Founded in 1994 in Vancouver, Canada, "XO TOURS International Travel Group" was established by Ms. Tseng Zhiying, a former lecturer at Lingdong Institute of Technology in Taiwan who had just moved to Canada.
The motivation behind Ms. Tseng's founding of "XO TOURS International Travel Company" was surprisingly simple, yet the circumstances were quite unique.
The motivation was simple: to stay busy and not waste life in the comfort of immigrant life.
The circumstances were special - during a family-organized trip, she unexpectedly created an opportunity to establish a travel company in an unfamiliar country by compassionately paying a tip to a tour guide many considered unqualified. As the old saying goes, 'a willow grows where it's not planted' - what began as 'small' grew into 'big', from 'dots' to 'lines' and 'surfaces'. It has evolved from traditional regional operations to a high-tech transformation, expanding globally and moving forward on the path to becoming a world-class enterprise.
After establishing "XO TOURS" in Vancouver and expecting it to become a global base, the company opened multiple direct branches in key surrounding cities. It also actively developed Vancouver headquarters into Canada's largest ticketing hub, serving over a hundred Canadian small and medium-sized travel agencies as an airline ticketing wholesaler. In addition to Vancouver, direct branches have been established in Toronto, Los Angeles, Taipei, and Beijing. The company has expanded to connect with Japan, Thailand, Vietnam, Europe, Australia, New Zealand, Central/South America, and Dubai.
For years, our original business model primarily relied on traditional media like radio, TV, newspapers, and magazines, along with word-of-mouth referrals. Starting in 2016, we entered a new stage of online marketing. More importantly, we aim to usher "XO TOURS" into a new era by combining tradition with technology for innovative travel services. We hope to comprehensively provide diverse services including travel, history, culture, knowledge, education, and communication by starting from travelers' needs and integrating the latest information technology.
Many people have wondered about the name "XO TOURS".
Many mainland Chinese travelers mistakenly call it "Xinhua Lian" because "Xinhua Lian" is a well-known group in China.
"XO TOURS" has a close connection with the "Lotus Heart".
When establishing "XO TOURS", Ms. Tseng and her husband were devout Buddhists who believed the initial intention of starting a business was crucial. For a Buddhist, establishing a new business should begin with a heart full of blooming lotuses, starting with pure lotus hearts, and being motivated by the desire to save all beings. It should be based on genuine, sincere, and dedicated hearts to serve society and humanity - the "Lotus Heart". Therefore, the name "XO TOURS" was chosen as an implicit reference to "having a lotus in one's heart", reminding oneself to always maintain the unchanging original intention of business operations - purity, incorruptibility, sacrifice, and dedication.
We don't just focus on self-interest, treating "XO TOURS" as a profit-driven business. Instead, we strive to develop a sustainable business that can make positive contributions to humanity worldwide.
So:
Our corporate purpose is 'Building a bridge for world peace through travel.'
Our business goal is 'Enhancing human life quality, fostering mutual understanding among people, and promoting world peace.'
Let the beauty of the world begin with the 'heart'
Let human peace begin with 'mutual understanding'
Let the joy of life begin with 'gratitude'
Let love in the heart and world peace become an eternal value in the human heart —
Eternal value is our aspiration.
CEO of XO TOURS International Tourism Technology Group, Teacher Chen Zeng Zhiying, met through Ruan Comprehensive's health check-up services, thus beginning an inseparable connection.
In 2008, Ruan Comprehensive's medical care team visited the U.S. for promotion, marking their first encounter with Ms. Chen. Chen Zeng Zhiying said: Besides the advanced equipment, she felt the warm enthusiasm of Kaohsiung residents, and decided to visit Ruan Comprehensive when returning to Taiwan.
"There are many hospitals in Taiwan, but people usually only know a few famous ones in Taipei. I didn't expect there to be such a large-scale hospital in Kaohsiung!" After receiving Ruan Comprehensive's health check-up services, Chen Zeng Zhiying praised it enthusiastically. She mentioned that after undergoing health check-ups in multiple hospitals across Taiwan, she found Ruan Comprehensive's international marketing department's service the most attentive, and their equipment continuously updated, giving her a strong sense of security and peace of mind.
