In an effort to help contain the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic, the 2020 APacCHRIE Conference originally set to take place in Kaohsiung, Taiwan in May 2020 has been postponed. At this critical time, I am honoured and grateful that the School of Hotel and Tourism Management (SHTM) of The Hong Kong Polytechnic University has been entrusted with the responsibility of hosting the 2020 Conference. Connecting people and facilitating change has always been at the core of what we do in our sector.

I have the pleasure to extend to you a warm invitation to the 2020 APacCHRIE Conference, now scheduled to be held in Hong Kong on 27-28 October at Hotel ICON, our groundbreaking teaching and research hotel. With the solidarity and strong spirit of members and friends of APacCHRIE, we will work together with dedication to ensure the conference a success.

The 2020 Conference will not only feature a diversity of research papers, it will also bring together educators, scholars, researchers, industry executives, government policy makers and tourism professionals to discuss and address important issues such as how educational institutions will help the industry go forward. The challenges we face are extraordinary. The hospitality and tourism industry will, however, get past the pandemic and it can also lead the way in driving recovery. Our co-ordinated effort would ensure that we will make it through together and, more importantly, to prepare to support recovery.

On this note, I would like to draw your attention to an inaugural event in Hong Kong. Immediately after the 2020 APacCHRIE Conference, the first-ever IMPACT2020 Conference will take place at Hotel ICON on 30 October. Taking the theme of "Crisis Management and Recovery Strategies", IMPACT2020 will provide a unique platform for stakeholders to discuss crisis management and recovery strategies with a view to countering the negative impacts of geopolitical, socio-economic uncertainties and global health crises.

I look forward to welcoming you to these exceptional events in Hong Kong!

For more information please contact Pauline Ngan
+852 3400 2634