Liz Murray to address World Travel Congress in Hong Kong

Liz Murray has been confirmed to address delegates at the the American Society of Travel Agents' (ASTA) general session on Wednesday, Sept. 29 at its 74th World Travel Congress in Hong Kong. Courtesy of Auto Europe, Murray will discuss her life story, which was the subject of an April 2003 Lifetime movie, From Homeless to Harvard.

“The story that Liz has to share is an incredible one, and one that our industry can learn from,” said Bev Zukow, CTC, ASTA Congress Chair. “Her struggles as a child and her miraculous determination and fortitude as a teenager serve as an inspiration to all of us, and I am confident that she will have a number of lessons to impart.”

Murray was born to cocaine-addicted parents in the Bronx, and after losing her mother, was homeless by age 15. Despite her difficulties, Ms. Murray was able to turn her life around and enroll at Harvard University. Since that time, she has performed numerous speaking engagements, sharing her story with an assortment of schools and corporate audiences.

“Auto Europe is extremely pleased that we were able to secure Liz Murray as a keynote speaker for ASTA’s World Congress in Hong Kong,” said Auto Europe senior vice president of sales and marketing Peter Rasmussen. “Although the difficulties we face in the travel industry are rarely of the personal magnitude that Liz Murray has experienced, I believe that we, more than many, can relate to what it takes to overcome such tough obstacles and emerge a winner.”

Murray is currently writing her memoirs for Hyperion, which are due to be published in 2005. She was a recent recipient of Oprah Winfrey’s first ever “Chutzpah Award,” and is currently studying film at Columbia University.