Due to her long-term business trips across countries, Chen Zeng Zhiying often spent time concealing the freckles and acne scars on her face. Upon learning of her concern, Ruan Comprehensive recommended the '755 Honeycomb Picosecond Laser'! After using it, Chen Zeng Zhiying was greatly impressed by its significant effects, and even her friends asked her in surprise: 'Teacher, your skin looks so beautiful - what did you do?' Some friends were shocked and asked: 'Teacher, are you over 50 years old?' Chen Zeng Zhiying, who is over 65, happily replied: 'Thank you! You might need to come with me to Ruan Comprehensive to experience reclaiming youthfulness!'
Now, whenever Chen Zeng Zhiying returns to Taiwan, she always visits Ruan Comprehensive. She said: 'The place I love most and want to go to in the world is here! Every time I come here, I become younger and more beautiful. I'm truly grateful to Ruan Comprehensive!'
"The chairman of the board of XO TOURS International Tourism Technology Group, Dr. Chen Lixing, deeply believes that throughout history, any entrepreneur who has created great achievements and is praised by people has always had a heart dedicated to benefiting humanity."
Before moving to Canada, Dr. Chen was a devout Buddhist. In a chance encounter, he sincerely asked his Buddhist mentor, the renowned monk Xin Dao, who was then in Taiwan, for guidance on his long-standing confusion.
He asked his mentor: 'As a Buddhist disciple, what should one's perspective on business be?'
The mentor replied: 'Business is like the tide. Water strikes the rocks, creating waves of varying heights and sizes due to different causes and conditions. Even if the waves reach thousands of feet, they will eventually fall. In the end, the tide remains just ordinary water.'
Dr. Chen urgently asked: 'If that's true, knowing that a business is just a fleeting dream, is it still worth doing?'
Master's answer: Do! Not only do it, but do it big! The key is to constantly question one's own heart. If you establish a business with a self-serving heart, the greater the business, the heavier the karmic obstacles; if you establish a business with a selfless, altruistic heart, the greater the business, the greater the dedication, and the more merit you accumulate.
After immigrating to Canada, through mysterious connections, the Christian faith entered his life, profoundly influencing and transforming it. At the very least, it taught him that glorifying God and benefiting people can become his lifelong, unwavering mission.
Therefore, for the long-term future of 'XO TOURS International Tourism Technology Company,' he is also very willing to set a firm goal for himself, hoping to start from altruism and build a sustainable business that can benefit humanity worldwide.
He also believes that the development of the tourism industry should not merely be about making an industry prosperous; nor should it just be about meeting people's travel needs and generating profit. He feels there must be a profound meaning hidden behind this industry, which can become the driving force for its development. One should strive tirelessly toward this purpose throughout their life.
Therefore, the operational goals he set for the tourism industry are:
1) Elevate the quality of human life.
2) Enhance mutual understanding among people.
3) Promote world peace among humanity.
He also established the company's vision for XO TOURS:
1) Where there are Chinese people, there is XO TOURS.
2) When people think of travel, they think of XO TOURS.
3) When people think of XO TOURS, they will say that XO TOURS offers first-rate professionalism and first-rate service.
In addition, since tourism is one of the most highly specialized industries, he also established:
XO TOURS' Professional Expertise - World Traveler!
XO TOURS' Service - Connects the World!
as their mission statement.
However, a towering building starts from the ground up, and a thousand-mile journey begins with a single step. Dr. Chen further stated that they will start by establishing a global travel website called 'World Traveler' to serve the global Chinese community, marking their first step in expanding services to Chinese people worldwide.
They will also, within the next ten years, start in North America and establish directly operated branches and franchise stores in a blossoming manner, building a global tourism marketing network and service system for XO TOURS, ensuring that XO TOURS' branches and stores are spread across all five continents. This will truly implement the goal: wherever there are Chinese people, there should be XO TOURS' presence.
They also aim to actively develop global travel products and constantly improve themselves to achieve the ultimate goal of meeting the travel needs of the global Chinese community.
