A Quebecer who saw his parents working hard to build their business after arriving from Lebanon started his own travel agency from scratch to beat global giants like Expedia in his home country.
“My parents came here from Lebanon around Expo 67. My mother later bought a small travel agency. I grew up watching her build the company,” Christian Hakim, founder and CEO of Wingbuddy, tells the Journal.
By watching his mother, young Christian wants to start his own agency. He knows that sacrifices can pay off.
“I worked really hard. From 2013 to 2019 I worked more than 100 hours per week. I put this together with zero dollars. I had to sacrifice a lot,” he continues.
Brick by brick, Christian Hakim patiently builds his company by searching for talent to create a solid foundation.
“I took risks, it was difficult. I tried to keep all the small profits and put them into the company. “The first five years were really difficult,” emphasizes the entrepreneur, who never gave up despite all the pitfalls.
Number 1 in the country
Today, his company’s growth is exponential.
Sales are in the seven-figure range. More than 50,000 travelers have already trusted him. Around forty employees work for him, and that’s just the beginning.
And the winds of optimism blowing through the industry may continue to smile on her face.
According to Statistics Canada, more than 757,300 return trips from overseas were made last July, a 5.1% increase compared to the same month in 2022 (720,800).
While tourism spending in the country rose 1.9% in the second quarter, following a 2.6% increase in the first quarter, the stars appear to be aligned for Wingbuddy’s continued progress.
In the Journal, Christian Hakim says he is proud to be a Quebec agency with international ambitions. Why a company name in English?
“I was hesitant to change our name because in the beginning we were often asked whether we were English-Canadian or American. It was a big debate, but we got customers with that name. Today I don’t regret keeping it,” he replies.
When asked how he plans to establish himself in the big leagues, Christian Hakim pauses, then gets started.
“We offer exciting trips around the world that are just as easy to book as southern packages,” he summarizes.
Travel cheaply
And customers demand more if you can match the enthusiasm that the “experience packages” generate. It is authenticity that seduces, an authenticity that has become a rare commodity and is often lost in the sea of mass tourism.
The price has nothing to do with it either.
“For example, we manage to offer extremely barrier-free trips to Japan,” says Christian Hakim.
And a sign that the project that germinated in his head a few years ago is starting to bother him is that he has become No. 1 in several popular destinations.
“We are the number 1 provider of travel packages to Egypt in the country,” he concludes with a smile.