Linchi Kwok

Linchi Kwok publishes viewpoints and refereed articles in hospitality management and service marketing. His research work won several best paper awards at academic conferences. Linchi is now an associate professor at The Collins College of Hospitality Management at Cal Poly Pomona and a visiting professor at Sun Yat-Sen University. Before moving to Southern California, Linchi worked at Syracuse University, Rochester Institute of Technology, Texas Tech University, and Marriott.

Articles by Linchi Kwok

• What if labor shortage is a long-term threat to the hospitality and tourism industry?

  The U.S. economy finally shows signs of a strong recovery from the pandemic. Nevertheless, the surging…

  Thursday, September 23, 2021

• Want your employees to voice suggestions when customers treat them poorly? The double-edged effects

  When consumers know they are always right, they may breed a sense of superiority or entitlement, expecting…

  Tuesday, August 24, 2021

• Research reveals effective social media crisis communication strategies during COVID-19 pandemic

  When people work remotely and classes are taught online, social media plays an even more critical role…

  Monday, July 12, 2021

• Research shows that you should let consumers’ photos speak for your business

  The advance of technology and the widespread adoption of smartphones and handheld devices in recent years…

  Tuesday, June 15, 2021

• Besides higher wages, what else can businesses do to address labor shortages?

  When everyone in hospitality is hiring to meet growing demand and prepare for the summer, many are struggling…

  Monday, May 17, 2021

• Will the lodging industry’s supply growth outpace demand?

  The COVID-19 vaccination rate is climbing steadily in the U.S. At its current rate, three in four people,…

  Monday, April 19, 2021

• Change to adapt: How businesses will respond to post-pandemic travels

  Hospitality and tourism companies are ready for the long-awaited travel recovery in 2021. Many have begun…

  Monday, March 15, 2021

• Will hospitality and travel recover in 2021?

  2020 was a very challenging year for most. Besides lockdowns, many companies let employees work from…

  Tuesday, February 16, 2021

• Study: How job seekers’ social media profiles affect employability

  Social media plays an increasingly important role in recruitment and employee selection. Recruiters are…

  Monday, January 18, 2021

• How concerning is it when contactless self-service pushes people out of work?

  COVID-19 has accelerated a few foreseeable changes that the service industry expected for the future.…

  Tuesday, December 15, 2020

• The 2020 hospitality and tourism trends that will likely stay for 2021 and beyond

  At the end of 2019, I predicted a few 2020 trends in hospitality, retail, and tourism businesses. For…

  Tuesday, December 01, 2020

• Do the restaurants of the future still need a dining room?

  It does not seem the coronavirus will be leaving us soon, although we have seen great progress recently…

  Tuesday, November 17, 2020

• Can leisure and work-from-home demand stimulate extended-stay hotel growth beyond COVID-19?

  The lodging industry is still struggling to fill empty rooms. For months, U.S. hotels have been running…

  Tuesday, November 03, 2020

• As more companies let employees work from home permanently, what is the outlook of business travel?

  When the pandemic hit the global economy in March, business travel was estimated to lose $820 billion…

  Monday, October 19, 2020

• Will Amazon’s new palm recognition technology become a popular biometric tool?

  Amazon recently introduced a new biometric payment device, Amazon One, in two of its Go stores in Seattle.…

  Tuesday, October 06, 2020

• Will more hotels get into the home-sharing business?

  There is no doubt that COVID-19 has had an unprecedented impact on the travel and tourism industry. With…

  Tuesday, September 22, 2020

• Will COVID-19 be a catalyst for more hotel mergers and acquisitions?

