Talk by tourism entrepreneur

Wong (center) with the audience

Asian Overland Services (AOS) Tours & Travel Group Managing Director Anthony Wong Kim Hooi was recently featured on UTAR’s Entrepreneurial Talk series held at UTAR Sungai Long Campus on 26 August 2015.

Wong and a team of young adventure enthusiasts established Asian Overland Services Tours & Travel Sdn Bhd (AOS) in 1976. Today, his leadership has made AOS the leading travel agency in the country.

“I decided to make my passion for tourism into a career, but like any entrepreneur, I had my fair share of challenges and hard times. Perseverance and the love for tourism made me what I am today,” Wong said.

Wong also stressed the importance of improving one’s knowledge. “You must invest in learning to improve yourself. There are no shortcuts to learning, remember to work cooperatively and be humble at all times,” he added. Wong also reminded the audience to take some time off to revitalise when work became too overwhelming.

Wong sharing his experiences in setting up AOS

“Work is important, but family and health are even more important. Without the love and support of my family, I would never have achieved what I have today,” said Wong.

“You will need to learn patience to achieve things you want, and never take anything in life for granted. Don’t go where the path leads, rather go where there’s no path and leave a trail,” he urged.

As an established and distinguished speaker, Wong is frequently invited to give talks and seminars on issues concerning the travel industry, and has featured on local television networks and media on his achievements and views on sustainable tourism.

His eco-tourism project, The Frangipani Langkawi Resort & Spa is a green hotel and he hopes to make it a showcase and model to encourage other hotels to shift towards more sustainable practices.

This talk was organized by the Department of Consultancy and Commercialisation (DCC), UTAR.

Wong (left) accepting a gift from DCC Head Ching Yen Choon