School of Hotel and Tourism Management
ENTRY

Sept 2025 Entry

STUDY MODE
Full-time
Application Deadline
PhD
15-Jan-2025

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About Programme
How to Apply
Introduction

More than 1,450 students are enrolled in the School of Hotel and Tourism Management (SHTM). With more than 80 faculty members with diverse cultural backgrounds, the School ranks among the top hotel and tourism schools in the world, exemplifying our motto of Leading Hospitality and Tourism. Our internationally renowned faculty creates a multicultural environment in which students benefit from a range of innovative teaching and learning techniques.

 

The success of a research institution is largely due to its provision and training of young scholars. To provide leadership in developing future scholars in hospitality and tourism management, the SHTM offers research programmes leading to the Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) degree. The critical mass of globally recognised researchers, together with the attractive stipend for research students and the unique “East meets West” environment, make our highly competitive research programmes very successful. Many of our PhD graduates are now serving as faculty members in universities worldwide.

 

Research students work on projects under the supervision of experienced faculty members and take advanced subjects in preparation for a major piece of research in a focused area of hospitality and tourism.

 

With an international and multicultural environment, friendly staff and valuable opportunities for peer relationships, the SHTM prepares students for leadership positions in their chosen careers.

Research Area

Convention and Events Management

Convention and Exhibition Management 

SupervisorTelEmail
Prof. Jinsoo Lee3400 2238jinsoo.lee@polyu.edu.hk

Convention Destinations

SupervisorTelEmail
Prof. Sam Kim3400 2318sam.kim@polyu.edu.hk
Prof. Jinsoo Lee3400 2238jinsoo.lee@polyu.edu.hk
Dr Karin Weber3400 2172karin.weber@polyu.edu.hk

Convention Industry Management

SupervisorTelEmail
Prof. Kaye Chon3400 2211kaye.chon@polyu.edu.hk

Convention Tourism

SupervisorTelEmail
Prof. Kaye Chon3400 2211kaye.chon@polyu.edu.hk
Prof. Sam Kim3400 2318sam.kim@polyu.edu.hk
Dr Karin Weber3400 2172karin.weber@polyu.edu.hk

Events and Society

SupervisorTelEmail
Dr Karin Weber3400 2172karin.weber@polyu.edu.hk

Events and Special Events Management

SupervisorTelEmail
Prof. Jinsoo Lee3400 2238jinsoo.lee@polyu.edu.hk
Dr Karin Weber3400 2172karin.weber@polyu.edu.hk
Dr Janelle Chan3400 2261janelle.chan@polyu.edu.hk

Meetings, Incentives, Conventions, and Exhibitions

SupervisorTelEmail
Prof. Jinsoo Lee3400 2238jinsoo.lee@polyu.edu.hk

Hospitality and Hotel Management

China Hotel Management and Development

SupervisorTelEmail
Dr Qu Xiao3400 2266qu.xiao@polyu.edu.hk

Consumer Behaviour and Customer Relationship Management

SupervisorTelEmail
Prof. Mimi Li3400 2320mimi.li@polyu.edu.hk
Dr Ada Lo3400 2237ada.lo@polyu.edu.hk
Dr Karin Weber3400 2172karin.weber@polyu.edu.hk
Dr Ying Wang3400 2321yings.wang@polyu.edu.hk
Dr Lisa Gao3400 2279lisa.gao@polyu.edu.hk
Dr Angie Luo3400 2260anqi-angie.luo@polyu.edu.hk

Corporate Social Responsibility

SupervisorTelEmail
Dr Vincent Tung3400 2183vincent.tung@polyu.edu.hk
Dr Lisa Gao3400 2279lisa.gao@polyu.edu.hk
Dr Antony Wong3400 2178antony-k-f.wong@polyu.edu.hk

Foodservice Business and Management

SupervisorTelEmail
Dr Pearl Lin3400 2186pearl.lin@polyu.edu.hk

Hospitality and Culture

SupervisorTelEmail
Prof. Kaye Chon3400 2211kaye.chon@polyu.edu.hk
Prof. Cathy Hsu3400 2323cathy.hsu@polyu.edu.hk
Dr Deniz Kucukusta3400 2296deniz.kucukusta@polyu.edu.hk
Dr YooHee Hwang3400 2278yoohee.hwang@polyu.edu.hk
Dr Roshis Krishna Shrestha3400 2325roshis-krishna.shrestha@polyu.edu.hk 

