News

Scoot conducts scientific experiments on travellers to prove travel is a must, not a luxury

Singapore Airlines low cost offshoot, Scoot, is working with a university professor in a campaign to determine whether travel is literally in our blood.

Dr. Richard Paul Ebstein, an expert in Genetics, Human Biology and Neuroscience at the National University of Singapore, will conduct experiments on travellers, and Scoot staff, to determine the link between travel and a gene called DRD4-2/7R.

It is believed the gene, which is carried by one in five people, encourages “novelty-seeking behaviours”, including travel.

Scoot’s ‘Wandermust’ experiment will specifically look into the role of genetics as well as the impact of cultural influences to prove how the need to travel flows through our veins.

The airline has built a Wandermust hub on its website, with the tongue-in-cheek campaign aiming to alleviate the “guilt” associated with regular travel.

“With the Wandermust Experiment, our goal is to use science to show that travel is an intrinsic need, rather than just a luxury,” Scoot chief executive Lee Lik Hsin said. “By gaining deeper insights into the preferences and habits of our customers, we can continue working toward our goal of making travel attainable for everyone.”

Scoot is appealing for passionate travellers to be part of its experiment.

“It’s encouraging to see that an airline like Scoot is pioneering in showing how travel might be in our blood using cutting edge molecular genetic tools.,” Dr Ebstein said.

ADVERTISEMENT

Get the latest media and marketing industry news (and views) direct to your inbox.

Sign up to the free Mumbrella Asia newsletter now.

 

SUBSCRIBE

Sign up to our free daily update to get the latest in media and marketing