Citizens. Lau fits the definition of a Global Citizen to a Tee – he lives and breathes travel and is comfortable in any part of the world he finds himself in, from Singapore to the UK. I managed to catch up with the Tumi Asia Global Citizen on his brief pit-stop in Singapore to help unveil the travel label’s new Alpha 2 collection.
Lau was the textbook example of how an ambassador should be as he showed off his personalised Tumi Alpha Bravo Kingsville backpack like a proud father with an overachieving child. As he unzipped the sturdy backpack that fits in everything including his passport, he rattled on, “This guy here fits my ethos of travel. It’s functional with 19 separate compartments, 21 if you count the two pen holders. It’s durable – nothing can rip through the reinforced nylon. Well maybe Wolverine’s claws. It’s stylish with leather details and monogrammed initials.”
Obviously a fan of the brand, the host proceeded to show us how ergonomic Tumi luggage is. He travels with a Tegra-lite suitcase and demonstrated how the luggage doesn’t bump into the back of the 1.91m hunk’s legs when he’s wheeling it along thanks to the aircraft grade aluminium extension handle.
Tall, good-looking chap who can carry your luggage - wouldn't you want to travel with Dominic Lau?
Travelling with the man would be a breeze because you could borrow anything you could possibly need from him. In fact, Lau blames the Alpha Bravo Kingsville backpack for being the reason why he doesn’t travel light, “It fits everything including my essential laptop, iPad and iPhone so I bring everything!” Everything has its place in the 19 compartments of the bag so he knows instantly if he forgot anything.
The interview whizzes past as Lau shares travel tips – always keep a copy of your passport on your phone in case you lose it – and stories of his trips with us. True to the nature of his job, the host ranks his red carpet experience at the Oscars interviewing the likes of Nicole Kidman and Clint Eastwood as the most memorable trip of his life. Perhaps I wouldn’t mind being stuck in an airplane if he was sitting next to me.
Plus, what he said about knowing the terminals like the back of his hand, is all true. Lau is friendly with everyone from the lady at the check-in counter to the Changi food court auntie. In fact, she always gives him extra wontons and a staff discount. Who wouldn’t want to tag along for that?
The TUMI Alpha 2 and the Alpha 2 Business are available in all TUMI Singapore stores and Tumi’s website http://www.tumi.sg/ now.