Hospitality Education

SupervisorTelEmail
Prof. Cathy Hsu3400 2323cathy.hsu@polyu.edu.hk
Dr Vincent Tung3400 2183vincent.tung@polyu.edu.hk

Hospitality and Hotel Management

SupervisorTelEmail
Dr Catherine Cheung3400 2259catherine.cheung@polyu.edu.hk
Dr Deniz Kucukusta3400 2296deniz.kucukusta@polyu.edu.hk
Dr Ada Lo3400 2237ada.lo@polyu.edu.hk

Hospitality Organisational Management

SupervisorTelEmail
Dr Alice Hon3400 2363alice.hon@polyu.edu.hk
Dr Ada Lo3400 2237ada.lo@polyu.edu.hk
Dr Maxime Wang3400 2160maxime.wang@polyu.edu.hk

Hospitality and Society

SupervisorTelEmail
Prof. Honggen Xiao3400 2250honggen.xiao@polyu.edu.hk

Hotel Employee Behaviour Management

SupervisorTelEmail
Dr Alice Hon3400 2363alice.hon@polyu.edu.hk
Dr Maxime Wang3400 2160maxime.wang@polyu.edu.hk
Dr Crystal Shi3400 2317crystal.shi@polyu.edu.hk
Dr Antony Wong3400 2178antony-k-f.wong@polyu.edu.hk
Dr Irene Zhang3400 2254yunhaha.zhang@polyu.edu.hk

Human Resources Management

SupervisorTelEmail
Dr Catherine Cheung3400 2259catherine.cheung@polyu.edu.hk
Dr Alice Hon3400 2363alice.hon@polyu.edu.hk
Dr Deniz Kucukusta3400 2296deniz.kucukusta@polyu.edu.hk
Dr Ying Wang3400 2321yings.wang@polyu.edu.hk
Dr Maxime Wang3400 2160maxime.wang@polyu.edu.hk
Dr Janelle Chan3400 2261janelle.chan@polyu.edu.hk
Dr Crystal Shi3400 2317crystal.shi@polyu.edu.hk
Dr Yitong Yu3400 2273yitong.yu@polyu.edu.hk

Marketing in Hospitality and Tourism

SupervisorTelEmail
Prof. Cathy Hsu3400 2323cathy.hsu@polyu.edu.hk
Prof. Jinsoo Lee3400 2238jinsoo.lee@polyu.edu.hk
Dr Ada Lo3400 2237ada.lo@polyu.edu.hk

Revenue Management

SupervisorTelEmail
Dr Ibrahim Mohammed3400 2272ibrah.mohammed@polyu.edu.hk

Service Management

SupervisorTelEmail
Prof. Kaye Chon3400 2211kaye.chon@polyu.edu.hk
Dr Pearl Lin3400 2186pearl.lin@polyu.edu.hk
Dr Nelson Tsang3400 2159nelson.tsang@polyu.edu.hk
Dr Maxime Wang3400 2160maxime.wang@polyu.edu.hk
Dr Karin Weber3400 2172karin.weber@polyu.edu.hk
Dr YooHee Hwang3400 2278yoohee.hwang@polyu.edu.hk
Dr Janelle Chan3400 2261janelle.chan@polyu.edu.hk

Strategic Management in Hospitality and Tourism

SupervisorTelEmail
Dr Ada Lo3400 2237ada.lo@polyu.edu.hk
Dr Sung Gyun Mun3400 2166sung.mun@polyu.edu.hk
Dr Qu Xiao3400 2266qu.xiao@polyu.edu.hk
Dr Simone Bianco3400 2319simone.bianco@polyu.edu.hk
Dr Sung in Kim3400 2153sung-in.kim@polyu.edu.hk
Dr Mahlagha Darvish Motevali3400 2633mah.darvishmotevali@polyu.edu.hk

Hotel and Tourism Technology Management

Artificial Intelligence, Geotagged and Big Data Applications

SupervisorTelEmail
Dr Neil Li3400 2167neilhengyun.li@polyu.edu.hk
Dr Anyu Liu3400 2175an-yu.liu@polyu.edu.hk
Dr Faye Hao3400 2291ffaye.hao@polyu.edu.hk
Dr Abbie-Gayle Johnson3400 2179abbie-gayle.johnson@polyu.edu.hk
Dr Hailey Shin3400 2177hailey.shin@polyu.edu.hk
Dr Emily Chen3400 2294jinyan.chen@polyu.edu.hk

