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School of Hotel and Tourism Management

Contents

Publisher: Kaye Chon

Managing Editor: Ada Lo

Consulting Editor:Armstrong-Hilton Ltd.

Design: Creative Path

Printer: Impact Printing &Graphics Co. Ltd.

Horizons is published by the Schoolof Hotel & Tourism Managementfor friends, alumni, staff andstudents of the School.

Contributions from readers arewelcome in the form of articles andphotographs. All contributionsshould be sent to: Editor, Horizons,School of Hotel & TourismManagement, The Hong KongPolytechnic University, HungHom, Kowloon, Hong Kong SAR.

The Editor reserves final editingrights on all material submitted forpublication.

Telephone: (852) 2766 6310

Fax: (852) 2362 9362

Email: hmada@polyu.edu.hk

Website: www.polyu.edu.hk/htm

Message from Director of School ..............................2

Resource Centre Named After Benefactor ................3Naming of Chee-woo Lui Hotel and Tourism Resource Centre honoursindustry leader

SHTM Launches Doctorate of Hotel and TourismManagement...............................................................5

New professional doctorate unveiled

China Tourism Forum a Huge Success ........................6Practitioners and educators brainstorm at the third China Tourism Forum

Multifaceted Teaching Excellence .............................8Teaching Excellence Award winner Vincent Heung on his success

SHTM Leading the Way in Mainland China ..............9Spotlight on programmes in Hanzhou, Ningbo and Xi’an

A True Global Citizen ................................................13Outstanding Alumnus Dr Joanne Yoo

Graduates of 2006 ....................................................14

Students Cook Smart ................................................16SHTM students taste success in recipe design competition

Research HorizonsResearchers discuss short-duration cultural festivals, hotel website evaluation,

travel agency selection and environmentally friendly hotels

Innovative Winter School .........................................17Fifth Hong Kong Winter School breaks new ground

In Brief .......................................................................18Latest news on achievements, activities and staff

Professor for a Day ...................................................21

Student Learning in the Real World ........................23Focus on service-learning in Hong Kong and casino observation in Macao

Ticket to the World ...................................................25Exchange students discuss their experiences in Hong Kong and overseas

Scholarship Recipients ..............................................27Highest Achievers .....................................................28

Academic Achievement Award winners

ESD Chapter Expands................................................29Eta Sigma Delta activities

Alumni Association Revamped ................................30New direction for the SHTMAA

Instilling a Sense of Community ..............................32Recent activities of the SHTM Student Association

Upcoming Events ......................................................33

Over 45 academic staff members from 17 different countries who bring a wealth ofindustry experience and research expertise to the SHTM.

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HORIZONS

Message from

Message from Director of School

Professor Kaye ChonChair Professor and DirectorSchool of Hotel & Tourism ManagementThe Hong Kong Polytechnic University

Director of School

Innovation is the key to understanding our success at the School of Hotel and Tourism Management. I recentlyattended an academic conference to present a keynote speech, and was approached by a young academic from

the audience who congratulated us on our ‘blue ocean’ strategy. Beyond our commitment to research, scholarshipand industry support activities, he meant our ability to identify areas in which we are unique in the educationalmarketplace. This allowed me to reflect on some of our recent initiatives.

Our most recent move into the blue ocean of innovation is the Doctor of Hotel and Tourism Managementprogramme that we will launch in the Fall Semester. This professional degree programme is the first of its kindanywhere. It has been designed to advance the professional knowledge base of hospitality and tourism industryexecutives, bringing them together in a student-centred learning environment. With the prospect of enhancedpersonal and professional networks, both the School and students will benefit.

This type of approach to teaching and learning will feature on an even larger scale in our teaching hotel. To belocated in Tsim Sha Tsui, the multipurpose complex will consist of School facilities, a teaching hotel andrestaurants, and university staff apartments. Our aim is to provide a unique learning and research laboratory.Already, the building itself has attracted interest for its innovative and practical design, being chosen as the HongKong entrant in an international architecture competition. When completed, the complex will be an icon for Asia’shospitality and tourism industry.

Our commitment to excellence is well supported by the community. We are particularly encouraged by Dr Che-woo Lui’s recent donation of $14 million. A renowned developer, hotelier and philanthropist, Dr Lui is confidentthat the School will aid his mission of developing hotel brands and management in Greater China. The gratefullyreceived donation will help us to undertake significant research into hotel chain development in Asia, and will be adeserving boon for our students.

A final measure of innovation worth mentioning is the new section of Horizonsin which we will be showcasing recent research by our faculty members. Named‘Research Horizons’, it indicates that we are constantly advancing ourunderstanding of the industry. Not only will readers learn more about what wedo, but they will also receive advice and encouragement about the obstacles andtrends they are likely to face.

As always, we welcome feedback from our readers, and any contributions thatthey might have.

Design of the teaching hotel,with construction to becompleted in late 2009

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School of Hotel and Tourism Management

In a ceremony on 9 October at PolyU’s Jockey ClubAuditorium, the SHTM officially named its Hotel and

Tourism Resource Centre after Dr Che-woo Lui, whorecently donated $14 million to the School.

The Che-woo Lui Hotel and Tourism Resource Centrecaters to the research needs of students, staff and theindustry. Spanning 250 square meters on campus, theCentre is a repository of hospitality and tourism books,journals, magazines, statistical bulletins and audiovisuallearning materials from around the world.

A staunch supporter of tourism and hospitalityeducation, and a founding court member of theuniversity, Dr Che-woo Lui received his honoraryDoctor of Business Administration parchment at theopening ceremony. He had been awarded the degreeearlier in recognition of his outstanding achievementsand contributions to the community.

Speaking at the ceremony, Dr Lui highlighted worldtrends in the hotel and tourism sector with particularemphasis on Hong Kong and Macao, which he believesare set to play a crucial role in advancing South China’seconomy. He also believes that family resortdestinations catering to various interests will becomehighly sought after holiday options.