  COVID-19 has put many restaurants and hotels out of business. A recent example is the permanent closure…

  Tuesday, September 08, 2020

• Contactless self-services will remain after COVID-19

  New COVID-19 cases are finally showing signs of decline across the U.S., but we should still take cautionary…

  Tuesday, August 25, 2020

• Baby boomers deserve a lot of attention from businesses, too

  Jill Filipovic argues in her new book that millennials have been going through tougher economic circumstances…

  Tuesday, August 11, 2020

• The 7 P’s marketing mix of home-sharing services: Insights from over 1 million Airbnb reviews

  The 7 P’s marketing mix framework is a widely used managerial tool that helps businesses identify the…

  Tuesday, July 28, 2020

• Travel recovery will occur when Gen Zers, millennials embark on business trips

  "Gen Z and millennials are key to travel industry’s recovery" was the headline of a recent Travel Pulse…

  Tuesday, July 14, 2020

• ‘Travel, as we knew it, is over,’ but hopes remain for a different future

  Airbnb co-founder Brian Chesky talked about the future of travel in a recent CNBC interview. He stated:…

  Tuesday, June 30, 2020

• Indicators show travel, hospitality businesses are picking up

  Coronavirus restrictions have been eased across the country. Travel companies are reopening their businesses…

  Monday, June 15, 2020

• Will home-sharing and luxury hotels recover before other lodging products?

  As more places ease coronavirus restrictions, travel companies are getting ready to reopen their businesses.…

  Tuesday, June 02, 2020

• Coronavirus restrictions are easing, but cautionary measures should not

  People are eager to get back to their normal routines. Businesses are preparing for post-pandemic travel.…

  Tuesday, May 19, 2020

• Travel and hospitality companies prepare for consumers with enhanced cleaning standards

  Are you ready to travel once stay-at-home orders are lifted in your region? A recent survey of over 30,000…

  Tuesday, May 05, 2020

• When can we start traveling again?

  When will the COVID-19 pandemic end? When will we be able to travel again? Since California issued its…

  Tuesday, April 21, 2020

• Will Airbnb guests want to stay in chain hotels instead after COVID-19?

  COVID-19 has hit the economy so hard that it could take three years for the U.S. to recover. Right now,…

  Tuesday, April 07, 2020

• Delivery services in multiple sectors are getting a boost during the COVID-19 recession

  The impact of COVID-19 has been devastating and will continue indefinitely. It is no longer a question…

  Tuesday, March 24, 2020

• Research: Helping those having career decision-making difficulties in college

  Did you ever find it challenging to decide the right career for yourself? I did when I was a student…

  Wednesday, March 11, 2020

• Will the coronavirus outbreak cause a global economic downturn?

  The COVID-19 coronavirus outbreak is at a turning point from an epidemic to a pandemic. According to…

  Tuesday, February 25, 2020

• Where are your prospects going after deleting Facebook?

  Not long ago, Facebook was the most visited website in the world and the most popular social media platform…

  Tuesday, February 11, 2020

• Research: An analysis of travelers’ choices to share or access home-sharing facilities

  One selling point of a home-sharing service is that it gives travelers unique social interactions with…

  Tuesday, January 28, 2020

• Are neighbors friends or foes? Assessing the agglomeration effect for Airbnb listings

  Recent research suggests that Airbnb listings are usually found in popular locations such as tourist…

  Tuesday, January 14, 2020

• What to expect for 2020 in hospitality and tourism

  Are you ready for the holiday season? Are you excited about 2020 and a new decade, too? In just two weeks,…

  Monday, December 16, 2019

• Is Paris still safe to visit? Recommendations from a recent theft victim

  I was in Paris on a leisure trip last week. It would have been a perfect getaway if I was not the victim…

  Tuesday, December 03, 2019

• Promoting student success at the STR Student Market Study Competition

  STR is the leading data analytics provider for the lodging industry. Since its debut in 2015, the STR…

  Tuesday, November 19, 2019

• Will convenience outweigh privacy when it comes to using facial recognition in public?

  Facial recognition technology is convenient. Many of us use it numerous times a day to unlock our smartphones.…

  Tuesday, November 05, 2019

• United pushes economy-class travelers away with new frequent flyer program

  United Airlines recently revealed massive changes to its MileagePlus Program. How much a traveler spends…

  Tuesday, October 22, 2019

• Getting a job at McDonald’s is now as easy as talking to Alexa

  McDonald’s recently introduced the world’s first voice-initiated job application process, called…

  Tuesday, October 08, 2019

• Drone delivery is coming, but don’t get too excited yet

  Walgreens is now working with Google parent company Alphabet's Wing service to test drone deliveries.…

  Tuesday, September 24, 2019

• Want oven-fresh delivery food? A new startup makes it possible

  Many consumers love ordering food online to have it delivered to their home. Food delivery has become…

  Tuesday, September 10, 2019

• How to find low prices during travel’s dynamic pricing era

  Marriott is set to introduce dynamic pricing to its Bonvoy rewards program in the coming weeks. Effective…

  Thursday, August 29, 2019

• A look at NEC’s enterprise solutions for hospitality businesses

  I recently met with the hospitality team of NEC Global Enterprise Solutions at NEC Corporation's headquarters…

  Tuesday, August 13, 2019

• McDonald’s eliminates CMO, forms new partnership with DoorDash: Is this the future of marketing?