Digitised Tourism Experience

SupervisorTelEmail
Dr Dan Wang3400 2282d.wang@polyu.edu.hk

E-Business in Tourism and Hospitality

SupervisorTelEmail
Dr Norman Au3400 2236norman.au@polyu.edu.hk
Dr Neil Li3400 2167neilhengyun.li@polyu.edu.hk

E-Marketing and Social Media Strategies

SupervisorTelEmail
Dr Daniel Leung3400 2168daniel.yc.leung@polyu.edu.hk
Dr Ada Lo3400 2237ada.lo@polyu.edu.hk
Dr Dan Wang3400 2282d.wang@polyu.edu.hk
Dr Seunghun Shin3400 2262seung-hun.shin@polyu.edu.hk
Dr Emily Chen3400 2294jinyan.chen@polyu.edu.hk
Dr Ivanka Huang3400 2290ivanka.huang@polyu.edu.hk

Hospitality and Tourism Analytics

SupervisorTelEmail
Dr Neil Li3400 2167neilhengyun.li@polyu.edu.hk
Dr Yvonne Yang3400 2328yvonne-y.yang@polyu.edu.hk

Information Technology and Innovation in Hospitality and Tourism

SupervisorTelEmail
Dr Norman Au3400 2236norman.au@polyu.edu.hk
Dr Dan Wang3400 2282d.wang@polyu.edu.hk
Dr Simone Bianco3400 2319simone.bianco@polyu.edu.hk
Dr Dagnachew Leta Senbeto3400 2281dag100.senbeto@polyu.edu.hk
Dr Seunghun Shin3400 2262seung-hun.shin@polyu.edu.hk

Tourism Economics and Financial Management

Competition Issues in Tourism

SupervisorTelEmail
Prof. Haiyan Song3400 2286haiyan.song@polyu.edu.hk

Financial Management in Hospitality and Tourism

SupervisorTelEmail
Dr Neil Li3400 2167neilhengyun.li@polyu.edu.hk 
Dr Sung Gyun Mun3400 2166sung.mun@polyu.edu.hk
Dr Henry Tsai3400 2239henry.tsai@polyu.edu.hk
Dr Jaehee Gim3400 2251jaehee.gim@polyu.edu.hk
Dr Michael Lin3400 2176michael.lin@polyu.edu.hk
Dr Ibrahim Mohammed3400 2272ibrah.mohammed@polyu.edu.hk
Dr Yvonne Yang3400 2328yvonne-y.yang@polyu.edu.hk

Tourism Demand Forecasting

SupervisorTelEmail
Prof. Haiyan Song3400 2286haiyan.song@polyu.edu.hk
Dr Anyu Liu3400 2175an-yu.liu@polyu.edu.hk
Dr Richard Qiu3400 2636richard.qiu@polyu.edu.hk
Dr Hanyuan Zhang3400 2244hanyuan.zhang@polyu.edu.hk

Tourism Impact Assessment

SupervisorTelEmail
Prof. Haiyan Song3400 2286haiyan.song@polyu.edu.hk
Dr Dagnachew Leta Senbeto3400 2281dag100.senbeto@polyu.edu.hk

Tourism Management

Casino and Gaming Management

SupervisorTelEmail
Prof. Cathy Hsu3400 2323cathy.hsu@polyu.edu.hk
Dr Henry Tsai3400 2239henry.tsai@polyu.edu.hk
Dr Karin Weber3400 2172karin.weber@polyu.edu.hk

China Tourism

SupervisorTelEmail
Prof. Honggen Xiao3400 2250honggen.xiao@polyu.edu.hk
Dr Vincent Tung3400 2183vincent.tung@polyu.edu.hk
Dr Ying Wang3400 2183yings.wang@polyu.edu.hk

Cruise Tourism

SupervisorTelEmail
Prof. Kam Hung3400 2258kam.hung@polyu.edu.hk

Cultural Tourism

SupervisorTelEmail
Prof. Honggen Xiao3400 2250honggen.xiao@polyu.edu.hk
Dr Sabrina Huang3400 2192sabrina.huang@polyu.edu.hk
Dr Dori Davari3400 2181dordaneh.davari@polyu.edu.hk
Dr Faye Hao3400 2291ffaye.hao@polyu.edu.hk
Dr Roshis Krishna Shrestha3400 2325roshis-krishna.shrestha@polyu.edu.hk

