Email

yuansihou@um.edu.mo

Tel

+853 8822-4180

Office

E22-3023
Faculty of Business Administration
University of Macau, E22
Avenida da Universidade,
Taipa, Macau, China

Associate Professor in Integrated Resort and Tourism Management

Academic Qualifications

  • PhD in Business Administration, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong
  • Bachelor of Management, Fudan University, P. R. China

Related Working Experiences

  • Current
    • Associate Professor of Integrated Resort and Tourism Management, Faculty of Business Administration, University of Macau
  • Previous
    • Reader in Marketing & Programme Director of Marketing MSc, School of Business and Management, Queen Mary University of London, the United Kingdom
    • Senior Lecturer of Marketing & Programme Director of Marketing MSc, School of Business and Management, Queen Mary University of London, the United Kingdom
    • Assistant Professor in Marketing, Business School, Durham University, the United Kingdom
    • Lecturer in Services Marketing & Deputy Programme Director of BSc International Hospitality and Tourism Management, School of Hospitality and Tourism Management, University of Surrey, the United Kingdom

Teaching

  • Fellow of The Higher Education Academy,  UK
  • Postgraduate Certificate in Academic Practice, Durham University, UK, 2019
  • Master level
    • Research Methods
  • Undergraduate level
    • Resort Marketing and Promotion
    • Special Topics in Hotel and Resort Management

Research Interests

  • Consumer psychology research in the services industry by using lab and field experiments, particularly focus on:
    • Environmental Psychology and Social Cognition;
    • Behavioural Economic Decision Making and Pricing; and
    • Service Technology and AI.

Selected Journal Papers

  1. Cheng, Y.M., Hou, Y.S. & Mukhopadhyay. A. (Forthcoming). Overconsumption and Tourist Ideology: How and Why the Protestant Work Ethic Moderates the Effect of Spending on Consumption Quantity Under Flat-Rate Pricing. Journal of Sustainable Tourism (ABS: 3, ABDC: A*).
  2. Liu, C., Hou, Y.S., Gu, R., & Cai, Y. (2025). A Dynamic Theoretical Model Based on Compensatory Ethics: How Religious Belief Shapes Tourists’ Pro-environmental Behavior Journal of Hospitality & Tourism Research (ABS: 2, ABDC: A).
  3. Wu, L., Fan, A., Hou, Y.S., & Wei, W. (2025). Harnessing the Experience Capital of the Hospitality and Tourism Industry. Journal of Hospitality & Tourism Research (ABS: 2, ABDC: A).
  4. Zhang, K., Hou, Y.S., & Li, G. (2024). Color and Naturalness: How Color Saturation Shapes Tourists’ Perception and Purchase Intention. International Journal of Tourism Research (ABS: 2, ABDC: A). 26(4).
  5. Wu, L., Fan, A., Hou, Y.S. & Wei, W. (2024). Unlocking the Transformative Power of Hospitality and Tourism Experiences: Towards Theoretical Syntheses and Research Agenda. Journal of Hospitality & Tourism Research (ABS: 2, ABDC: A).
  6. Xue, N., Liu, X., Wan, L., & Hou, Y.S. (2024). Relaxing or Challenging? How Social Crowding Influences the Effectiveness of Activity-Based Destination Advertising. Tourism Management (ABS: 4, ABDC: A*).
  7. Liu, H., Xu, S. T., Chen, Z., & Hou, Y.S. (2023). The impact of social distancing on tourists’ preferences for anthropomorphism. Journal of Hospitality and Tourism Management (ABS: 1, ABDC: A), 55, 383-398.
  8. Wang, X., Wang, X., Liu, Z., Wen, C., Hou, Y.S., and Zhao, Z. (2022). Too Generous to Be Fair? Experiments on the Interplay of What, When, and How in Data Breach Recovery in the Hotel Industry. Tourism Management (ABS: 4, ABDC: A*). 88, 104420.
  9. Hou, Y.S., Zhang, K., & Li, G (2021). Service Robots or Human Staff: How Social Crowding Shapes Tourist Preferences. Tourism Management (ABS: 4, ABDC: A*), 83, 104242. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tourman.2020.104242. (ESI Highly Cited Paper)
  10. Gu. C.Y., Zhang, Z., & Hou, Y.S. (2021). Do we always follow others? The impact of psychological distance on consumers’ observational learning modes. European Journal of Marketing (ABS:3, ABDC: A*). 55(10), 2569-2592.
  11. Yao, Y.B., Jia, G.M., and Hou, Y.S. (2021). Impulsive Travel Intention Induced by Sharing Conspicuous Travel Experience on Social Media: A Moderated Mediation Analysis. Journal of Hospitality and Tourism Management (ABS: 1, ABDC: A). 49, 431-438.
  12. Hou, Y.S. & Zhang, K. (2020). Space and Money: How and Why Crowding Influences Tourists’ Sensitivity to Price Magnitude. Journal of Travel Research (ABS: 4, ABDC: A*). https://doi.org/10.1177/0047287520937082.
  13. Zhang, K., Hou, Y.S., & Li, G. (2020). Threat of Infectious Disease During an Outbreak: Influence on Tourists’ Emotional Responses to Disadvantaged Price Inequality. Annals of Tourism Research (ABS: 4, ABDC: A*). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.annals.2020.102993. (ESI Highly Cited Paper)
  14. Wang, L., Hou, Y.S., & Chen, Z.X. (2020) Are Rich and Diverse Emotions Beneficial? the Impact of Emodiversity on Tourists’ Experiences. Journal of Travel Research (ABS: 4, ABDC: A*). https://doi.org/10.1177/0047287520919521.
  15. Zhang, K., Hou, Y.S., Li, G., & Huang, Y. (2020). Tourists and Air Pollution: How and Why Air Pollution Magnifies Tourists’ Suspicion of Service Providers. Journal of Travel Research (ABS: 4, ABDC: A*), 59(4), 661–673.
  16. Zhang, Z., Hou, Y.S., & Zhu, Y.M. (2019). Applying Complexity Theory to Understanding Chinese Consumers’ Decision Making in Innovative Products. International Studies of Management & Organization (ABS: 2, ABDC: B), 49(2), 191-212.
  17. Hou, Y.S., Sun, Y.X., Wan, Lisa C., & Yang, W. (2018). How Can Psychological Contagion Effect Be Attenuated? – The Role of Boundary Effect on Menu Design. Journal of Hospitality & Tourism Research (ABS: 2, ABDC: A), 42(4), 606-626.
  18. Guan, Y., et al., & Hou, Y.S., et al. (2017). Understanding the Trait Basis of Career Adaptability: A Two-Wave Mediation Analysis Among Chinese University Students. Journal of Vocational Behavior (ABS: 4, ABDC: A*), 101, 32–42.
  19. Hou, Y.S., Yang, W., & Sun, Y.X. (2017). Do Pictures help? – The Effects of Pictures and Food Names on Menu Evaluations. International Journal of Hospitality Management (ABS: 3, ABDC: A*), 60, 94–103.
  20. Zhang, Z., & Hou, Y.S. (2017). The Effect of Perceived Risk on Information Search for Innovative Products and Services. Journal of Consumer Marketing (ABDC: A), 34(3), 241-254.
  21. Sun, Y.X., Hou, Y.S., & Wyer, Robert S. (2015). Decoding the Opening Process. Journal of Consumer Psychology (ABS: 4*, FT50, ABDC: A*), 25(4), 642–649.
  22. Yang, W., Mattila, A., & Hou, Y.S. (2013). The Effect of Regulatory Focus and Delay Type on Consumers’ Reactions to Delay. International Journal of Hospitality Management (ABS: 3, ABDC: A*), 32, 113-120.