  McDonald’s recently announced a new organizational structure in its marketing division and formed a…

  Tuesday, July 30, 2019

• Is the current market too tough for upscale restaurants?

  Operating a restaurant is never easy, but is it particularly challenging for upscale restaurants? Restaurants…

  Thursday, July 18, 2019

• Observing the latest hospitality tech from HITEC 2019 in Minneapolis

  I was in Minneapolis recently for HITEC 2019 (Hospitality Industry Technology Exposition & Conference),…

  Wednesday, June 26, 2019

• Is Amazon’s departure from restaurant delivery permanent?

  Amazon Restaurants, a food delivery app like UberEats, will officially close on June 24. Amazon entered…

  Tuesday, June 18, 2019

• Does sex still sell in today’s business world?

  Clique Hotels & Resorts is a Canadian luxury hotel chain with properties in Calgary and Canmore, Alberta.…

  Wednesday, June 05, 2019

• The total travel experience is the way to win loyalty

  Since bigger isn’t better, tourism companies are finding ways to offer travelers the "total travel…

  Wednesday, May 22, 2019

• Are consumers loyal to home-sharing services? Implications for hosts, room-sharing sites, and hotels

  "Competition promotes innovation." That’s what I believe in the business world. That statement is probably…

  Tuesday, May 07, 2019

• Are restaurant owners, managers, and consumers on the same page when it comes to going green?

  Some big restaurant chains, such as Starbucks and McDonald's, have already taken action in responding…

  Tuesday, April 23, 2019

• Bigger isn’t better: Investors favor boutique stores and hotels

  Bigger is better, right? That’s why there have been more hotel mergers and acquisitions in recent years.…

  Tuesday, April 09, 2019

• Machines, not workers wanted for Alibaba’s futuristic hotel

  Alibaba, one of the largest e-commerce companies in the world, recently debuted a new hotel prototype…

  Tuesday, March 26, 2019

• Airbnb acquires HotelTonight amid transition to a travel enterprise

  Airbnb made headlines again last week. The company is set to acquire HotelTonight, an online travel agent…

  Tuesday, March 12, 2019

• IHG to add dynamic pricing to hotel rewards bookings by the end of 2019

  The InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG) recently confirmed that it will implement a dynamic pricing model…

  Tuesday, February 26, 2019

• What to expect from Airbnb on its 11th birthday

  This month marks the 11th birthday for Airbnb. Founded in 2008, Airbnb is the first and now dominant…

  Tuesday, February 12, 2019

• Skift reveals 12 megatrends in travel, tourism for 2019

  Skift released The Megatrends Defining Travel in 2019 earlier in January. Through surveys, interviews,…

  Tuesday, January 29, 2019

• An international student’s journey to success in hospitality

  The highlight of my recent trip to Thailand was my stay at a hotel managed by Araya Rojanapirom, a recent…

  Monday, January 14, 2019

• What to look forward to in 2019 in hospitality

  The holiday season is around the corner. It is a good time for us to review the major events discussed…

  Wednesday, December 12, 2018

• 8 tips to avoid hotel hygiene horrors

  In most hotels, a housekeeper only has 30-40 minutes to clean a checkout room, where the linens must…

  Tuesday, November 27, 2018

• Trends revealed at massive hospitality trade show in New York

  Over Veterans Day weekend, I attended the HX: The Hotel Experience 2018 and the BD | NY: A Boutique Design…

  Tuesday, November 13, 2018

• Want to get a room on Airbnb? Being ‘similar’ to the host may help

  Airbnb, along with other room-sharing websites, provides a cyber marketplace for innovative entrepreneurs…

  Tuesday, October 30, 2018

• Price positioning on Airbnb: Are multi-unit hosts revenue pros?

