The highly anticipated annual conference of the Asia Pacific Tourism Association (APTA) was held in Chiang Mai, Thailand, from July 5 to 8. Faculty members from the Hainan University-Arizona State University Joint International Tourism College (HAITC), including Antony Wong, Chen Zhen and Xu Yuhua, along with Xie Zhiling, a postgraduate student from the college, attended the international academic event and engaged in three presentations. 

Faculty members from the HAITC, including Antony Wong (2nd, L), Chen Zhen (1st, L) and Xu Yuhua (3rd, L), along with Xie Zhiling (1st, R), a postgraduate student from the college, attend the annual conference of the APTA from July 5 to 8. [Photo/WeChat account: HAITC] 

On the opening day of the conference, Wong and Xie delivered a report titled "Investigating the Factors Influencing Tourists' Participation in Community-Based Recreational Fishing Tourism: An Integrated Application of the Theory of Planned Behavior and Elaboration Likelihood Model". 

During her presentation titled "Planning for Resilient Community: Functions and Suitability of Home-Sharing for Disaster Relief", Xu shared her insight into the post-disaster relief efforts made in the United States, highlighting the role of planning in enhancing community disaster prevention and mitigation. 

Chen provided a captivating academic discourse on the impact of entrepreneurial leadership on rural tourism development, which garnered substantial discussions and was acclaimed by his fellow scholars. 

The engagement in this international conference not only enabled the HAITC to grasp global development and research trends in the tourism industry but also facilitated international collaboration and enhanced the influence of the college, said the participating team, adding that the HAITC will continue to leverage the construction of the Hainan Free Trade Port, boost the global tourism industry through Chinese wisdom and strengths, and continue to share China's narrative with the world.  

The APTA annual conference is one of the most prominent tourism and hospitality academic gatherings in the Asia-Pacific region. This year's conference marks the first in-person event since the COVID-19 pandemic, bringing together professors and postgraduate students from countries around the world, including the US, Australia, the Netherlands, Austria, China, South Korea, Japan, Singapore, Vietnam and the Philippines. They discussed development trends in tourism research, focusing on such topics as emerging information technology, big data and advancements in the tourism and hotel sectors. 

The conference featured a rich program with nearly 200 presentations, providing an invaluable platform for academic exchanges in the Asia-Pacific tourism domain.