Date: July 5-8, 2023
Location: Shangri-La Hotel, Chiang Mai, Thailand
Co-host Organization: Chiang Mai University
Date: July 5-8, 2023
Location: Shangri-La Hotel, Chiang Mai, Thailand
Co-host Organization: Chiang Mai University
APTA 2025
Busan, Korea
Will be available soon.
Date: July 7-9, 2025
Location: Windham Grand Songdo, Busan, Korea
Sponsors:
Dong-A University / Hong Kong Poly U. / Wakayama University / University of Hawaii/ Prince of Songkla University /
Chiang Mai University / Duy Tan University / University of Houston / Kyushu Sangyo University /
Busan Tourism Organization (BTO) / Korea Tourism Organization / Ministry of Culture, Sports, and Tourism (Korea) /
Japan Institute of Tourism Research / B Bright International
The Asia Pacific Tourism Association (APTA) successfully held its 2025 Annual Conference from July 7 to 9, 2025, at the Windham Grand Songdo in Busan, South Korea. This year’s conference marked a special milestone, the 30th anniversary of the APTA Annual Conference, bringing together leading scholars, industry experts, and emerging researchers from around the world.
The conference attracted a total of 386 participants from 20 countries, with 301 international attendees, highlighting its global scale and academic reach. Over the course of the event, a total of 241 presentations were delivered, comprising 154 stand-up presentations, 62 poster presentations, and 25 TiP (Thesis-in-progress) session presentations, reflecting a diverse and dynamic exchange of research, ideas, and practical insights in the field of tourism and hospitality.
At the Opening Ceremony held on the morning of July 8, Dr. Heong-Joon Park, the Mayor of Busan Metropolitan City, delivered a congratulatory speech recognizing APTA’s contributions to the development of tourism in both Asia and the Busan over the past 30 years. Dr. Yeong-Hyeon Hwang, the Chairman of APTA, followed with a speech highlighting the history of APTA over the past three decades, the significance of the APTA Annual Conference, and encouraged active participation from members in the conference.
The Asia Pacific Tourism Association (APTA) successfully held its 2025 Annual Conference from July 7 to 9, 2025, at the Windham Grand Songdo in Busan, South Korea. This year’s conference marked a special milestone, the 30th anniversary of the APTA Annual Conference, bringing together leading scholars, industry experts, and emerging researchers from around the world.
To celebrate the 30th anniversary of the APTA Annual Conference, the 2025 conference adopted the commemorative theme, “30 Years of ~”, which explored the evolution and transformation of the tourism and hospitality sectors over the past three decades. The keynote session brought together distinguished experts from academia, international organizations, and industry. Dr. Daniel R. Fesenmaier of Modul University reflected on the academic progress in his presentation titled “30 Years of Tourism Research.” Mr. Hae-guk Hwang from UN Tourism shared insights on “30 Years of UN Tourism,” highlighting the role of international cooperation in shaping global tourism policies.
Mr. Daniel Wu of AGODA discussed “30 Years of OTA,” focusing on the development of online travel agencies and their impact on the travel industry. Mr. Jae-Dong Cho, representing the Tourism Promotion Organization for Global Cities (TPO), presented “30 Years of City Tourism,” emphasizing urban tourism's growth and significance.
Following the keynote addresses, a panel session was held, moderated by Dr. SooCheong (Shawn) Jang (Purdue University), where the speakers engaged in an in-depth discussion on the historical milestones, current challenges, and future directions of global tourism.
Major Events
The conference featured a variety of significant events including:
• TiP (Thesis-in-Progress Session) • Welcome Reception
• Opening Ceremony • APTA Panel Sessions
• Seven Concurrent Sessions • Three Poster Sessions
• Closing Ceremony
Awards
The conference recognized outstanding contributions through various awards:
APTA Graduate Travel Grant Award
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Chara Deanna Punzal (University of the Philippines Diliman)
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Kexin Yuan (Colorado State University)
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Zhiqian Long (Macau University of Science and Technology)
APJTR Best Paper of the Year 2024
The award went to “Sustainable consumption in tourism: Perceptions of low-carbon holidays in island destinations: A cluster analysis approach” by Pipatpong Fakfare and Walanchalee Wattanacharoensil (Bangkok University), published in APJTR 29(6).
TiP Session
Honorable Mention
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“Tuloy po kayo: Analyzing the drivers of tourist motivation through marketing, sustainability, and cultural immersion in Mindanao homestays” by Eugeene Benicta and Lynn U. Donesa (Far Eastern University-Manila)
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“Decoding tourist expectations: An exploratory qualitative inquiry into the true-to-ideal authenticity of virtual influencers in tourism” by Yehua Jin and Vera Shanshan Lin (Zhejiang University)
APTA 2025 Best Paper Award
“Green or greedy? How consumer inference of ulterior motives shapes responses to hotel sustainability initiatives”
by Seulgi Lee and Hakseung Shin (Hanyang University)
“Effects of built environment on tourists' active travel behaviors in Seoul: Insights from massive GPS trajectory data and explainable machine learning”
by Yingqi Yuan, Sangwon Park, and Hyunkyung Bae (Kyunghee University)
APTA Founder (Dr. Hai-Sik Sohn)’s Award 2025
The prestigious Founder's Award was conferred upon Dr. SooCheong (Shawn) Jang from Purdue University, USA.