  Room-sharing websites not only want more travelers to use their service to book a stay as travelers but…

  Wednesday, October 17, 2018

• Want to hire the right people? AI can help

  Artificial intelligence (AI) and machines can now perform many jobs traditionally done by human beings.…

  Tuesday, October 02, 2018

• Welcoming Gen Z into the workplace

  Gen Z, also known as the iGen or post-millennials, has grown up. Born between 1996 and 2010, Gen Z makes…

  Tuesday, September 18, 2018

• Get ready for Gen Z in hospitality

  It felt like yesterday that we discussed the expectations of millennials and what can be done in responding…

  Friday, September 07, 2018

• McDonald’s flagship: An example of newly renovated space

  The advance of technology has transformed the way restaurants and hotels operate their businesses. When…

  Monday, August 20, 2018

• Hotels try to pull in travelers with larger loyalty programs

  Bigger usually means better, especially when it comes to hotel loyalty programs. Otherwise, why are hotel…

  Tuesday, August 07, 2018

• Airlines, restaurants and hotels are switching to more sustainable products

  From airlines to restaurants and hotels, the hospitality and tourism industry is responding to the calls…

  Monday, July 23, 2018

• Restaurant predictions: More positive for QSRs than casual dining chains?

  This year, a new record of 46.9 million Americans were predicted to travel 50 miles or farther from home…

  Wednesday, July 11, 2018

• 4 themes from HITEC Houston 2018

  Were you in Houston last week for HITEC 2018? The Hospitality Industry Technology Exposition & Conference…

  Tuesday, June 26, 2018

• McDonald’s opens new HQ; plans to add more self-service kiosks

  McDonald's has moved back to Chicago’s West Loop after 47 years' of operations in the suburb of Oak…

  Tuesday, June 12, 2018

• Machines are replacing humans at work, but can it be an opportunity?

  Welcome to the era when machines begin replacing humans at work. In restaurants and hotels, machines…

  Wednesday, May 23, 2018

• Marriott is getting into the room-sharing business, too

  Hotels have been trying very hard to stop the growth of Airbnb, but still, Airbnb has remained the supersized…

  Wednesday, May 09, 2018

• Good news for frequent travelers: Updates to Hilton, Marriott loyalty programs

  With the purposes of winning new customers and keeping the existing ones happy, hotels are making continuous…

  Friday, April 27, 2018

• What to expect in summer travel 2018

  ​Have you made any travel plans for the summer? If not, it is probably a good time to do so. As a matter…

  Friday, April 13, 2018

• How soon will Airbnb become another Expedia or Priceline?

  Airbnb promotes the idea of letting travelers rent a lodging facility or extra space from a local resident…

  Wednesday, March 28, 2018

• ‘Attractive’ enough to stay? Looking at similarity-attraction effects in room-sharing

  Airbnb is the dominant provider for room-sharing services. The company is now turning itself into a full-service…

  Tuesday, March 13, 2018

• Airbnb’s new branding strategy: The debut of Airbnb Plus and Beyond by Airbnb

  Last week, Airbnb made an important move to help the company step up in the competition against hotel…

  Tuesday, February 27, 2018

• Is dynamic pricing good for restaurants and hotels?

  According to the theories in classical economics, an equilibrium price of a product will be reached in…

  Wednesday, February 14, 2018

• What’s next for hotel mergers and acquisitions?

  In recent years, more hotel chains are turning themselves into giant players through mergers and acquisitions.…

  Friday, February 02, 2018

• DMO services to hotels: How valuable are they?

  Destination marketing organizations (DMOs) are responsible for the management and marketing of a tourist…

  Wednesday, January 24, 2018

• What to expect in 2018 from the battle between hotels and Airbnb

  Entering 2018, Airbnb will soon celebrate the company's 10th anniversary. The company has now turned…

  Monday, January 08, 2018

• Want to create a bigger eWOM effect on Facebook?