Dr Lui is a remarkable Hong Kong success story.Beginning his career in the construction materialsindustry in the 1950s, he diversified into propertyinvestments a decade later and eventually entered the

hospitality market. His K Wah Group now counts theInterContinental Grand Stanford Hotel amongst itsportfolio, along with a string of hotels throughout theUS. In 2002, the Group ventured into Macao’s gamingand hospitality sector, and is one of just threeoperators to hold a gaming license.

The K Wah Group is now striving to nurture locallydeveloped hotel brands and play a key role in propellingthe professional development of hotel chains in China.Dr Lui’s interest lies in how he can help to developChinese hotel chains to gain the outstanding reputationsof renowned international chains.

Resource Centre Named After Benefactor

Milestone

Dr and Mrs Lui flanked by Professor Poon Chung-kwong (on left) and Professor Kaye Chon at theunveiling ceremony

Professor Kaye Chon, Director of the SHTM, and ProfessorPoon Chung-kwong, President of PolyU, receive the $14 milliondonation from Dr Che-woo Lui

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HORIZONS

Milestone

Dr Lui’s donation to the SHTM is oneof the ways in which he is makingthat interest a reality. Not only willhis kindness enable the School toenact many of its own plans, but itwill also work to expand the scopeof tourism education both in HongKong and mainland China. Part ofthe donation will be used toestablish ten annual scholarships tosupport internships for five Bachelorof Science (Bsc) and five HigherDiploma (HD) students in a majorhotel chain overseas or in mainlandChina.

Each scholarship will cover a student’s travel and livingexpenses during the year-long internship. Thisopportunity will be open to BSc Year Two and HD YearOne students who demonstrate outstanding Englishand Chinese language skills, have outstandingacademic results and have appropriate characters.

Another part of the donation will be channelled towardsSHTM research, enabling faculty members to conductstudies on chain hotel or hotel brand management, withpriority given to those with research proposals that showa direct impact on the development of hotel chains orbrands in mainland China.

Faculty members will also be sponsored on shorthospitality courses at prominent hotel schoolsworldwide, with the focus on their ability to incorporatewhat they learn into the teaching at the SHTM. They willbe expected to further apply that learning to theirresearch within an Asian context, and to bring theacquired knowledge to forums and the SHTM’s ExecutiveDevelopment Programmes.

The remainder of the donation will be used to fund anannual China Hotel Branding Forum, with the firstsession scheduled for 2007. To be held in China, it willfeature overseas, Hong Kong and mainland Chinesespeakers discussing hotel chain management andbrand management in China.

“PolyU has benefited from Dr Lui’s invaluable insightsand support in developing our hotel and tourismprogrammes,” says Professor Poon Chung Kwong,President of PolyU. “The donation will not only enablePolyU to gather funds from the government’s thirdMatching Grant Scheme, but also facilitate the SHTM’sefforts in raising hotel management standards in theChinese mainland.”

Dr Lui himself best sums up the mission that has guidedhis philanthropy over the years.“The world is full of ruthless competition. But what wepursue with our utmost effort is not necessarily a life ofglamour and wonder. Rather, an ordinary andharmonious life should be our goal. Only this will bringus genuine peace of mind and happiness.”

We would all do well to follow Dr Lui’s advice.

Panel discussion after Dr Lui’s presentation, featuring (from left) Ms Cherrie Lau, BA(Hons) Hotel Management Year 3 student; Ms Ada Lo (moderator); Mr Anthony Carter,CEO of Galaxy Entertainment; Dr Lui Che-Woo; Professor Kaye Chon; and Ms Hanna Lii,BA(Hons) Tourism Management Year 3 student

Dr Chee-woo Lui delivering his address at the openingceremony

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School of Hotel and Tourism Management

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SHTM Launches Doctorateof Hotel and Tourism Management

Hotel and tourism management is a dynamic andrewarding profession, with the constant need to

develop new skills and react effectively and efficientlyto a volatile marketplace. Industry leaders andeducators in the Asia-Pacific region have long been inneed of a professional doctoral level programme. Tofulfil that need, the SHTM will be offering aninnovative Doctorate of Hotel and TourismManagement beginning in the Fall Semester of 2007.

“This programme is unique globally,” says ProfessorBob McKercher, Programme Coordinator. “It willprovide students with an opportunity to earn aprofessional doctorate. The subjects have beendesigned specifically to develop insight, creativity andanalytical skills to a much more sophisticated level thanany current Master’s programme.”

Building on the success of the SHTM’s MSc in Hoteland Tourism Management, the doctoral programme isaimed at senior industry executives, senior staffmembers in government, non-governmental andindustry tourism organisations, and hotel and tourismmanagement academics.

“The programme will be both challenging andrewarding. Students will learn much about themselvesand will have a chance to achieve their potential,” saysProfessor McKercher.

The subjects have been designed to promote careerand personal development by placing hotel andtourism management in a broader social, economicand political context, developing research skills andinstructing students to identify emerging trends.Taught subjects will cover a wide range of areas, fromtheories and concepts, environmental analysis, thedistinct Asian setting and research methods to hoteland tourism management education. Elective subjectswill also be offered, and students will be expected tocomplete a thesis, focusing on an applied researchtopic of their own choice.

Strong demand for theprogramme is expected to come

from mainland China and the Asia-Pacific region. SHTM research has

revealed that more than half the serving tourism andhospitality management academics in the mainlandaspire to a doctoral level qualification. Upskilling hasalso been identified as a key need for senior publicand private sector staff in the broader region.

Students in the Doctorate of Hotel and TourismManagement programme will be able to study at theirown pace. The programme will be offered in a mixed-mode of study (full-time, part-time or a combinationof both), with the expected completion time to rangebetween 2.5 years (full-time) and 5 years (part-time).Part-time students will enrol in block release subjectstaught over two weekends a semester.

