Keynote Speakers
The Organising Committee and the Scientific Committee have been shaped to ensure genuine multidisciplinarity, strong international representation, and a broad mix of expertise across Tourism, Hospitality, and Computing Technologies. We have also prioritised diversity within the committees and a clear commitment to gender balance.
Dr Kaye Chon is Dean and Chair Professor at the School of Hotel and Tourism Management, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, where he also holds the Walter and Wendy Kwok Family Foundation Professorship in International Hospitality Management. His work spans international hospitality leadership, tourism education, and industry–academic development, with longstanding global engagement that bridges research, policy, and practice.
Dr Carlos Costa is Full Professor at the University of Aveiro and a leading Portuguese voice in tourism research and higher education. With advanced training in Tourism from the University of Surrey, he has held senior academic leadership roles and has been involved in national and international tourism initiatives. His work connects tourism development, knowledge transfer, and strategic thinking across academia and wider sector stakeholders.
Dr Dogan Gursoy is Regents Professor and Taco Bell Distinguished Professor in Hospitality Business Management at Washington State University. His work is highly influential in hospitality and tourism research, and he has played a major leadership role in the field through editorial responsibilities, including at the Journal of Hospitality Marketing & Management. His research portfolio spans contemporary issues shaping service industries, with strong relevance for technology-driven change and evidence-based decision-making.
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Dr Lianping (Eve) Ren is Professor at the Macao University of Tourism. She holds a doctorate in Hotel and Tourism Management from The Hong Kong Polytechnic University and brings extensive academic experience in tourism and hospitality education and research. Her work supports the development of tourism knowledge and talent, with a profile well aligned with TMCT’s focus on international perspectives and sector-facing scholarship.
Dr Fevzi Okumus is the William McFall "Mac" Pearce Endowed Professor at the University of South Carolina, where he also serves as Director of Global Strategy and Strategic Engagement. He is internationally recognised for research and leadership in hospitality and tourism, with contributions spanning strategic management, organisational behaviour, sustainability, and innovation. His profile reflects a strong bridge between rigorous scholarship and industry-relevant strategic challenges.
Dr Jorge F. S. Gomes is Full Professor in Organisational Behaviour and Human Resource Management at ISEG (University of Lisbon) and a researcher at ADVANCE/CSG. His research interests include HRM as a process, alternative perspectives on leadership, and organisational purpose—areas that are increasingly central as tourism and hospitality organisations adapt to digital change, new skill demands, and technology-mediated work environments.
Dr Stanislav Ivanov is Professor in Tourism Economics at Varna University of Management and Director of the Zangador Research Institute. He is widely known for advancing research on automation, robotics, and “robonomics” in tourism and hospitality, bringing an economics-informed lens to technological disruption and future industry models. His work contributes to how scholars and practitioners understand the operational and societal implications of emerging technologies.
Professor Dimitrios Buhalis is Professor of Smart Tourism at Bournemouth University Business School, specialises in strategic management and marketing with the use of disruptive technologies. For the last 30 years he has been at the forefront of technological innovation for strategic competitive advantage. He specialises on the tourism, leisure and hospitality industries. His research has a global relevance and impacts both government policy and industrial competitiveness. He is Editor in Chief of the most established Journal in Tourism: Tourism Review and Editor of the Encyclopedia of Tourism Management and Marketing.
Professor Timothy Jung is Chair Professor of XR and Founder/Director of the Creative AR & VR Hub and also the Knowledge Platform Lead of Operations and Digital Transformation at Manchester Metropolitan University, UK. He has been involved in a number of funded AR & VR research projects at national and international levels. He is an advisor of BirdHIVE VR & Drone project led by Lake District National Park, UK and Co-Director of AquaTravellers, a social enterprise to help raise funds for WaterAid. His research interests include AI, XR and Blockchain-powered metaverse technology innovation for well-being and quality of life.