  As one of the most visited websites in the world, Facebook has become the most influential medium for…

  Thursday, December 07, 2017

• Hotels are now entering the short-term residential rental business

  It is clear that room-sharing services have created a big threat to hotels — even though a recent study…

  Tuesday, November 21, 2017

• More hotels are adopting the ‘asset-light’ strategy

  Earlier this month, Hyatt Hotels made an announcement about the company's plan of selling its $1.5 billion…

  Wednesday, November 08, 2017

• What is the future of tradeshows? The case of the Canton Fair

  Canton (Guangzhou) is hosting the largest tradeshow in China — the Canton Fair. Officially known as…

  Monday, October 23, 2017

• CHRS 2017: Opportunities in the era of disruption

  I was in Ithaca, New York, last week for the 2017 Cornell Hospitality Research Summit (#CHRS2017), where…

  Wednesday, October 11, 2017

• Can Airbnb help hotels increase revenue?

  It is commonly believed that the growth of Airbnb has made a significant negative impact on the hotel…

  Wednesday, September 27, 2017

• Travel is good for us, but do we need scientists to tell us so?

  Among all the articles I shared on my Facebook page last week, one of them received substantially more…

  Tuesday, September 12, 2017

• Minimum wage is on the rise — Is it a blessing or a curse?

  Impeccable service can only be delivered by a well-trained, friendly staff. Accordingly, the service…

  Friday, September 01, 2017

• Hotels, OTAs and Airbnb are firing up for a new war

  By the time I finished writing the article "Expedia, Priceline join battle against Airbnb," hotel giants…

  Tuesday, August 15, 2017

• Expedia, Priceline join battle against Airbnb

  Airbnb has become a big player in the global lodging industry. As a matter of fact, it is bigger than…

  Thursday, August 10, 2017

• 7 technologies that will transform the hospitality industry by 2025

  ​I was in Baltimore last week for the annual ​iCHRIE (International Council on Hotel, Restaurant…

  Thursday, August 03, 2017

• 2 critical issues highlighted at HITEC 2017

  HITEC 2017 (Hospitality Industry Technology Exposition & Conference) came to an end in Toronto last week.…

  Wednesday, July 05, 2017

• More no-tipping restaurants? Survey reveals new insights

  Tipping in restaurants has always been the norm in the U.S. It was not until recently that more restaurants…

  Thursday, June 22, 2017

• More hotel chains incorporate the in-room fitness concept

  ​Today's consumers want healthy living even when they are on the road. ​According to a TripAdvisor…

  Thursday, June 08, 2017

• Follow the consumers’ path of purchasing a travel product

  ​​​Hotels have been working hard to win more travelers to "​book direct" on their companies'…

  Thursday, May 25, 2017

• Can hotels stop the growth of Airbnb?

  ​Airbnb made innovative disruptions to the lodging industry by adding millions in room inventory to…

  Thursday, May 11, 2017

• Imagining how hotels and restaurants are run in smart cities

  We have seen more ​robots and machines are replacing humans in the service sector. This trend is irreversible,…

  Thursday, April 27, 2017

• How not to get replaced by machines at work

  I was not exaggerating in my previous article when I discussed how "machines will soon perform more service…

  Thursday, April 13, 2017

• Machines will soon perform more service jobs than humans

  Can machines work as well as real human beings in ​delivering impeccable service? If so, will machines…

  Tuesday, March 28, 2017

• How to shut down bad online reviews

  "Our customers are always right." Even if they are wrong, they could still post bad online reviews or…

  Wednesday, March 15, 2017

• Airbnb wants to be more than just a room‑sharing enterprise

  Airbnb started with the idea of letting people to rent out an unused bed, a bedroom or an entire house…

  Monday, February 27, 2017

• Will supermarkets become a new competitor for restaurants?