Professor McKercher notes that “the block releasemode is also specifically designed to enable studentsfrom diverse geographic and working backgrounds toget to know each other well.” Combined with aresidential school at the beginning of the programmeand another before commencement of the thesis,students will have ample opportunities to networkwith their industry peers.

This itself will help tie the SHTM closer to the industry.Professor McKercher says that “it will be a win, win,win, win situation. Students gain from both a unique,high quality educational opportunity and the ability todeveloped a strong international network of peers.The School benefits by expanding its alumni networkand its recent graduates win by broadening theircareer prospects.”

For enquires about the programme, please contactProfessor Bob McKercher, Programme Coordinator, atemail: hmbob@polyu.edu.hktelephone: (852)2766 6553, or fax: (852)2362 9362.

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HORIZONS

Third China Tourism Forum

China Tourism Forum

The Third China Tourism Forum, hosted by theSHTM in collaboration with the UN World Tourism

Organization (UNWTO) in December 2006, has beenhailed as a huge success.

Professor Haiyan Song, the Forum’s Programme Chair,says that the event enabled industry players andacademics, both in and outside of China, to exchangeideas. “With over 150 participants from 6 countries,the Forum served as a bridge for academics andpractitioners to discuss issues they have in common.”

The Forum provided an opportunity for policy makers,marketing organisations, researchers, academics andindustry practitioners to identify issues related totourism and economic development in China, and todiscuss possible solutions to the resultant challenges.The issues explored included the latest trends indomestic tourism, how to prepare for the exponentialgrowth of outbound tourism, the impact of tourism onthe Pearl River Delta, the planning of new hoteldevelopment in China and community-based tourism.

Presenting his keynote speech at the opening of theForum, Dr Taleb Rifai, Deputy Secretary-General of theUNWTO, noted that tourism is one of the mostfascinating phenomena of the 21st century. The factthat tourists around the world spent over US$700billion in 2005, despite the challenges brought on byinflation, higher oil prices, terrorism and the IndianOcean tsunami, is an indicator of how important theindustry has become, Dr Rifai added.

Nowhere is this more evident than in Asia, where theUNWTO has forecasted a 47% growth rate over thenext 14 years. Staggering growth like this will begenerated by the efforts of many Asian nations toboost inbound tourist numbers, which has already

a Huge Success

On stage at the opening session of the Forum were (from left) Professor Haiyan Song,Forum Chairman; Mr Philippe Rositter, Chief Executive of the HCIMA; Dr Taleb Rifai,Deputy Secretary-General of the UNWTO; Ms Au King-chi, Commissioner for Tourism,Hong Kong SAR Government; and Professor Kaye Chon

Panel discussion on tourism development in the PRD, featuring(from left) Professor Cathy Hsu (moderator); Ms Jacqueline Tong,General Manager, Strategic Planning and MarketingCommunications, Hong Kong Tourism Board; Ms Lili Zhang; andProfessor Kaye Chon

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School of Hotel and Tourism Management

Third China Tourism Forum 7

prompted the opening of secondary airports andheightened the profiles of remote and rural areas. Theemergence of low-cost carriers has popularised theconcept of travel, with a new preference to combinesightseeing with leisure-based activities promptinghigher spending and longer stays.

In conjunction with this, Dr Rifai announced that Chinawould take the mantle of the number one tourismdestination in the world well ahead of schedule. Yet hewarned that the tourist industry must consider itsactivities from a social, cultural and environmentalviewpoint. “Unless tourism is managed in a sustainablemanner, it will affect the lives of people negatively,” hesaid.

Professor Kaye Chon, Director of the SHTM, reiteratedthat concern in his speech. He said that with China’sdominance on the world stage most likely to take placearound 2012-2015, those in the sector need to thinkabout development sustainability. A first step in qualitymanagement lies in education, with Professor Chonhighlighting the staggering pace of educationadvancement in the area.

From just one institution in China that offered tourismeducation in 1979, there are now 1,980 schoolsproviding tertiary level courses. Such extensiveacademic efforts are in line with the government’sstrategy to prepare key parts of the country for tourismand hospitality though talent training, collaborationwith local municipalities and the enhancement ofeducation programmes.

Professor Wang Zhong-ming of Zhejiang University’sGlobal Entrepreneurship Research Centre spoke of thechanging focus of tourism education in China.“Chinese universities have traditionally placed moreemphasis on admission to the programme than oncareer development, but this is changing. We nowhave a fully taught English programme in Hangzhouand place greater focus on the development ofentrepreneurial and business planning skills.”

A highlight of the Forum’s second day was a panel ofhoteliers discussing their expansion plans in China andissues of talent recruitment. The panel comprised DrTim Gao, CEO of TEDA Hotels Management, JohnGirard, General Manager and Area Director of theMarco Polo Hotel Group, and Symon Bridle, Shangri-La’s Chief Operating Officer. After discussing theirrespective development plans, the panellists addressedthe huge void in China’s hospitality talent pool. Theywere particularly concerned that as many as 70% oftourism and hospitality students have no plans to jointhe sector following graduation. The panel’s consensuswas to offer more lengthy internships to students intheir preferred disciplines so they can see forthemselves how the industry works.

This, too, is an aim of the SHTM, and the Forumconfirmed the School’s significance as Asia’s onlyrepresentative in the UNWTO’s 16-member Educationand Training Network.

The fourth China Tourism Forum is scheduled for 15-16December 2007, and will be held in Kunming incollaboration with the University of Yunnan.

Hotel development panel, featuring (from left) Mr Symon Bridle,Mr John Girard, Dr Tim Gao and Professor Amy Chan (moderator)

Closing keynote presentation, featuring Professor ZhangGuang-rui, Director of the Tourism Research Centre at theChinese Academy of Social Sciences (left), and Mr Fen Hou,CEO of Jinling Hotels and Resorts (right)

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Teaching Excellence Award 2006

A teacher should play different roles and embracetasks that go beyond the typical instructor’s

scope, according to Associate Professor VincentHeung, recipient of the SHTM Teaching ExcellenceAward 2006.