Community-based, Nature-based, Pro-poor and Sustainable Tourism

SupervisorTelEmail
Dr Roshis Krishna Shrestha3400 2325roshis-krishna.shrestha@polyu.edu.hk

Medical and Wellness Tourism

SupervisorTelEmail
Prof. Sam Kim3400 2318sam.kim@polyu.edu.hk
Dr Deniz Kucukusta3400 2296deniz.kucukusta@polyu.edu.hk

Tourism Education

SupervisorTelEmail
Prof. Honggen Xiao3400 2250honggen.xiao@polyu.edu.hk
Dr Vincent Tung3400 2183vincent.tung@polyu.edu.hk

Tourism Labour and Employment

SupervisorTelEmail
Dr Alice Hon 3400 2363alice.hon@polyu.edu.hk

Tourism Marketing

SupervisorTelEmail
Prof. Kam Hung3400 2258kam.hung@polyu.edu.hk
Prof. Sam Kim3400 2318sam.kim@polyu.edu.hk
Dr Vincent Tung3400 2183vincent.tung@polyu.edu.hk
Dr Jinah Park3400 2156jinah.park@polyu.edu.hk

Tourism and Media

SupervisorTelEmail
Dr Dan Wang3400 2282d.wang@polyu.edu.hk
Dr Yvonne Yang3400 2328yvonne-y.yang@polyu.edu.hk

Tourism Planning and Development

SupervisorTelEmail
Prof. Mimi Li3400 2320mimi.li@polyu.edu.hk
Dr Sabrina Huang3400 2192sabrina.huang@polyu.edu.hk

Tourist Behaviour and Psychology

SupervisorTelEmail
Prof. Cathy Hsu3400 2323cathy.hsu@polyu.edu.hk
Prof. Kam Hung3400 2258kam.hung@polyu.edu.hk
Prof. Sam Kim3400 2318sam.kim@polyu.edu.hk
Dr Janelle Chan3400 2261janelle.chan@polyu.edu.hk
Dr Nan Chen3400 2185n.chen@polyu.edu.hk
Dr Richard Qiu3400 2636richard.qiu@polyu.edu.hk
Dr Hanyuan Zhang3400 2244hanyuan.zhang@polyu.edu.hk

Wine Management

Wine Economics

SupervisorTelEmail
Prof. Haiyan Song3400 2286haiyan.song@polyu.edu.hk

Wine Marketing

SupervisorTelEmail
Prof. Haiyan Song3400 2286haiyan.song@polyu.edu.hk

Wine Tourism

SupervisorTelEmail
Prof. Haiyan Song3400 2286haiyan.song@polyu.edu.hk
Research Facilities

Hotel ICON and Tomorrow’s Guestrooms

Hotel ICON is the first teaching and research hotel of its kind in the world to completely integrate teaching, learning and research in a full-service environment. The establishment of Hotel ICON enhances the leadership role of the School of Hotel and Tourism Management (SHTM) in hospitality research. Research projects with different foci have already been implemented in the hotel. Three dedicated guestrooms –“Tomorrow’s Guestrooms” – serve as an exceptional platform to innovate, develop and showcase new technologies, hotel designs and business concepts in hotel management for the advancement of the entire industry.

 

Che-woo Lui Hotel & Tourism Resource Centre

The Che-woo Lui Hotel and Tourism Resource Centre supports the research, teaching and learning functions of the SHTM. It holds a comprehensive range of reference materials in hotel and tourism management, including books, journals, magazines, statistical reports and conference proceedings. More than 150 well-known international journal titles from the fields of hospitality, tourism and food science are stocked. The Centre is equipped with top-class facilities for student group projects and seminars.

 

Tan Siu Lin Innovation Hub

With the generous support of the Tan Siu Lin Foundation, the Tan Siu Lin Innovation Hub established by the School of Hotel and Tourism Management (SHTM) of PolyU was officially opened in 2022. Committed to providing students with an inspirational and flexible learning environment conducive to creativity and innovation, the Tan Siu Lin Innovation Hub is one of the major facilities of the SHTM. The new facility ensures that SHTM students will learn the latest technologies and software used in our industry so as to nurture them to become global-minded leaders in the digital age.