  ​There are four levels of market competition: product-form, product-category, generic and budget competition.…

  Tuesday, February 14, 2017

• What we know about online reviews — and what we don’t

  Online reviews have now become a major information source for consumers when they make a purchasing decision…

  Tuesday, January 31, 2017

• Responses to online reviews should vary based on hotel class

  Online review websites, such as TripAdvisor, allow certified business owners or managers to make one…

  Monday, January 16, 2017

• It pays to be a loyal customer

  Businesses want consumers' loyalty because repeat customers — compared to those who are not attached…

  Wednesday, January 04, 2017

• Say hello to 2017 as we look back at 2016

  ​In just a few weeks, we are going to welcome a new year. What shall we expect for 2017? Will it be…

  Wednesday, December 07, 2016

• AHLA survey highlights 2017 hotel trends

  Earlier this month, the American Hotel and Lodging Association (AHLA) and Smith Travel Research (STR)…

  Tuesday, November 22, 2016

• Hotels reinventing loyalty programs to win travelers

  ​To many travelers, there is really not much difference among various types of hotels or apartments…

  Wednesday, November 09, 2016

• Will hotels’ book-direct strategy push OTAs to work with Airbnb?

  This year, the battle between hotel chains and online travel agents (OTAs) — such as Expedia and Priceline…

  Wednesday, October 26, 2016

• What makes travel reward programs the best?

  U.S. News and World Report recently released its third-annual ranking of the Best Travel Rewards Programs.…

  Thursday, October 13, 2016

• Airbnb faces big dilemma with racial discrimination allegations

  Last week, the news feeds on all my social networking sites had one major update: ​Marriott finally…

  Tuesday, September 27, 2016

• 3 reasons why students should actively participate in group projects

  September is a special month for students, because it marks the start of a new academic year. Many students…

  Tuesday, September 13, 2016

• Online reviews: What can hotel managers do to make them more helpful?

  Today, the power of online reviews on consumers' purchasing decisions can no longer be ignored. There…

  Wednesday, August 31, 2016

• Hotels are luring travelers with local flavors

  Today, 85 percent of travelers consider "eating local cuisine" as an important or very important activity…

  Wednesday, August 17, 2016

• Dealing with a possible recession in the restaurant industry

  According to the National Restaurant Association, the restaurant industry generates $782.7 billion in…

  Monday, August 01, 2016

• Truck attack in Nice will have long-term effect on world tourism

  While the French are still recovering from the Paris terror attacks in November 2015, the truck attack…

  Monday, July 18, 2016

• 8 gifting tips for trips to visit friends and family

  As cheap gas prices result in lower costs for road trips and better fares for long-haul flights, more…

  Wednesday, July 06, 2016

• TEM, technology and innovation in hospitality

  ​I attended the International Hospitality Information Technology Association (iHITA) ​Annual Conference…

  Wednesday, June 22, 2016

• No-tipping restaurants: A new trend in the US

  More U.S. restaurants are opting in the no-tipping policy, according to a CNBC report. The report also…

  Tuesday, June 07, 2016

• 6 travel trends for the summer of 2016

  Summer is here. Let's visit some of the summer travel trends for 2016 and get ready to welcome the vacationers.…

  Wednesday, May 25, 2016

• A university’s role in educating our future leaders

  In April, I raised a question and discussed the topic of "What makes a great professor these days?" Later,…

  Wednesday, May 11, 2016

• Restaurants are taking on green initiatives, but do consumers care?

  ​Sustainability and serving locally-grown and organic food are two big food trends in the restaurant…

  Tuesday, April 26, 2016

• What makes a great professor these days?

  ​I was on WeChat the other day, having a conversation with some high school alumni in a closed-group…

  Tuesday, April 12, 2016

• How much impact does Airbnb have on the lodging industry?

  ​Airbnb does not seem to be a real threat to the lodging industry, ​as I suggested in my previous…

  Tuesday, April 05, 2016

• Is Airbnb really a threat to the traditional lodging industry?

  As a model of sharing economy, Airbnb started off from the idea of letting travelers rent an "unused"…

  Thursday, March 17, 2016

• The art of curiosity: Great success begins with a good question

  ​Guess what can possibly help a job candidate stand out from the sea of applicants. Relevant job experience?…

  Thursday, March 03, 2016

• Building a personal brand through blogging

  If a business does not maintain an active blog, it is out. Likewise, if you are a job seeker who is looking…

  Thursday, February 18, 2016

• Can a study-abroad program be both vigorous and fun?

