Title: Tourism and Hospitality Technology: Balancing Innovation with Critical Concerns

Speaker: Prof. Rob Law, University of Macau

Time: Friday, April 3, 2026, 15:30-17:00

Venue: Room A618, New Main Building, Xueyuan Road Campus

Abstract:

This presentation analyzes the integration ofInformationTechnology (IT) in tourism and hospitality, focusing on the interplay between technological innovation and critical concerns. The talk outlines the key developmental stages and features of IT, followed by an overview of emerging technologies such as robotics and contactless solutions. In addition, the discussion addresses the challenges associated with technology adoption, as well as the barriers to smart tourism initiatives. Key issues across the technology development lifecycle are identified, including practical and ethical considerations. Lastly, the talk proposes future research directions that integrate human-centered design, cross-disciplinary methods, robust evaluation, and governance.

About the Speaker:

Prof. Rob Law is a leading scholar in tourism and hospitality research. He has received 130 research related awards and accolades (e.g., recognized as themost prolifictourism/hospitality researcher in the world over two decades from 2000 to 2019 by the International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management, 2021), as well as several million USD external and internal researchgrants. He has edited four books and published 1,000+ research papers (including several hundred articles in first-tier academic journals). His publications have received nearly 80,000 citations, with h-index/i10-index=131/619. Prof. Law serves different roles for 200+ research journals (e.g., on the Editorial Boards of 62% of the Q1 journals and 80% of the Q2 journals in hospitality/tourism), and is a chair/committee member of more than 180 international conferences.

Editor: Lyu Xingyun