Dr Cindy Heo and Dr Kam Hung attended the 2011 TOSOK International Tourism Conference in Seoul, Korea, on 4-6 July 2011. Dr Heo presented a paper entitled "Individual and Organisational Factors Impacting on Chefs' Creativity". Dr Hung presented a paper entitled "Acculturation and Travel: A Study of Chinese Immigrants' Travel Intentions to Their Place of Origin".

Professor Haiyan Song presented a paper entitled "Evidence from China Warns: Visa Restrictions Hurt the Economy and Potentially Hamper Destination-Marketing Productivity" at the 3rd Conference of the International Association for Tourism Economics in Bournemouth, UK, on 4-7 July 2011.

Dr Honggen Xiao was invited as keynote speaker on the topic "Progress in Tourism Studies: A Scientific Community Perspective" at the 1st Annual Shangri-Lasia Tourism International Forum in Yunnan, China, on 8-11 August 2011.

Dr John Ap was invited as plenary speaker on the topic "Communicating Across Cultures: Understanding the Asian Mindset and Challenges for Mickey Mouse" at the Sixth International Conference on Discourse, Communication and Enterprise (DICOEN VI) in Hong Kong on 8-10 September 2011.

Dean Kaye Chon was invited to present a keynote address on "Enhancing Competitiveness through Improved Service Quality" at the 4th Lanith Quarterly Symposium in Vientiane on 9 September 2011. At the same time, Dean Chon was presented the Certificate of Appreciation by Lao PDR's Ministry of Education and Sports and Ministry of Information, Culture and Tourism.

Dr John Ap and Dr Tony Tse attended the "Boutique & Lifestyle Hotels: Creating a Brand Icon through Design" Hospitality Design Conference in Hong Kong on 21 September 2011.

Dr Alan Wong presented a paper entitled "Ecotour Guiding in China: Implications from Literature" at the 3rd World Ecotourism Conference in Sihanoukville, Cambodia, on 3-5 October 2011.

Dean Kaye Chon was invited as an Affiliate Member of the UNWTO to attend the 19th Session of the UNWTO General Assembly in Gyeongju, Korea, on 8-14 October 2011.

Dean Kaye Chon attended the Aga Khan University's first meeting of the Graduate School of Leisure and Tourism Thinking Group in Nairobi, Kenya, on 13-14 October 2011.

Dr Wilco Chan attended the APEC Symposium on Low-Carbon Technology and Industrial Cooperation at the 2011 Nanjing International Technology Transfer Conference in Nanjing, China, on 20-21 October 2011.

A number of SHTM staff members including Dean Kaye Chon, Professor Haiyan Song, Dr Wilco Chan, Dr David Jones, Dr Qu Xiao and Dr Alan Wong attended the 7th China Tourism Forum in Haikou, Hainan, China, on 23-25 October 2011. Professor Song was invited as keynote speaker on the topic "Destination Competitiveness and Tourist Satisfaction Index". Dr Chan presented a paper entitled "Effectiveness and Efficiency of Solar Collectors: A Case Study of Southern China Hotel". Dr Jones presented a paper entitled "Exploring the Potential Market for the "Commercial Home" in Mainland China: A Comparison of Domestic and International Tourists". Dr Xiao presented a paper entitled "Examining Hotel Branding in China: A Multi-Level Approach".