  I am leading a study-abroad program in Italy this summer. In this program, students at Cal Poly Pomona…

  Tuesday, February 02, 2016

• Survey: Travel trends for millennials in 2016

  ​Millennials are taking over workforce and soon the travel and tourism market. ​While companies are…

  Wednesday, January 20, 2016

• 4 things to think about for a successful 2016 in lodging

  ​The year of 2015 marked a great year for the hospitality and tourism industry. According to the ​Lodging…

  Thursday, January 07, 2016

• Beijing illustrates the need for sustainability in travel and tourism

  ​While world leaders in Paris are trying to come up with a solution to deal with climate change (hopefully…

  Thursday, December 10, 2015

• The impact of Paris terror attacks on world tourism

  ​Friday, Nov. 13, 2015 is literally "Black Friday" for our French alliance and all humans living in…

  Monday, November 16, 2015

• If processed meats cause cancer, what should the food industry do?

  Here is the biggest news I heard last week: ​The World Health Organization (WHO) announced that processed…

  Monday, November 02, 2015

• Travel outlook and trends heading into 2016

  I attended the Southern California Visitor Industry Outlook Conference in downtown Los Angeles last week,…

  Thursday, October 22, 2015

• How much is your word worth in the business world?

  Imagine you were going out with someone for the first time. You took off early from work to go home and…

  Tuesday, October 06, 2015

• Is Hong Kong in crisis? Lessons learned in tourism development

  Hong Kong is a top tourist destination in Asia. I have visited this place many times in the past. I like…

  Monday, September 28, 2015

• China Southern Airlines: Nice job, but still in need of improvement

  China Southern Airlines is not only the largest airline in China, but also perceived by many Chinese…

  Thursday, September 10, 2015

• Which messages work best on Facebook?

  Not all Facebook messages are created equal. Some receive a lot of likes, comments and shares, and thus…

  Thursday, August 27, 2015

• Why can’t academic conferences be fun?

  Last week, I attended the 2015 Annual ICHRIE (International Council on Hotel, Restaurant and Institutional…

  Monday, August 10, 2015

• Hostels: Q&A with a staff member

  Last week, we reviewed some reasons why hostels are becoming more popular among travelers and investors.…

  Friday, July 31, 2015

• Hostels: More than just another cheap lodging alternative

  For years, people perceived hostels as the cheap lodging alternative for travelers on a tight budget,…

  Monday, July 20, 2015

• Tipping etiquette differences across the world

  I visited Auckland, New Zealand, earlier this month for the 13th APacCHRIE (Asia-Pacific Council on Hotel,…

  Monday, June 29, 2015

• Sustainable tourism in New Zealand

  I was in Auckland, New Zealand, recently for the 13th APacCHRIE Conference. During my stay, I had a chance…

  Thursday, June 18, 2015

• Why travelers are now taking more short road trips

  ​Imagine we are going to take a long vacation in a place far away from our home. That sounds superb,…

  Wednesday, June 03, 2015

• Finding a dream job: Dating for the perfect match

  May is the month of graduations. Many new graduates are excited about their future, but at the same time…

  Thursday, May 21, 2015

• B2C communications on Facebook: What has changed over the years?

  As of March 31, Facebook reported 1.44 billion monthly active users — 936 million of whom access the…

  Friday, May 08, 2015

• Tourism development: Lessons learned from Hong Kong

  Last week, the Chinese government announced a new restriction toward the residents of Shenzhen on their…

  Monday, April 20, 2015

• Learning from Japan to attract more Chinese tourists

  When President Barack Obama announced the new visa agreement between China and the United States in November…

  Monday, April 06, 2015

• Airlines switching to fare-based frequent flyer programs

  Earlier this year, Delta Air Lines and United quietly switched from a distance-based reward program to…

  Monday, March 23, 2015

• The path to a successful career in the hospitality industry

  On Saturday, I attended this year's Collins Connection event at Cal Poly Pomona, where the faculty and…

  Monday, March 09, 2015

• Look beyond Lunar New Year to win Chinese customers through WeChat

  Feb. 19 marked the first day of Lunar New Year (also known as the Chinese New Year or Spring Festival).…

  Monday, February 23, 2015

• 9 tips to succeed at a career fair

  At a career fair for the hospitality industry, how can a job-seeker or a student stand out from other…

