A familiar sight on the campus of the Macao University of Tourism (UTM) were two inseparable figures – Asher Shi Youqian and Allen Shi Youkun. They are twin brothers from Shanghai, both deeply passionate about the tourism and hospitality industry – hence the decision to embark on their academic journey together at UTM with a Bachelor of Science in Tourism Business Management programme.
Being twins, Asher and Allen made many fond and memorable moments during this journey. Asher, the elder brother, recalled with a smile, “In our first year, we were assigned to different classes. However, during an accounting class, the lecturer noticed that we were twins and jokingly asked if we had ever filled in for one another. She would often tease us in class since she could never tell us apart.”
The pair are not only cheerful and outgoing but also highly focused in class. Outside the classroom, they actively sought to broaden their horizons. Leveraging UTM’s robust industry connections, they gained valuable networking opportunities through internships at both local integrated resorts and government departments. These experiences allowed them to seamlessly fuse classroom learning with real-world practices.
“Asher and I both feel that the UTM curriculum is practical,” Allen said. “It trains us to analyse problems in real-world industry scenarios and build an ability to solve complex challenges.”
UTM also provided them with valuable internship opportunities. During the six-month internship in their third year, the duo chose to work at the Jinjiang Nanjing Hotel in Jiangsu, where they gained hands-on experience in hotel operations and developed a comprehensive understanding of the industry's professional procedures and standards.
Allen focused on business sales, client relationships, and developing potential customer bases. He said, “That internship helped me see the industry from a macro perspective and encouraged me to rethink and adjust my future career path.”
Meanwhile, his elder brother, Asher, gained deep insights into the industry’s emphasis on responsiveness, thoughtful service, and customer experience. Faced with the diverse needs of clients on celebratory occasions, he quickly learned to be flexible and meticulous to ensure that every detail fell perfectly in place.
This deep dive into the industry ignited their interest in finance. Together, they decided to pivot from marketing to financial studies and enrolled in a master’s degree programme related to finance at the University of New South Wales in Australia. They are interested to explore how Chinese tourism businesses operate in overseas capital markets and deepen their expertise with a broader international perspective.
Allen noted that they had come to see how the tourism industry’s resilience was deeply intertwined with financial strategy. “Taking the recent pandemic as an example, many businesses alleviated operational pressures by implementing financial optimisation strategies, which helped maintain a smooth cash flow and stabilise overall operations,” he said.
Explaining their decision to pivot to a new professional field, the pair shared that their interests, hobbies, and career goals are closely aligned; therefore, they chose to pursue a shared path once again, side by side. “Many problems are unresolvable without any concerted efforts. Having a like-minded partner is equally essential,” they said.