With three daily flights connecting the Philippines to Dubai and the rest of the world, Emirates has truly emerged as a preferred airline for Filipinos. This bond deepened further when the airline unveiled the Emirates World Store at Shangri-La The Fort, Taguig City, on November 20, making the country only the second location in the region to host the reimagined retail space, after Hong Kong and the 19th worldwide.

Far from a conventional ticketing office, the Emirates World Store immerses visitors in the essence of the airline's renowned in-flight experience. The centerpiece is a life-size display of the Emirates A380 onboard Lounge, allowing visitors to step into the kind of premium experience usually reserved thousands of feet up in the air.

But the allure of this brand-new destination, which The Manila Times Lifestyle visited, doesn't stop there.

For wanderlusters planning their next getaway, a huge interactive self-service screen will greet them soon after the entrance, offering quick and easy browsing of flights, destinations and itinerary recommendations. Compared to using the internet or a travel app to design that next big getaway, this feature does away with the need to cross any fingers that the review one just read is truthful and won't ruin memories of a much-awaited vacation.

For a bit of techy fun, visitors should also head to another interactive screen, which should help them decide where they really want to go. By answering a few questions, the contraption will generate several backdrops of Emirates' popular destination and provide you a "selfie" with each one. Whichever city you look good "visiting" should make it to the shortlist.

And if all the techie stuff isn't your cup of tea, know that lovely Emirates ground crew actually man several desks so that customers can count on human one-to-one interactions and be confident they enjoy a seamless flight and schedule throughout their vacation.

Finally, shoppers and airline memorabilia afficionados as well as sports fans will also revel in visiting BGC's newly opened hotspot, for while Emirates-branded merchandise and curated travel accessories can only be bought inflight or online, they can actually see the goods for themselves here, first hand, before making a purchase.

As Adnan Kazim, Emirates' Deputy President and Chief Commercial Officer, said at last week's opening, "The new Emirates World Store in Manila is designed to serve as a one-stop shop where customers can explore Emirates' best-in-class products and services. This is about elevating the travel retail experience while getting closer to our customers."

Emirates has been a fixture in Philippine skies since 1990, gradually expanding to 28 weekly flights that link Manila, Cebu, and Clark to Dubai and over 140 destinations worldwide. In 2023, an interline agreement with Philippine Airlines further widened Emirates' reach, providing seamless connectivity to more domestic destinations and nine international cities.

Meanwhile, the launch of the Emirates World Store in Manila is part of the airline's ambitious global retail strategy, with an estimated AED 100 million investment over the next three years. Following Hong Kong in the region, as well as London and Nairobi, among others, more stores are set to open, signaling a bold new chapter in how Emirates connects with its customers.

Graced by First Lady Liza Araneta Marcos, the grand opening of Emirates World Store at Shangri-La The Fort also saw UAE Ambassador to the Philippines Mohamed Obaid Alqataam Alzaabi, Sen. Sherwin Gatchalian and other high-profile guests.