In celebration of the centennial anniversary of Sun Yat-sen University (SYSU) and the 20th anniversary of its School of Tourism Management, a conference focused on development and advancement of tourism conference was held on 20-22 September 2024 in the university’s Zhuhai Campus. The event attracted more than 200 scholars and students from more than 50 higher education institutions from Mainland China, Macao and Hong Kong. Among the distinguished participants was a delegation of four academics from the Macao Tourism University’s Faculty of Innovative Hospitality Management specialising in events research. Dr Veronica Lam delivered a keynote address on the critical role of integrated resorts on the business events sector in Macao. Dr Sherry Tan contributed to an expert panel discussion while Dr Joe Zhou moderated a session on digital technology applications in the arts and creative sector within the tourism and hospitality industry.
The UTM delegation engaged in vibrant discussions with conference attendees from a diverse array of fields, including tourism, events, management, marketing, psychology, computer sciences and artificial intelligence, economics, and geography. This collaborative atmosphere aimed to foster interdisciplinary partnerships and advancements in the tourism and hospitality sector. Both UTM and SYSU are recognised as leading institutions in tourism education, and their ongoing collaborations encompasses various initiatives. This conference not only reinforced their partnership but also set the stage for future cooperative endeavours, promising exciting developments in the field.