Dr Heung draws on a wealth of experience in thehotel, food service and tourism industries whenpreparing to teach, but he knows that “there are otherroles to play: advisor, consultant, guidance, facilitator,director and entertainer.” He adds that his main focusis to provide a learning environment in which studentscan excel.

He is also mindful of the fact that students’ varyinglevels of ability should influence the way in which theyare taught. “To provide the best possible help andguidance to students, I should be aware of theindividual differences amongst them,” he says. “I haveto adopt different teaching and learning methods tobring the students’ performance in line with thelearning outcome.”

Aside from teaching the curriculum, Dr Heung says heaspires to teach students about life. “It is my wish notonly to achieve the learning outcomes of a particularsubject, but also to broaden students’ horizons and toextend their capabilities for self learning, selfevaluation and self development.”

In addition to anchoring his teaching approach indeveloping trust with students, Dr Heung hasdeveloped a triple “A” model for learning, comprisingappreciation, application and approach

The first phase lies in appreciation, which meansexpressing interest in a topic by going beyond mereunderstanding and on to the next level where studentsare eager to learn for themselves.

The second stage is in the application, and the abilityto apply concepts, principles and theories to real lifesituations to solve problems or seize opportunities.“Students should have learned all the relevantconcepts and principles and should be able to drawupon them for wider application both locally andglobally,” he says.

The third and ultimate phase lies in the approach:students should not be limited by principles ortheories, but should be free to create, invent orinnovate as they see fit.

Dr Heung believes that when introducing a new topiche should make students aware of its relevance, andthen stimulate their interest through linking the topicto their daily life or personal experience. “Onceinterest is developed, students will be more attentiveand have a desire to learn more. This will then leadthem to the final action stage.” he says.

As a result, “students will become active learners, andthe classroom will be an active classroom. Students willhave successfully achieved the learning outcome,developed an attitude receptive to ongoing learningand become independent learners and innovators.”

Dr Heung is certainly a worthy recipient of the SHTMTeaching Excellence Award 2006.

MultifacetedTeaching

ExcellenceAssociate Professor Vincent Heung receives his Teaching ExcellenceAward from Professor Kaye Chon.

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School of Hotel and Tourism Management

Mainland Programmes

Mainland ChinaLeading the Way in

SHTM

Nowhere can the growth of tourism be more palpably felt than in mainland China, where arrivals anddepartures are rising at a staggering rate, set in the context of the world’s fastest growing economy. But such

impressive results are only sustainable if both the infrastructure and service standards are improved. That is whyevery effort is being made to develop new talent, to reduce the deficit of qualified professionals who possess ablend of hospitality and tourism training with attuned Western and Chinese cultural backgrounds. In this, theSHTM is no exception, but has the additional advantage of possessing teaching faculty with a deep understandingof mainland China’s hospitality and tourism industry developments, and a track record in internationalmanagement best practices.

The SHTM’s programmes are changing the face of hospitality and tourism in mainland China today, with thecertainty that more courses will be created in the future to fuel the unstoppable growth.

Master of Science in Hotel and TourismManagement, Hangzhou

One of the SHTM’s longest-running programmes inmainland China, the full English language programmerun in collaboration with Zhejiang University inHangzhou targets working professionals in the sector.

“Many people in mainland China have extensive workexperience in the field, but they may not necessarilyhave had the education opportunities,” explainsAssistant Professor Henry Tsai, the Programme Leader.The two-year part-time course allows students tochoose up to 10 out of 21 subjects, with the option ofundertaking a research project in the final year.

The core subjects of the programme cover humanresource management, marketing management, hoteland tourism financial management and researchmethods. The elective courses focus on specific areasof interest such as China hotel and tourism businessstudies, convention tourism, and strategicmanagement in the hotel and tourism industry.

Hotel general managers, directors of tourism,educators in the industry and government officials haveall been students in the course, the structure of whichreplicates its Hong Kong equivalent.

Dr Tsai notes that “it is a very competitive programmeto get into, as each year we have a limited intakequota authorised by the Ministry of Education inChina.” Applicants must have a bachelor’s degree andat least a year of work experience in the industry.Those with an associate degree and at least six years ofindustry experience may also be considered inexceptional circumstances. Prospective students mustpass an English test and an interview in Hangzhoubefore an offer is made.

Cynthia Song, Vice General Manager of a four starhotel in China, says that the course helped to advanceher knowledge of international tourism managementissues, improved her English language ability andfinessed her teamwork ethos. Ms Song graduatedfrom the course in December 2006, and now includesteaching as a possible future career.

“One of the programme’s benefits is that we are able toprovide globally reputable teaching and research as wellas scholarly activities to students in mainland China,who also have the opportunity of broadening theirviews through interacting with our staff,” says Dr Tsai.

The programme also features visiting professors fromthe US and the UK, amongst other countries, who can

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HORIZONS

Mainland Programmes

give insights into the latest industry trends andpractices from an international perspective.

Fred Xu, another recent graduate, says that the up-to-date knowledge he acquired has assisted his work atthe Zhejiang Tourism Bureau. Although challenged bythe time constraints and the English language delivery,Mr Xu benefited from the networking opportunitieswith his teachers and fellow students.

“In mainland China, the hardware to build excellenthotel facilities and amenities is there, but one thing itstill lacks is the software in terms of customer serviceand the standard of staff. Education is a vehicle bywhich customer service standards can be raised andstudents can learn from other internationalorganisations,” Dr Tsai says.

Master of Science in Hotel and TourismManagement, Ningbo

The bilingual Master of Science in Hotel and TourismManagement programme is run jointly with NingboPolytechnic, an extension of Zhejiang University andthe SHTM. Launched in September 2006, classes aretaught in Putonghua and course materials are in bothEnglish and Chinese, enabling even those lessproficient in English to participate, says Dr HanqinZhang, Programme Leader.