PhD Supervision

Prof. Hou has successfully supervised two doctoral students and approximately 50 MSc students in the UK. She has also served as an external examiner in both the UK and China. She welcomes PhD applications from students who are interested in working on consumer psychology in the hospitality and tourism industry, particularly those with research experience in quantitative methods (preferably in experimental design and big data analysis skills).

Current Ph.D. Supervision

2024 Autumn Intake:
Ann, Gu Ruitong, She hold a Bachelor’s degree in Tourism Management from Sichuan University (四川大學) and a Master’s degree in Integrated Resort Management from the University of Macau. Her current research interests are focused on tourists’ behaviour and tourist psychology, with a focus on how psychological and sociocultural factors shape travel experiences and decision-making. She has published several articles in international journals. (Homepage: https://scratched-stay-0bd.notion.site/Ann-Ruitong-Gu-1aab320f73a480b6b9f8dc96fcfc1d1e?pvs=4)

Wing, Cai Yinging, received her undergraduate degree in Psychology from South China Normal University (華南師範大學) and her master’s degree in Marketing from South China University of Technology (華南理工大學). Her current research interests focus on consumer behavior and tourism marketing. She  has published articles in journals indexed by SSCI and CSSCI.

2023 Autumn Intake:
Alex, Chao Liu, received his undergraduate degree from Beijing Institute of Technology (北京理工大學) and his master’s degree from Renmin University of China (中國人民大學). His current research interests are focused on behavioral economics, aging and tourism, religious tourism, and pro-environmental issues. He has actively participated in national-level academic research projects and has published several articles in Chinese journals and media outlets. Additionally, he has rich working experience in the industry. (Homepage: https://chaoliu-alex.github.io/)

Editorial Board Membership

  • Tourism Management (ABS: 4, ABDC: A*)
  • Journal of Travel Research (ABS: 4, ABDC: A*)
  • Journal of Hospitality & Tourism Research (ABS: 2, ABDC: A)
  • Annals of Tourism Research Empirical Insights
  • Guest Editor for a special issue of Journal of Hospitality & Tourism Research (ABS: 2, ABDC: A) on “Above and Beyond: Advancing the Power of Experiences in Hospitality and Tourism” (2023)