Lifestyle importer starts business as hobby
Updated: 2016-07-21 14:36
By Jin Dan(chinadaily.com.cn)
|
|||||||||
He Zhi stands in front of a wall printed with logo of his company, Wayatrip. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn] |
A quick tour of Paris landmarks ending with shopping at the Galeries Lafayette or a treasure hunting tour about Madame Curie with a well-designed itinerary and detailed introduction for tourists, which one is more profitable for a travel agency or a tour guide?
The answer apparently is the former, but He Zhi, a 25-year-old returnee from France, chose the latter as his start-up business in Shanghai.
He's start-up, "Wayatrip", an online customer-to-customer (C2C) travel service provider, helps plan DIY tours and connects traveling buddies and city "treasure hunters". The Madame Curie tour, for instance, is one of specially designed routes which help tourists set up connections with Paris.
"We encourage our customers to travel as backpackers, and we even help them reduce expenses, such as choosing accommodation in hostels or vacation homes." He's long-term target is to change Chinese people's travel style from only sight-seeing to local life and culture experiencing.
A graduate in chemistry from prestigious ESPCI Paris Tech, the cradle for engineers and scientists, he decided to leave engineering and start a business after he fell in love with traveling upon graduation. With an initial fund of 150,000 yuan ($2,255) pooled together with two other partners, he started Wayatrip in the second half of 2015. In about six months, the team went online with a website.
During that period, they established the company in the enterprise incubation park for college students in Yangpu district of Shanghai with the help of Fudan University Entrepreneurship Foundation.
Meanwhile, they also successfully secured 100,000 yuan start-up loan from Shanghai Technology Entrepreneurship Foundation for Graduates.
Related Stories
New generation of returnees: Endeavor and compromise 2016-07-14 10:52
What other things overseas study can polish besides resume? 2016-07-16 08:38
Columbia graduate who chose motherhood over career, China over US 2016-07-20 06:21
More students returning from overseas to start business 2016-07-20 16:30
Growing overseas returnees drawn to new boomtowns 2016-07-20 14:14
Today's Top News
Brussels police: Bomb aleart was false alarm
May takes center stage in parliament's box-office show
Turkey's failed coup to consolidate Erdogan's power
Republican Party nominates Trump for president
IMF to cut global growth forecasts after Brexit vote
IS: Refugee attacker in Germany one of its fighters
Did Melania Trump plagiarize from Michelle Obama?
26 die after tour bus catches fire in Taiwan
Hot Topics
Lunar probe , China growth forecasts, Emission rules get tougher, China seen through 'colored lens', International board,
Editor's Picks
Hollywood snaps up rock star's dog film |
Chinese people welcome dispossessed |
The can-do generation to the fore |
Riding the wave |
Leisure giants buoy cruise market |
She followed her heart |