“There are a limited number of people in China whospeak English, so the concept behind this programmeis to extend the same opportunity to those who areless skilled in it,” she explains. “The group ofexecutives who take the programme will understandEnglish, but they may not feel confident in speakingand communicating in it.”

The programme is taught in block mode, with averagecompletion to be between 18 months and two years.Applicants must have at least a year of industryexperience and a bachelor degree in hospitality andtourism or a related field to meet the requirements ofthe course. The first intake included 30 industryprofessionals, ranging from senior executives in thetourism and hospitality industry to governmentofficials. “I am expecting more demand from theindustry as more and more upscale hotels open up inChina,” Dr Zhang adds.

Although the programme is currently taught exclusivelyby faculty from the SHTM, plans are being made todelegate specific subjects to qualified instructors fromlocal universities. The programme affords doublerecognition, both in terms of an internationallyrecognised degree from PolyU and approval from themainland government’s Ministry of Education.

“Graduates of the programme are expected to moveon to much more prosperous careers with better jobopportunities,” Dr Zhang adds.

Bachelor of Arts (Hons.) in Hotel andCatering Management, Xi’an

The Bachelor of Arts (Hons.) in Hotel and CateringManagement programme, held in conjunction withXi’an Jiaotong University, is a two-year course thatallows students to upgrade their diploma in a relatedsubject. The programme started two years ago, and ismainly taught by staff from the SHTM, with some inputfrom faculty members at the partner university.

The majority of the courses are conducted on the Xi’ancampus, with a few at Shenzhen Polytechnic and twoweeks on the PolyU campus in Hong Kong. They coverhotel and catering services management, researchmethodology and quantitative methods for financialmanagement in hospitality and tourism. Theprogramme culminates in a final year project on anarea of the student’s choice.

The students range from fresh diploma graduates intheir 20s who have only six months of relevant workexperience to industry professionals in their 50s withover 30 years of work experience.

“Students in the programme are able to experience thebest of both worlds by learning from instructors whoNingbo MSc students relaxing together

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School of Hotel and Tourism Management

Mainland Programmes

understand the China environment but are alsofamiliar with international professional best practices,”says Ms Chloe Lau, Programme Leader. She adds thatstudents who mostly hail from areas in South Chinasuch as Shenzhen, Guangzhou and Hangzhou, andsome from North China such as Dalian and Xi’an, willgain crucial intercultural experience from theprogramme.

With these opportunities, the hospitality and tourismindustry in the Pearl River Delta can look forward to aninflux of leading-edge talent.

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The Xi’an BA in Hotel and Catering Management class

In response to the expanding opportunity in the hotel and tourism industry in China, The Hong University and Hotel Online have teameKong Polytechnic U ed up to offer this special seminar onnrism Development in New York on 27 ApChina Hotel & Tour ril 2007.& Yo

xperts from Asia will be speaking at theRenowned China e e Seminar on issues related to ChinaChina will be speaking at ’s y, such as:hospitality industryndustry

tel developmentInvestme oteent in hoevelopment and demand in ChinaAnalysis el devAnalysis of hote nd in Chinaucturep structureHotel ownership

evelopment needsS and management devService quality aAnal nanalysis of Chin ’ avel patternss outbound trave

tionshipsManage nd labour relatioagement anuman resources developmeMultiunit Chinations and humit opera entt in Ch

Topics and S ersSpeake

O nd tourism industry in Chinaverview of and tourism indushotel a – Current Issues and Challengesnt Chair Professor and Director, School of Hotel & Professor Kaye Chon, C urism Management,Chair Professor and DirChon, C & Toouchnic UniversityThe Hong Kong Polytecg Polyt

evelopment Trend in ChinaThe De Ch ’s Hotel & To Industryourism InGao, CEO of TEDA Hotels Management CompaDr Tim G y Ltd., Beijinganyy Ltd., Beijag

nd Investment in ChinaHotel Ownership an nant, Jinling Hotels Management Co., Ltd.Mr Frank Hou, Presiden nt Co., Ltd.

otel Industry Performance, Profitability aThe Ho and Outlook liYen, Director, Horwath HTL Asia PacificMr Leo

China Outbound Market – from the Government’s Perspective Mr Tony Tse, Program Director (Industry Partnerships), School of Hotel & Tourism Management, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University

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n China Hotel & Tourism Seminar on DevelopmentNew York • 27 April 2007

For more information about the Seminar on China Hotel & Tourism Development and to download a registration form, please click www.polyu.edu.hk/htm/edp/chtd or www.hotel-online.com (or email: hmttse@polyu.edu.hk).

Venue: Le Parker Meridien 118 West 57th Street, New York, NY10019

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School of Hotel and Tourism Management

Outstanding Alumnus

A True Global Citizen

For most people one stint of work experienceoverseas would be enough, but not for Joanne Yoo,

who graduated from the SHTM in 2005 with a PhD inHotel and Tourism Management.

A Korean native, Dr Yoo has studied and worked in herhome country, the Netherlands, Australia, Hong Kongand Thailand. With her imminent relocation to theUniversity of Houston to take up the role of AssistantProfessor at the College of Hotel and RestaurantManagement, she is on track to becoming a trueglobal citizen.

After graduating from Ewha Woman’s University inSouth Korea, Dr Yoo’s first job was with KLM RoyalDutch Airlines as an in-flight interpreter. “I flewbetween Asia and Europe three times a month,witnessing an explosive outbound tourism boom inKorea, only five years after the government lifted itsoverseas travel ban,” she says.

