Getting down to business

WHILE many can only dream of travelling around the world, Joanne Tan is fortunate enough to have made it a reality. However, it is not through sheer luck that she managed to climb mountains and cross seas. In fact, she has had to work hard to make it happen.

Now the business development director at Atlas Travel Services Sdn Bhd, Tan started her career in the travel and tourism industry as a tour coordinator. She received tour groups from foreign agencies and brought them around Malaysia, other than being a tour leader who coordinated trips abroad. Although it was a hectic role to play, Tan held on to it.

“I’ve always loved travelling. I get to meet new friends and see the world in a different light,” she said.

Having accumulated ample experience as a travel agent, she took on her current role in 2009. Since then, she has gone through the ups and downs of growing and expanding the business, which operated from Jonker Walk, Melaka.

Looking back on her years in the industry, Tan shared that she has had to cope with the stress that came from dealing with clients.

The task was harder, she said, when she had to spend a few days – sometimes up to a few weeks – with those who had high expectations. Tan shared that the most difficult part of her career was her time as a tour manager – serving as a tour guide-cum-driver – for her clients,

especially in European and Australian countries. Over the course of her work, she learned that she would face even more challenges if she did not do sufficient research about her travel destination.

“I once made a mistake of taking a longer detour to my location when I could have just crossed the road,” she recalled, laughing.

According to Tan, being a tour coordinator is increasingly seen as a sunset career. She shared that with backpacking gaining popularity by the year, more and more tourists –especially the younger generation – plan trips by themselves after reading travel tips and hacks online.

To stem the tide, Tan’s travel agency has taken it upon itself to reinvigorate the youths’ passion for the travel industry, for instance, by introducing more online services as well as initiating travel packages at a lower rate.

On whether she would encourage the young to pursue a career in this field, Tan said, “Yes, but they must be aware of the hardships and the needs for innovation in order to make sure that this industry survive the trends of globalisation.”

Another Malaccan who deals with tourists regularly is Lee Hwa Yu, who owns the Little Nyonya Gift and Souvenir Shop. He started his career assisting his family in the travel industry.

After 20 years of immersing himself in the industry, he decided to further develop his career by opening a gift and souvenir shop. Aware of the risks of running a business, Lee spent over six months conducting a survey, which saw him visiting the northern states thrice to find out what kind of souvenir products was highly sought-after by tourists.

During that time, he learned how to sell and promote coffee, and brought his knowledge to use when he launched Little Nyonya in 2007.

“You have to make sure you serve the coffee hot and brew it in glassware. This way, the fragrance can be presented better,” he said.

The namesake “Little Nyonya” was a nod to his Peranakan heritage. So, it’s no surprise that he would include Baba Nyonya products among the items on sale.

Among the popular items is the Nyonya Paste, which Lee took great pains to ensure that its flavour matched the taste of his mother’s cooking.

When asked about any challenges faced, Lee said the most immediate is the current trend of slow economy as the buying power of tourists has slowed down.

“The current political stability contributes a lot to the endless stream of customers from overseas, but the economic situation isn’t helping as the whole world is experiencing a decline,” he said.

However, he is thankful that Little Nyonya is a brand that is established enough to still attract locals to keep supporting its products.

This article was published in the Newspaper in Education (NIE) pullout by The Star Newspaper dated 25 September 2019