Paul Chan, co-founder and CEO of Walk in Hong Kong, had a varied career including academia, the media and Government before he set up his tourism business. He shared his career story with around 160 form five students from Munsang College at a talk on 25 February.

As a law graduate working as Political Assistant to the Secretary for Food and Health, Chan could have expected his career to grow in a stable fashion. Yet, in 2013, he decided to leave his position in the Government to pursue his dream of launching a cultural tourism business. He set up "Walk in Hong Kong" with two friends, offering authentic walking tours that reveal different facets of Hong Kong's culture and history. 

An avid traveller, Chan has visited around 88 countries. When visiting other destinations, he enjoys joining local tours to immerse himself in the local culture and daily life. Noting that such tours are less common in Hong Kong, he saw an opportunity to address this gap in the market. 

Using his own story as an example, Chan explained to the students that following your passion and having good career prospects may not be mutually exclusive. The key is to explore how their interests can be translated into a career direction that could earn them a living.

He also suggested that the students should consider their own personality when deciding on a career path. Chan said that he enjoys being exposed to new ideas, so running his own company allows him to be completely flexible when it comes to experimenting and exploring possibilities. 

He added that even though it has been eight years since Walk in Hong Kong launched, the job still excites him as he is constantly gaining new insights about the city when he designs new itineraries.