  Monday, February 09, 2015

• Urging for breakthrough research: A reflection on the 20th Graduate Conference

  The 20th Annual Graduate Education & Graduate Student Research Conference (also known as Graduate Conference)…

  Tuesday, January 27, 2015

• Helping Chinese companies increase service standards

  It has been almost 40 years since Mainland China open its doors to the world. Everyone is impressed with…

  Thursday, January 01, 2015

• Getting ready to welcome Chinese tourists

  President Barack Obama ​announced a new visa plan between China and the U.S. during his visit to Beijing…

  Wednesday, December 03, 2014

• IHMRS 2014 showcases the latest innovations in hospitality

  The International Hotel, Motel + Restaurant Show (IHMRS), which was in conjunction with the Boutique…

  Wednesday, November 12, 2014

• Timing is critical in social media: A lesson from Chrissy Teigen

  Nobody knows from exactly when social media became the primary source for "up-to-the-second" news, but…

  Monday, October 27, 2014

• Can a business block consumers’ mobile Internet access?

  Earlier this month, Marriott International was fined $600,000 after the company was found blocking people's…

  Tuesday, October 14, 2014

• Different meaning of hospitality: Japan vs. US

  ​As a hospitality professor with multicultural background, I always thought I knew the "universal"…

  Friday, September 26, 2014

• Singapore Airlines shows how to act small and win big

  What sets a company apart from the competitors? A legendary CEO? An competitive advantage on price or…

  Wednesday, September 17, 2014

• Machines serving people: A continuous debate

  ​Every time when a machine replaced labors in an assembly line, we gave a big round of applause. Now,…

  Thursday, September 04, 2014

• Machines serving people: A new reality or a futuristic concept?

  Last week, Starwood's Aloft Hotel in Cupertino, California, added a new member to the service team called…

  Wednesday, August 27, 2014

• Impeccable service can only be delivered by well-trained, friendly staff

  Last week, I stayed at the Sheraton San Diego Hotel & Marina for the International Council on Hotel,…

  Friday, August 15, 2014

• Does technology bring down our dining experience?

  I was taking my friends out to one of my favorite Cantonese restaurants for dim sum the other day. I…

  Wednesday, August 06, 2014

• When the customer is wrong

  "The customer is always right." That is probably the most-heard sentence when companies talk about customer…

  Monday, July 21, 2014

• Promoting business online but not on mobile devices: A small mistake or big failure?

  I was craving for dim sum the other day. A friend of mine recommended I try Shanghai No. 1 Seafood Village…

  Thursday, July 03, 2014

• Hotels respond to travelers’ demand for healthy living

  ​Earlier this month, President Barack Obama was caught on tape lifting weights at a Marriott Hotel…

  Thursday, June 19, 2014

• To love or to hate Chinese tourists

  ​What would it look like if thousands of Chinese tourists showed up in your neighborhood at one time?…

  Monday, June 09, 2014

• Forget the technology: Making sales in face‑to‑face interactions

  Guided by Cal Poly Pomona's "Learn by Doing" teaching philosophy, students in my hotel sales class recently…

  Friday, May 16, 2014

• Are hotels ripping us off with a fee for Wi-Fi service?

  After I recently suggested that hotels adopt a tier-pricing strategy for Wi-Fi service, I heard two types…

  Monday, May 05, 2014

• A tier pricing strategy for hotel Wi-Fi

  When was the last time you made a hotel reservation? Did you look at how much a hotel charged for WiFi?…

  Monday, April 21, 2014

• 1 core principle of social media marketing

  A few days ago, I attended Social Media Marketing World 2014 (#SMMW14) in San Diego. According to the…

  Tuesday, April 08, 2014

• DoubleTree shows how to win customers with a small touch

  In the effort to respond to the shifting customer base, hotels spare no time or money in developing fresh…

  Monday, March 24, 2014

• Hotels, restaurants respond to shifting customer base

  Millennials have grown up. They are not only replacing baby boomers in the workforce, but they also are…

  Monday, March 10, 2014

• Replacing hotel CRCs with mobile service centers

  Many hotels have developed enhanced e-commerce sites and guaranteed travelers they could find the best…

  Tuesday, February 25, 2014