Professor Kaye Chon, Dean and Chair Professor of the SHTM, has been honoured by the United Nations World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO) with the prestigious UNWTO Ulysses Prize. The Ulysses Prize is widely considered the "Nobel Prize in Tourism" and is awarded to a distinguished scholar for an outstanding contribution to knowledge in tourism. Dean Chon is the first recipient of this prestigious prize from the entire Asia-Pacific region.

In awarding the distinction, the UNWTO seeks to recognise and stimulate knowledge creation, dissemination and innovative applications in tourism and to bring to light the latest advances in the area. The Ulysses Prize is a tremendous compliment not only to Dean Chon but also to the SHTM and PolyU. It has given Dean Chon and his team strong impetus to further develop professional education and research for the fast-growing hotel and tourism industry in Hong Kong, the region and around the world. It is testimony of the exceptional contribution that Dean Chon has made to the development of global hospitality education through his leadership and research contributions.

Dean Chon is past Chairman of the International Society of Travel and Tourism Educators and currently Chairman of the Pacific Asia Travel Association's Education and Training Committee.

A former professor at the University of Houston in the United States, Dean Chon joined PolyU in 2000. Under his leadership, the School has risen to be one of the world's leading institutions in hospitality and tourism management. In 2009, the School was ranked no. 2 amongst hospitality and tourism schools around the world based on research and scholarship, according to a study published in the Journal of Hospitality and Tourism Research.