Curious about thisoverwhelming trend in

travel, she decided toembark on furtherstudies. She won an

Australian governmentscholarship to study

for a Master in TourismManagement at Griffith

University. Followinggraduation she returned to

Korea, where she taught

introductory tourism courses at Tamna University forfour years. Despite the rewards of the work, Dr Yoostill had the ambition to become a more competentresearcher and educator. It was during her earlyteaching years that she met Professor Kaye Chon ofthe SHTM, who later became her mentor andencouraged her to study for a PhD.

Dr Yoo comments that the SHTM gave her numerousopportunities to attend overseas conferences, whichbroadened her horizons and honed her internationalcompetitiveness. That prepared her for a tenure at thePacific Asia Travel Association (PATA) in Bangkok asAssistant Director of the Strategic Intelligence Centre.PATA is the leading industry organisation for travel andtourism in the Asia-Pacific region, with a membershipcomprising governments, national tourismorganisations, transportation carriers, lodgingaccommodation firms and travel industry companies in73 countries.

“My major role at PATA was to produce research andintelligence for the membership, to interact withmember organisations in relation to their research andinformation needs, and to represent the association atvarious international and regional meetings,conferences and symposiums. My tenure helped mebroaden my understanding and perspective of tourismat a very macro and international level.”

Now that she is moving to the University of Houston,where she will teach tourism and event management,Dr Yoo is again benefiting from her time at the SHTM.She feels proud to have gained the appointment,mentioning that her success reflects the quality of theSHTM’s PhD programme.

Dr Yoo encourages other graduates to look at themyriad global opportunities. Most important is to keepa pulse on global events, as they can have a profoundand immediate impact on the tourism industry.

“To succeed, I believe you need a deep understandingof the global industry environment,” she says.

14

HORIZONS

2006 Graduates

MSc/PgD in Hotel and Tourism Management(Part-time) 2006

MSc/PgD in Hotel and Tourism Management(Hangzhou) 2006

BSc (Hons) in Hotel Management 2006

MSc/PgD in Hotel and Tourism Management(Full-time) 2006

BA (Hons) in Hotel, Catering and TourismManagement (Hotel) 2006

BA (Hons) in Hotel, Catering and TourismManagement (Catering) 2006

15

School of Hotel and Tourism Management

2006 Graduates

BA (Hons) in Hotel, Catering and TourismManagement (Tourism) 2006

BA (Hons) in Hotel, Catering and TourismManagement (Hotel) (Part-time) 2006

BA (Hons) in Hotel and CateringManagement (Part-time) 2006

Higher Diploma in Hotel, Catering and TourismManagement (Hotel) 2006

Higher Diploma in Hotel, Catering and TourismManagement (Catering) 2006

Higher Diploma in Hotel, Catering and TourismManagement (Tourism) 2006

Higher Diploma in Hotel, Catering and TourismManagement (Part-time) 2006

16

HORIZONS

Student Success

First year students Bonnie Tang Lai Mei and KarenTam Wai Yu were awarded the second runner-up

prize in the China Light and Power (CLP) Eat Smart forTotal Health recipe design and cooking competition inNovember. The pair are studying for the SHTM’s HigherDiploma in Hotel Management and aspire to work inthe food and beverage sector of the hospitalityindustry.

CLP held the competition to raise awareness amongstthe younger generation of the health needs of theelderly, while also educating them about theimportance of healthy eating. The tertiary section ofthe competition featured twenty teams from threeuniversities that were given strict instructions to createa nutritious meal suitable for the elderly.

The preparation and cooking time was limited to just20 minutes, with food enthusiast Karen Tam creating asteamed bean curd dish. “The competition showed usthe importance of thorough and strategic thinking. Werealised that we needed to think of every eventualityand prepare for them well, particularly given thelimited time frame,” says Bonnie Tang.

The pair, friends since secondary school, were verypleased with their success given that they overran theirallocated time. “We went over by ten minutes, so wereinitially very anxious because we knew marks would bededucted from our final score for this,” explains MsTang.

But the success of the recipe managed to offset thathitch. Both were elated to have gained one of the topthree slots in the competition. “We were so surprisedto have come this far. We really didn’t expect it,” saysMs Tam.

The pair’s recipe is for a tasty and easy to prepare dish.

Bean Curd Parcel

Ingredients

8 pieces of seasoned fried bean curd skin(“abura-age” – Japanese fried tofu)

3 egg whites20 g finely diced carrots20 g finely diced green pepper20 g corn kernel20 g chopped shiitake mushrooms150 ml chicken stock

Method

Soak the bean curd skin in hot water for 30minutes to reduce its natural sweetness.

Mix the egg whites with the chicken stock using a1:1.5 ratio. Pour the blended mixture onto a 6 or7 inch aluminium plate and steam for 10 minutes.Add the carrot, mushrooms, green pepper andcorn. Steam until consolidated into one piece.

Remove the bean curd skin from the waterand lightly press with kitchen paper to

remove excess liquid.

Scoop the steamed egg white mixtureinto the open end of the bean curd

skin. Fold the open end to close thepocket and shape into small parcels.

Students Cook Smart

Bonnie (left)and Karen

17

School of Hotel and Tourism Management

Executive Development Programmes

Innovative Winter School

In January and early February the SHTM hosted thefifth Hong Kong Winter School, an elite Executive

Training Programme designed to enhance the skills andstrategic development of senior hotel managers inHong Kong.

Run jointly by the SHTM and the Hong Kong HotelsAssociation between 29 January and 3 February, thislearning opportunity came at a pertinent time forhospitality educators and industry professionals giventhe intense competition, increasing costs and labourshortages facing the sector.

Around one hundred executives from the tourism andhospitality sector attended the week-long programme,which featured a series of three workshops, eachspanning two days. The workshops were especiallythought provoking this year because they were jointlyconducted by academics and industry notables.

“By partnering an academic with a hotel industryexecutive to talk about specific subjects, we aimed tostimulate more discussion and involve participants in aninteractive experience,” says Tony Tse, the SHTM’sProgramme Director (Industry Partnerships). Theworkshops focused on strategic marketingmanagement, strategic financial management andstrategic human resources management.

