‘Tourism makes life more meaningful’ says ITC student
As far as reasons to study tourism go, Bo WU (Anthony) has a pretty good one.
Anthony (who is an international student from Shanghai, China) says that “tourism makes life more meaningful”.
“Tourism can broaden the horizon of a person,” Anthony explains.
“A person who loves travelling and learns to travel will have a better world outlook when he encounters anything.”
Of course, we completely agree.
Below is the rest of Anthony’s story. In this interview, he tells us about his career history (tourism is his second career so far), as well as what inspired him to move to New Zealand from Shanghai. It’s full of wisdom, insight, and tips – we hope you enjoy it.
ITC: Tell us a bit about yourself. Where are you from, what are your hobbies, etc?
Anthony: My name is Bo WU (Anthony). I’m from Shanghai, China. Before I came to New Zealand, I graduated from Shanghai Normal University with a major in Business Management. After graduating, I worked in Shanghai Pharmaceutical Group (SPG) for 4 years as a pharmaceutical sales representative. SPG is a large enterprise with more than 40,000 employees, and the company’s annual sales exceed $20 billion. During my time there, my monthly sales target was NZ $1 million, and most months I was able to reach it.
My hobbies are tourism, movies, and travel. I remember someone once said to me: “The world is like a book. If you don’t travel, you will always be on the first page of the book.” After travelling for many years, I deeply understand the meaning of this.
What inspired you to study with ITC?
Honestly, before choosing to study at ITC, I had several tourism school choices. But after analysing the curriculum arrangement of each school and the service quality of the school, I finally chose ITC. The attitude of ITC staff has always felt sincere to me. Their enthusiasm has made me feel warm and welcomed as an international student who has just arrived in New Zealand.
How are you finding life in Auckland? What inspired you to choose New Zealand as a place to study?
Auckland is a very comfortable place to live, and it also has a beautiful environment. It has different cultures from different countries. It’s nice to be able to enjoy authentic New Zealand food and food from all over the world.
I remember I first learned about New Zealand tourism when I was travelling around Shanghai by Subway or Taxi. The screens in these vehicles promoted New Zealand’s tourism products. Then I found the real scenery of New Zealand was more magnificent than what the video provided. Since then, I decided to study in New Zealand. I want to know more about this country because I like the culture, the environment, and the scenery here so much.
What inspired you to study travel and tourism in general?
I feel that tourism makes life more meaningful. And of course, tourism is one of the most important industries in the world. It contributes 9% of the world’s GDP. The tourism platform is wide and there are plenty of opportunities for personal career development.
What is your dream job?
My dream career is to become a member of Tourism New Zealand and to work in Shanghai on behalf of Tourism New Zealand. I’d like to go back to my hometown because that was the place I learned about New Zealand. I hope to share my experience of travelling and learning in New Zealand so that more tourists can come to visit.
How have you changed/grown over your time with ITC?
I used to live in a country with eastern culture. After I came to ITC, I learned not only professional knowledge but also western culture through interaction with my tutor. Fully understanding the advantages of these two cultures is meaningful for the rest of my life.
What do you find easiest/most enjoyable about studying with ITC?
The small class design of ITC is fantastic. It increases the relationship between tutors and students and also between students and other students. Small class design allows tutors more time to relate to their students’ learning and their life. Our class is small but has students from 12 different countries, and these 12 countries cover almost all five continents. It’s a valuable experience for me to fully understand the culture of different countries during my study and life at ITC. I feel more and more like ITC is my second home in New Zealand.
How do you find working and studying at the same time?
It takes a lot of energy to work and study at the same time, but working is a great opportunity to practice what I’m learning in class. Learning and working are indispensable and they are mutually supportive. All the problems in the world can be solved by knowledge, which is why we need learning. And to use our knowledge to the greatest advantage, we need work experience.
Do you have any advice for students who are thinking about studying with ITC? Especially for international students?
Through my personal experience, I would like to say to students who are considering studying at ITC that whether you are a high school graduate or a college graduate or a working professional, that ITC is a trustworthy tourism institution. ITC will continue to create quality opportunities for you and support you in achieving your career or life goals.
As a student, you need to be ready to seize every opportunity and never give up any chance. Even if it has no result at present, it will certainly help you succeed some day in the future.
Thanks for sharing your incredible story with us, Anthony! We look forward to seeing what you do next.
Does Anthony’s story inspire you? Get in touch today to learn more about studying airline, travel and tourism at ITC.
Posted in News, Student success, Study inspiration |2 Responses to “‘Tourism makes life more meaningful’ says ITC student”
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We are interested to participate the Tourism course at NZ 2019.