Flexwork and flextravel

Date: 4 September 2024 (Wednesday)
Time: 13:00-14:00
Venue: E22-1029 Hospitality Lab
Moderator: Prof. Faye CHEN

Joy, Qiao ZHANG
PhD Student

 

Abstract

Flexwork—flexible work arrangements that depart from the standard in-office, nine-to-five schedule—has become a staple in the post-pandemic era. The inherent flexibility of place and time in flexwork has significant implications for the travel and tourism sectors. This flexibility gives rise to adaptable travel/tourism arrangements, further blurring the boundaries between work and travel/tourism. Consequently, it creates a potential state where productivity and leisure are seamlessly interwoven. A theoretical framework is developed to encapsulate the temporality, spatiality, and liminality of this flexwork–flextravel state. This conceptualization, as a response to the increasingly indistinct demarcation of time–space dimensions and work–travel domains, carries implications for emerging travel patterns and the potential transformation of tourism landscapes and travel-related activities.

Short Bio

Ms. Zhang obtained her master’s degree in Integrated Resort Tourism Management from the University of Macau. Under the supervision of Prof. Li MIAO, she has been involved in several academic research projects, and some of the research findings have been published in international journals. Her research interests primarily focus on tourist behavior and the temporal-spatial experience in tourism. In addition, her working experience in the hospitality industry has provided her with insightful perspectives for her academic research.

All are welcome!