Professor Cathy Hsu and Jeffrey Flowers, President ofMarco Polo Hotels, led the strategic marketingmanagement workshop, which provided executiveswith an overview of services marketing, examining howhotels can create and sustain customer value through

the use of market analysis, product positioning,branding and communications. Success stories, bestbranding practices and useful market researchtechniques were shared.

The strategic financial management workshop,conducted by Assistant Professor Prakash Chathothand Tim Cheung, the Ritz-Carlton’s Director ofFinance, equipped hospitality managers with theessential tools needed for managing their businessesthrough adding value in the face of increasingcompetition. Cash flow analyses, financial andoperational leverage, the capital structure of the firmand capital budgeting were amongst the manyimportant topics covered in lectures, group projectsand presentations.

The Winter School closed with a workshop on strategichuman resources management, led by AssistantProfessor Simon Wong and James Lu, ExecutiveDirector of the Hong Kong Hotels Association.Conducted in two parts, participants first learnedabout their individual characteristics, includingstrengths and weaknesses, through the Myers-BriggsType Indicator. Dr Wong illustrated how individualpreferences in thinking style and behaviour could beused to create team synergy. Mr Lu then discussed thelatest happenings in human resources managementand highlighted what HR professionals in thehospitality industry need to be aware of when hiring.

The sixth Hong Kong Winter School, to be held nextyear, will continue the trend of innovative ExecutiveEducation Programmes hosted by the SHTM.

Participants and presentersof the 5th Hong KongWinter School

18

HORIZONS

In Brief

SHTM News

HCIMA AccreditationRenewed

The Hotel and CateringInternational ManagementAssociation (HCIMA) has renewedits accreditation of the SHTM’sundergraduate programmes in hotelmanagement. HCIMA ChiefExecutive Philippe Rositter presentedthe accreditation certificate to SHTMDirector, Professor Kaye Chon,during the opening ceremony of thethird China Tourism Forum lastDecember.

Professor Chon says that “the re-accreditation demonstrated theSHTM’s adherence to quality inprogramme management,excellence in teaching andacademic rigour.”

The accreditation report analysedevery aspect of the SHTM’soperations, from course structure,work placements and teachingmode to assessment strategies,delivering a stellar appraisal of theBachelor of Science (Honours) inHotel Management and HigherDiploma in Hotel Managementprogrammes.

Forum on Tourism Demand

On 23 November Professor HaiyanSong presented a forum at PolyU’sPublic Policy Research Institute(PPRI) on the development of atourism demand forecasting systemfor Hong Kong. The well-attendedevent attracted industryrepresentatives and government

officials from the HongKong Tourism Boardand the Census andStatistics Department.

Professor Songupdated the audienceon the three-yearproject he isconducting incollaboration withProfessor Kaye Chon, Dr KevinWong, and Visiting ProfessorsStephen Witt and Gang Li. Theproject is developing an automatedmodelling and forecasting systemto help Hong Kong formulate andimplement suitable medium- tolong-term tourism strategies. Thesystem will be able to accuratelyforecast tourist arrivals from tenmajor markets and forecast touristexpenditure, demand for hotelnights and outbound departures tovarious destinations.

“This system will be useful for policymakers in terms of forecasting futuredemand for tourism,” says ProfessorSong.

Once the project is completed in2008, a dedicated website will becreated to host the forecastingmodel, with detailed quarterlyupdates available to subscribers.Basic information on tourismdemand will be available tomembers of the public.

CNTA Delegation

Organised by the China NationalTourism Association, 31provincial tourism directors frommainland China joined an SHTMExecutive Development Programmeon 18-19 November 2006. Theprogramme included fourinformative and lively seminarsessions: “Tourism Strategy and

Management” by Mr PeterSemone, former Vice-President ofthe Pacific Asia Travel Association(PATA), “Service QualityManagement” by Professor KayChon, “Competitiveness andForecasting in Tourism” byProfessor Haiyan Song and “CaseStudies of Event Management” byMr Tony Tse.

Japanese Students Visit

A group of 60 students from theTravel Journal Hospitality andTourism College in Tokyo visitedthe SHTM on 7 November 2006.The visit was arranged by the HongKong Tourism Board, with the groupmeeting 15 SHTM StudentAssociation representatives for lunchand a lively discussion. They werethen shown around the PolyUcampus, including the Che-woo LuiHotel and Tourism Resource Centre.

The CNTA delegates after the ExecutiveDevelopment Programme

The Japanese students with theirSHTMA counterparts andrepresentatives of the Hong KongTourism Board

19

School of Hotel and Tourism Management

Seeking Closer Connectionswith Yunnan and Guizhou

In April, Professor Cathy Hsujoined a business delegation headedby Chief Executive Donald Tsang ona three-day visit to Yunnan as partof an effort to collaborate moreclosely with members of the Pan-Pearl River Delta. Yunnan isconsidered one of mainland China’stop tourist destinations, offeringglaciers, rainforests and a minorityculture population.

Traditionally a town for scholars,Huangshan has significant potentialfor international tourism given thatit is already a well-known domesticdestination. It combines exhilaratingnatural and romantic heritage,which are not available in manyother destinations in mainlandChina. But the infrastructure andmaintenance of the two WorldHeritage villages should be improvedto enhance the authenticity of thesites. Less commercialisation such assouvenir selling would also bepreferable, as would more signageto explain the town’s history andculture.

SHTM News

Cooperation Agreement withSichuan Province

The Tourism Administration ofSichuan Province signed acooperation agreement with theSHTM on 19 November 2006. Theagreement covers collaboration inresearch, conference and tourismactivities, academic exchange andExecutive Development Programmes.

Huangshan Tourism Potential

Programme Director (IndustryPartnerships) Mr Tony Tse describesHuangshan in Anhui province as“the source of aspiration for Chinesebrush painting, poets and painters”following his three day visit inNovember 2006.

