As the Chairman of the eponymously named Tint Tint Myanmar Group of Companies, Tint Tint Lwin founded and runs one of Myanmar’s leading travel and tourism organisations. Its portfolio includes running river cruises on the Ayeyarwady river, hotels in Shan State as well as the Sagaing and Mandalay regions, and yachting activities at the Myeik islands. Needless to say, she is one of the country’s top entrepreneurs.
Yet, things could have turned out very different for Tint Ting Lwin had things gone her way back in 1998. At that time, she had just graduated with a Chemistry degree from Yangon University and was looking to further her education in Germany. And so, she started taking German language lessons.
But when the scholarship application was unsuccessful, Tint Tint Lwin decided to put her new found language skills to use and secured her first job as a tourist at a Swiss-German company.
And over the years she honed her skills, working hard to make a mark as a tourist guide; all the while juggling with the responsibilities of being a single mother. It was not easy, but she was determined to succeed, and in 2007 she received an award for being the best tourist guide from a German organisation.
Setting Out on Her Own
That win put Tint Tint Lwin on the radar of other tour operators from around the world, and soon after she received many other job offers. But by then, she had set her eyes on becoming her own boss.
And so, she decided to take the plunge and start her own tour operations. Within a year, she had grown the company from two employees to 16, by implementing innovative plans and initiatives.
For instance, she started a boat service to ply the stunning river routes of Myanmar. This helped the company gained worldwide renown when the King and Queen of Norway used its services during their visit to the country.
Today, Tint Tint Lwin stands tall and proud as one of Myanmar’s foremost woman entrepreneurs and also holds the position as the Honorary Chief Consul of Hungary. For her, the differences between men and women are merely physical and she believes that women in Myanmar need to be able to play a part in the nation’s development.
As she puts it, “I want our fellow women to believe in their abilities and expose their abilities if necessary. And I wish they can move on to their goals with self-confidence.”
