HKPolyU SHTM Press Releases – Research

(1) Could Robots Breathe New “Life” Into the Tourism Industry?

The COVID-19 pandemic has hit the tourism and hospitality industry hard, making employees and travellers alike more wary of close human interaction. Could robots and other artificial intelligence (AI) technologies be the answer? To tackle this controversial question, Professor Seongseop Kim, Dr Youngjoon Choi, and Ph.D. student Mr Frank Badu-Baiden of the School of Hotel and Tourism Management (SHTM) at The Hong Kong Polytechnic University and their co-researchers conducted a timely online study comparing human- and robot-staffed hotels. The study provides fascinating insights into how the pandemic has changed tourists’ preferences and offers recommendations for hotels on taking the next step towards technology-driven service delivery. To read the full article go to: https://bit.ly/35dlfcT

(2) SHTM and PATA Jointly Released Report on Asia Pacific Visitor Forecasts 2022-2024

The School of Hotel and Tourism Management (SHTM) of The Hong Kong Polytechnic University joined forces with the Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA) to publish the tenth in their series of Asia Pacific Visitor Forecasts reports, providing the region’s travel and tourism sector, hard hit by the COVID-19 pandemic, with much-needed projections of tourist numbers in the coming years. To read the full article go to: https://bit.ly/3h66uvg

(3) Money or Miles for Frequent Flyers?

“CANCELLED”: The word no passenger wants to see on an airport display board. Failing to appease disgruntled clientele can seriously damage customer relationships. Dodging the kickback of service failures is therefore supremely important, especially when customers have already pledged their allegiance to a company – as have frequent flyers. But how should loyal customers be compensated? In an important recent study, Dr YooHee Hwang and Dr Lisa Gao of the School of Hotel and Tourism Management (SHTM) at The Hong Kong Polytechnic University and their co-author explored the best ways to regain customer loyalty after a service failure. The unprecedented flight disruptions due to COVID-19 make their findings all the more relevant today. To read the full article go to: https://bit.ly/3h93XjZ

(4) The Next Frontier in Hotel Service

Self-service technologies (SSTs) have simplified many aspects of everyday life. However, their relatively recent introduction means that the pros and cons of SST adoption in the hotel industry are still being explored. The potential advantages of SSTs notwithstanding, hotels in China seem to have some reservations, say Professor Kam Hung of the School of Hotel and Tourism Management (SHTM) at The Hong Kong Polytechnic University and her co-researcher. Without a clear understanding of how preferences for SSTs over human staff are formed, hoteliers are perhaps right to be wary. Moving beyond previous work, this ambitious study integrates individual-level and organisational-level data on the construction of SST preferences. The researchers’ comprehensive findings offer a starting point for hoteliers wishing to effectively introduce SSTs. To read the full article go to: https://bit.ly/36S1pEY

(5) The Healing Power of Trust

In today’s globalised world, more and more hotel firms are expanding their business overseas. Yet success in the international arena may not translate into success at home, warn Dr Alice H. Y. Hon and Mr Emmanuel Gamor of the School of Hotel and Tourism Management (SHTM) at The Hong Kong Polytechnic University. With skilled managers from overseas paid 10 times more than local employees, frontline and service-oriented hotel workers are feeling increasingly disillusioned. With service standards falling, how can multinational hotel corporations build harmony between their local and overseas employees? The answer lies in trust, say the researchers, whose study offers timely and important insights for the Chinese hospitality industry. To read the full article go to: https://bit.ly/3ERRYSX

(6) Building an Older, Wiser Workforce

Sad to say, hotel managers – unwittingly or not – often hold negative perceptions of older workers. People older than 50 make up less than a fifth of all hotel employees. Where does this apparent aversion to employing older people come from? As a vital first step in addressing the low employment rate of older people in this sector, BSc graduate Sau Yin Cheung and Assistant Professor Linda Woo of the School of Hotel and Tourism Management (SHTM) at The Hong Kong Polytechnic University explored age stereotypes and job suitability assessments among hotel managers in Hong Kong. As well as putting age-related discrimination under the microscope, this pivotal advance towards age-inclusive recruitment could help to offset the negative economic impact of Hong Kong’s rapidly aging population. To read the full article go to: https://bit.ly/38BZwh7

(7) Saving the Planet, One Hotel at a Time

Despite the urgent need to reduce global carbon emissions, the hotel industry faces numerous barriers to implementing carbon reduction programmes. Why is it so difficult for hotels to reduce their carbon footprint, and why do so many hotel managers remain bystanders in the fight against global warming? To help answer these questions, Dr Eric Chan of the School of Hotel and Tourism Management (SHTM) at The Hong Kong Polytechnic University conducted in-depth interviews with senior hotel executives in Hong Kong. The findings provide novel insights into barriers to carbon reduction by hotels and – perhaps most importantly – strategies to overcome them. To read the full article go to: https://bit.ly/3NoU1QT

(8) Dining Out During a Pandemic

COVID-19 has devastated the global restaurant industry. Developing effective strategies to recover from this major blow will be crucial in the coming months and years. One such strategy, according to Professor Brian King and co-researchers, may be media coverage. Public confidence in eating out can only be regained if and when restaurants and diners cooperate to reduce the spread of COVID-19, such as through sanitation- and hygiene-related measures. However, the precise influence of the media on the emotions, thoughts, and behaviours of diners has not been properly characterised. With crucial implications for the global restaurant industry, this timely study explores the potential of media messages to encourage COVID-19 preventive behaviours among restaurant-goers in Taiwan. To read the full article go to: https://bit.ly/3B411Au

(9) PolyU Staff Honoured with Chef Herman Breithaupt Award

Chef Simone Nabbs, Executive Chef and Kitchen Manager of the School of Hotel and Tourism Management (SHTM) of The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU), was recently bestowed the Chef Herman Breithaupt Award by the International Council on Hotel, Restaurant and Institutional Education (ICHRIE). To read the full article go to: https://bit.ly/3vL8MYg

(10) When Nothing Is Normal: Managing Hotel Revenue during COVID-19

For hotels worldwide, the last year has been marked by countless empty beds and cancelled bookings. The plummet in demand for hotel stays caused by COVID-19 has sent standard revenue management practices into a tailspin. Faced with this unprecedented scenario, hotels can no longer rely on past patterns to forecast demand. They must find entirely new ways to manage revenue. In the first study of its kind, Professor Basak Denizci Guillet and Ms Angela Mai Chi Chu of the School of Hotel and Tourism Management (SHTM) at The Hong Kong Polytechnic University comprehensively evaluate the relative importance of various core processes that feed into revenue management. Their study offers data-driven guidance for hotel executives in the post-pandemic world. To read the full article go to: https://bit.ly/3QL0RD1