From 7 to 9 November 2025, “2025 Frontiers in Hospitality and Tourism Annual Research Symposium” was grandly held at Sun Yat-sen University in Guangzhou. The forum was initiated by the China Tourism Education Alliance, hosted by the School of Management of Sun Yat-sen University, and co-organized by the Department of Integrated Resort and Tourism Management, Faculty of Business Administration, University of Macau, the Department of Tourism, Fudan University, and the School of Tourism and Service, Nankai University.
With the theme “Innovation in Tourism Research and Integration of Industry and Education in the Era of Artificial Intelligence”, the forum brought together scholars and students from cultural tourism and interdisciplinary fields, journal editors, and industry professionals. Discussions focused on cutting-edge theories and methodologies in tourism studies, as well as high-level integration of industry, academia, and education under the rapid rise of AI and smart cultural tourism, contributing to high-quality development and Chinese-style modernization. Professors and students from the Department of Integrated Resort and Tourism Management, Faculty of Business Administration, University of Macau actively engaged in academic exchanges and research presentations.
On the morning of 8 October, Prof. Li MIAO, Head of the Department of Integrated Resort and Tourism Management, delivered the welcome address. In the keynote session, Prof. Yuansi HOU presented a keynote speech on “How AI Empowers Sustainable Tourism Development.”
In the afternoon, nine parallel sub-forums covering nine major themes, along with an undergraduate academic innovation forum, were held simultaneously. Faculty and students from UM participated actively in academic exchanges and research showcases. Prof. Huiling HUANG and Prof. Stella Xing LIU served as discussants in sub-forums, providing commentary, while Prof. Faye Feier CHEN delivered a keynote presentation in the sub-forum on “Tourism Accommodation Management and Service Optimization.”
Graduate students Qingyu ZHANG and Ziyan FENG, together with doctoral students Zhuolin ZENG, Qingqing DANG, Yifei WANG, Yutong JIANG, and Die HU, also presented their latest research findings across different sub-forums. The forum provided a valuable opportunity for UM faculty and students to exchange ideas with scholars from China and abroad and to explore frontier topics in tourism research.
During the roundtable session, Prof. Li MIAO, in her capacity as Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of Hospitality and Tourism Research, participated in the English-language journal editors’ roundtable and responded to questions from faculty and students regarding manuscript submission.
At the closing award ceremony, a paper co-authored by Prof. Huiling HUANG and doctoral student Yutong JIANG received the Best Conference Paper Award.
The forum concluded successfully amid warm applause, with participants looking forward to gathering again next year to continue advancing the frontiers of tourism research.
