Organised by the SHTM and its Hospitality and Tourism Research Centre together with STR and managed by a group of talented SHTM undergraduate students from the Practice of Special Events Class, the IMPACT2023 Conference was successfully held on 6-8 December at Hotel ICON, Hong Kong.
As a leading school for hospitality and tourism education, the SHTM is proud to have initiated the IMPACT series of conferences to provide a platform for
hospitality and tourism stakeholders to discuss the unprecedented challenges imposed on the hospitality and tourism industry by the global pandemic. In particular, these conferences are focused on bridging theory and practice in hospitality and tourism, and allowing industry practitioners, academics and government officials to engage in open dialogue and develop solutions to key problems faced by the industry.
Taking the theme of "Tourism and Hospitality in the Post-Pandemic Era",
IMPACT2023 offered an excellent platform for stakeholders to discuss trends and insights, share research findings and practices, and explore creative pathways and develop strategies for revitalisation, resilience and sustainability after the pandemic.
IMPACT2023 was opened on 7 December with addresses by Professor Jin-Guang Teng, President of PolyU; Professor Kaye Chon, SHTM Dean, Chair Professor and Walter and Wendy Kwok Family Foundation Professor in International Hospitality Management; and Mr Steve Hood, Senior Vice President of Research of STR and Director of the SHARE Centre.
The opening session that followed was chaired by Dr Joseph Tormey, Director of the Hospitality Management Programme, Jack H.
Brown College of Business and Public Administration, California State University San Bernardino. The participants in the session were Mr Noor Ahmad Hamid, Chief Executive Officer, Pacific Asia Travel Association, who spoke on the topic of "Tourism – The Balancing Act"; Professor Shawn Jang, Director of the Centre for Hospitality and Retail Industries Business Analytics, White Lodging–J.W. Marriott School of Hospitality and Tourism Management, Purdue University, who gave a speech entitled "It's
Embracing the Digital Transformation: The Next Phase of Post-Graduate Education and Research"; and Professor Iis Tussyadiah, Professor of Intelligent Systems in Service, Head of School of Hospitality and Tourism Management, and Fellow of the Institute for People-Centred Artificial Intelligence, University of Surrey, who delivered a speech entitled "Charting a Sustainable Future for Tourism with Generative AI."
The conference also featured two exceptional panel sessions. The first panel
session, on "The Hospitality Industry in the Post-Pandemic Era," was held on 7 December and was chaired by Dr Qu Xiao, SHTM Associate Professor, with the participation of Ms Mandy Fan, Senior Vice President, Development and Strategic Owner Relations – China, Langham Hospitality Group; Ms Amanda Hyndman, Chief People Officer, Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group; Mr Tasao Kousloglou, CEO – Hotel Division, Sun Hung Kai Properties Limited; and Mr Tao Zhou, Managing Director, Head of JLL Hotels and
Hospitality Group, Greater China. The second panel session was held on 8 December and chaired by Dr Nicholas Thomas, SHTM Associate Professor, and Dr Dori Davari, SHTM Assistant Professor. Joining this panel to discuss "The Tourism Industry in the Post-Pandemic Era" were Professor Haiyan Song, SHTM Associate Dean, Chair Professor and Mr and Mrs Chan Chak Fu Professor in International Tourism; Ms Sarah Wang, Regional Director for Asia, World Travel & Tourism Council; and Mr Herbert Yum, Research Manager, Euromonitor International.
Another highlight of the conference was the Featured Speakers Session on 8 December that was chaired by Professor Honggen Xiao, SHTM Assistant Dean and Professor. Joining this session were Mr Dane Cheng, Executive Director, Hong Kong Tourism Board, who spoke on the topic of "Hong Kong Tourism: Towards New Horizons"; Professor Ki-Joon Back, Associate Dean for Research and Graduate
Studies, Moores Chair Professor, Conrad N. Hilton College of Global Hospitality Leadership, University of Houston, who gave a speech entitled "ESG Strategies in the Hospitality and Tourism Industry"; Professor Cathy Hsu, SHTM Chair Professor, who delivered a presentation on the topic of "TOUROMETER: A Decision Support System for Post-COVID Tourism Policy and Strategic Development"; and Mr Steve Hood who shared his
insights on the "Continued Recovery of the Hotel and Tourism Industries in China and Asia."
IMPACT2023 also hosted a series of parallel sessions in which SHTM faculty members and researchers presented their findings which are considered to have major impacts on industry practices and future policy decisions. One such session was the "Belt and Road Special Session," which provided an opportunity for discussion among members of the Tourism Sub-Alliance under the University Alliance of the
Silk Road. It also served as an inaugural meeting of the members of the Tourism Sub-Alliance and thus allowed them to map out their future activities. Another important session was the Hotel ICON Research Showcase, which was designed for hotel professionals and highlighted the latest research findings that have enriched the academic field and have practical implications for the industry. The dynamic and interactive session allowed participants to engage with researchers, share their
perspectives, and discuss how research outcomes could be effectively translated into practice within the hospitality sector.
At the conference, the Best Paper Awards and Undergraduate Student Research Competition Awards were presented.
The SHTM is very proud to have organised IMPACT2023 and greatly honoured to connect academic and industry experts from all over the world on this exceptional platform for the sustainable development of the global hospitality and tourism
industry.
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