PolyU to Host 10th International Forum on China Hotel Brand Development cum Asia-Europe Forum for World Hospitality and Tourism Education

Co-organised by The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU) and the Guizhou Provincial Government, and co-hosted by the School of Hotel and Tourism Management (SHTM) and Gui'an New District Administration Commission, the 10th International Forum on China Hotel Brand Development cum Asia-Europe Forum for World Hospitality and Tourism Education (the Forum) will take place in Gui'an New District, Guizhou, on 21-22 April 2016.

China has become one of the most visited destinations of the world, with international tourist arrivals recorded at 55.6 million in 2014. It is also forecasted by the United Nations World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO) that the country will become the first destination in the world by 2020 and the fourth largest source market. The Forum represents a timely and concerted effort in response to the fast expanding opportunities in the hotel and tourism market in China. It will provide an invaluable platform for industry professionals, academics and government officials to explore new strategies for the development of the hotel industry in China, as well as the many opportunities that are emerging and the potential challenges that are arising from the industry's extraordinary progress.

Professor Kaye Chon, Dean and Chair Professor of the SHTM and Walter Kwok Foundation Professor in International Hospitality Management, said: "I am pleased to note that, due to our location and history, our School is uniquely positioned to play a leading role in facilitating the strategic development of China's hospitality industry." Indeed, over the past nine years the SHTM has been playing a pivotal role in furthering the development of this dynamic and ever-evolving industry by successfully staging the International Forum on China Hotel Brand Development (CHBD) in a number of major cities in the country.

This year, the 10^th CHBD will be held concurrently with the Asia-Europe Forum for World Hospitality and Tourism Education, an event for educators in hospitality and tourism from Asia and Europe to exchange dialogue for collaboration in academic and research programmes.

Taking the theme Embracing Future with Innovations: NEW Generation, NEW Brands, NEW Industry, the Forum will be organised around, but not limited to, the following topics:

• China's "New Normal" Economy and Hotel & Tourism Industry
• The Changing Landscape: New Challenges and New Opportunities
• The Sharing Economy and Its Impact
• New Travellers, Emerging Market Segments and Innovative Brands
• How is Big Data Changing the Industry Fundamentally?
• Future Hotel and Future Tourism
• Leading the Future: Face-to-Face on New Generation Workforce and Leadership
• International Collaborations: Education, Research and Industry

The Forum is supported by international organisations such as the UNWTO Knowledge Network, Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA), Asia Pacific Tourism Association (APTA), World Association for Hospitality and Tourism Organisation (AMFORHT), Institute of Hospitality (IoH) and Asia-Pacific Council on Hotel, Restaurant, and Institutional Education (APacCHRIE).

For more information about the Forum, please contact Dr Qu Xiao via (e-mail)[email protected].hk

About Gui'an New District

Gui'an New District sits between the two cities of Guiyang and Anshun in the core area of the economic zone in Guizhou Province. It has a planned area of 1,795 square kilometres, including 21 villages of Guiyang City and Anshun City and a population of 880,000. Under direct jurisdiction is an area of 470 square kilometres with a population of 300,000. To the East are the economic zones of Yangtse River Delta and Pearl River Delta; to the West the ASEAN Free Trade Zone; and to the North the cities of Chengdu and Chongqing. The establishment of Gui'an New District is a major national strategy for regional development. Guizhou Provincial Party Committee and the provincial government regard Gui'an as an important platform for investment. Currently, the whole province is exerting full efforts to accelerate the construction of Gui'an, with the hope of building a "first-class city unlike any other" in China.

In January 2014, the State Council approved the establishment of Gui'an New District, with the orientation of making it a major driver of economic growth in Western China and open to the world with its good eco-system. By 2020, Gui'an is expected to become an international eco-city with full functions, beautiful environment for living and pastoral landscape.