 

Vinoteca Lab

With Hong Kong fast becoming a wine hub in Asia, the Vinoteca Lab serves as a valuable facility to enhance food and beverage education, and prepare students for the demands of our city’s rapidly increasing wine focus. The Lab hosts a variety of classes including wine appreciation, food and wine pairing, creative mixology and coffee art. Students are taught a range of topics, from basic wine fundamentals to advanced regional and international wine knowledge and specialist skills in the food and beverage industry.

Other Information

Note to applicants

 

The School will give priority to proposed research proposals related to the following themes:

  • Smart tourism (including artificial intelligence, robotics, technology innovation, branding, marketing, experience management, and customer engagement)

  • Performance measurement and management (including financial and revenue management and measurement, operational management, service management, and event management)

  • Tourism futures and forecasting (including demand forecasting and emerging products and markets)

  • Policy and planning (including public policy, tourism planning and development)

 

Programme-specific requirements

 

1. To be considered for the PhD programme, applicants must meet the following entrance requirements:

  • An MPhil or equivalent (a research postgraduate degree with a dissertation as an award requirement) and a Bachelor’s degree (at least one degree in hospitality and tourism management or a closely related field), and at least two years of work experience including a minimum of one year industry/relevant experience.
  • Candidates without the prescribed educational and industry backgrounds may be admitted on an exceptional basis. Such students will have to obtain relevant industry experience prior to enrolment or during the first year of enrolment, and undertake extra coursework as determined by the supervisor and/or School Research Committee.

  • Candidates whose Master's degrees did not include thesis/dissertation research components must provide other documented evidence of previous scholarly research experience.

2. Applicants who do not have a degree for which English was the language of instruction at a recognised university must provide one of the following as proof of language proficiency:

  • A minimum score of 92 in internet-based test (with a writing score of 23 or above) in the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL); or

  • A Band Score of at least 6.5 overall (with a score for the writing component at 6.0 or above) in the International English Language Testing System (IELTS).

All English language test scores are considered valid for two years after the date of the test. Applicants may be required to attend interviews or take tests to further demonstrate their language proficiency.

 

Application documents

 

To prepare an application, applicants should read the information on the programme webpage.

 

Applicants must submit the required application documents as detailed in "Supporting Documents" below and on SHTM's website. In particular, admission to the PhD programme is highly competitive and depends largely on the quality and relevance of the thesis/dissertation research proposal, which highlights the intended research direction. This proposal should be between 1,200 and 1,800 words in length (excluding references), and should use the standard form (download here) with the structure: Project Title, Project Objectives (Purpose of the proposed investigation), Scope and Background of Research (Identify key issues/problems to be addressed), Conceptual Framework, Research Methodology, and Project Significance and Value.

 

Programme Structure

 

All 3-year PhD students must earn a minimum of 18 credits before submitting their theses for examination. For more details, please visit SHTM's website.

Supporting Documents
Academic Referee's Report

Compulsory - Two Academic Referee's Reports are required

Curriculum Vitae

Compulsory - A personal resume (CV) specifying the job title, duration (in month/year), type (i.e. full-time/part-time/FT or PT internship) of each work experience and including a full record of publications (with author role & JCR journal quartile) and awards/scholarships/prizes/community service (with the name & year of award and name of awarding body).

Personal Statement

Compulsory - A personal statement, including a self-introduction, career aspirations, and reasons for pursuing study in this programme (400 words or less)

Research Proposal

Compulsory - A standard form (download here) must be used for the submission of the research proposal.  Please also refer to "Thesis/Dissertation Research Proposal" on SHTM's website for the requirements.

Transcript / Certificate

Compulsory

  • Graduation certificates of Bachelor's and Master's degrees

  • Final official transcripts of studies with explanatory notes/ grading system (the issuance date of the transcript should be same with/ later than applicants' graduation date)

  • The grading system or explanatory notes should be with the letterhead or official chop from the host institution, which is normally found at the back of transcripts. If the grading system is downloaded from the website of the institution, website link should be provided.

Others

Compulsory - Official English language test results (TOEFL/IELTS) (applicable to applicants who do not have a degree for which English was the language of instruction at a recognised university)

 

Optional - Applicants should also input full records in the online application, which should be consistent with the details in their CVs. The records include publications, scholarships, awards/prizes, class rankings, professional qualifications, work experience, conference presentations and community service. Applicants are strongly encouraged to upload official proof for each record to strengthen their applications.