Mr Tse joined a delegation fromHong Kong that was exploringHuangshan’s tourism potential onthe mayor’s invitation. The visitfollowed the SHTM’s signing ofMemoranda of Understanding withboth Huangshan city andHuangshan University’s TourismCollege. The partnership is likely totranslate into tourism research, aforum and academic exchange, andwill enable the college’s teachingstaff to study in the SHTM’spostgraduate programmes.

Signing of the Cooperation Agreement

Huangshan’s visual delights

In a ceremony presided at by ChiefExecutive Tsang in early May, aMemorandum of Understandingwas signed with the YunnanTourism Bureau. “Thecollaboration could involvesending Hong Kong teachers totrain hoteliers in Yunnan, andembarking on joint researchprojects or establishing anexchange programme forstudents,” says Professor Hsu. Amore concrete result from the visitwas the collaboration agreementsigned with Yunnan University toco-host the fourth China TourismForum in Kunming in December2007.

More recently, in NovemberProfessor Hsu joined a largerdelegation of industry notablesfrom the tourism, Chinesemedicine, banking and financialservices and legal communities,who together with the ChiefExecutive visited Yunnan’s lessdeveloped neighbour Guizhou.“This was more of an exploratorytrip, offering Hong Kongbusinesses the opportunity ofinvestment. Regarded as the leastwell-known and developed ofSouthwest China’s main touristregion, the province is pushing topromote its natural scenicofferings and cultural activities,”says Professor Hsu. Believing thatHong Kong has much to offer interms of tourism education, theChief Executive, accompanied byfour tourism academics includingProfessor Hsu, also made a shortvisit to Guizhou University.

Of the Chief Executive’s nineplanned visits to the provinces inthe Pearl River Delta, ProfessorHsu and SHTM staff have so farparticipated in two, with thelikelihood of more visits in 2007.

20

HORIZONS

SHTM News

Dr Jinsoo Lee, AssistantProfessor. Dr Lee worked for morethan seven years in the conventionand exhibition business beforejoining the SHTM. He received hisMSc from the University of Nevada,

Las Vegas, and his PhD from the Kansas State University.

Dr Han Shen, PostdoctoralResearch Fellow. Dr Shen waspreviously a Lecturer at FudanUniversity’s Department of Tourism.She received her PhD from theChinese Academy of Social Sciences.

Mrs Lily Kwong, Tutor. MrsKwong previously worked as amember of the managerial staff invarious front of house departmentsfor Marriott International Inc, as anassistant director in nutrition care

centres for ServiceMaster, as a service manager forBuffets Inc and as an operations manager for HDS in theUS.

Ms Loretta Pang, Tutor. Ms Pangholds a Master degree in Hotel andTourism Management and is aCertified Hospitality Educator. Shewas previously Head of the Tourismand Hospitality Programme at theHong Kong College of Technology. Ms Pang has beeninvolved in the hospitality industry for more than 15years, with extensive experience in hotel rooms divisionsand F&B departments. She also worked as theAdministration and Programme Manager of Movielink(Hong Kong) Ltd, a hotel pay-movie, information systemand services company.

Mr Joey Wu, Tutor. Mr Wu waspreviously a lecturer at the HongKong College of Technology. He hasbeen involved in the hospitalityindustry for more than 10 years, withextensive experience in roomsdivisions and customer services in deluxe hotelsincluding the Mandarin Oriental Hong Kong and theKowloon Shangri-La. Mr Wu trained at the Royal ParkHotel in Tokyo, and his last position in the industry wasas Senior Duty Manager at the Tinian Dynasty Hotel andCasino, CNMI, US.

Ms Theresa Mui, ExecutiveOfficer. Ms Mui previously workedat the PolyU Academic Secretariat,overseeing admission matters.

Ms Florence Ng, Senior Secretary.Ms Ng worked as a professionalsecretary in the hospitality and retailindustry before joining the SHTM asSenior Secretary to the Director ofthe School.

Ms Flora Ng, Programme Officer.Ms Ng is working in the IndustryPartnerships team, assisting withEDPs, consultancy, public relationsand liaison with the industry. Shepreviously worked with the HongKong Tourism Board.

New Arrivals

21

School of Hotel and Tourism Management

Professor for a Day

Professor for a DayThe SHTM extends its heartfelt thanks to the distinguished

practitioners who have served as professors for a day.

Mr John Berndt Vice President of Operations, Marco Polo Hotels Service Management in Marco Polo Hotels

Mr Anthony Carter Director and CEO, Galaxy Entertainment Group Galaxy and Asian Gaming – With ParticularReference to Macao

Ms Anna Cheung Manager, Sales (Exhibitions) Hong Kong Trade Exhibition Industry in Hong Kong, TDC Fairs andDevelopment Council Exhibition Management

Ms Quince Chong Director of Service Delivery, Cathay Pacific Service Management in Cathay Pacific AirwaysAirways Ltd

Ms Vida Chow Director of Human Resources, Grand Hyatt Human Resources Practices, Initiatives andHong Kong Motivation – Experience from the Grand Hyatt

Hong Kong

Mr Patrick Chui Director, Ronald Lu and Partners Hong Kong Planning for a New Hotel ProjectLtd

Mr Jeffery Flowers President, Marco Polo Hotels Branding in Multiunit Hotel Firms: The Case ofthe Marco Polo Hotels

Mr Philippe de General Manager, Airline Planning, Airline Planning – The Case of CathayGentile-Williams Cathay Pacific Airways Ltd Pacific Airways

Mr Galen Jones Director of Sales, Star Cruise Company Strategic Planning Issues in the Cruise Industry

Mr Andrew Kay Managing Director, CP Exhibition Seeking Employment in the Exhibition Industry

Mr Zeph Koay Head, Learning and Developing Asia Pacific, Training in the Travel industryCendant Travel Distribution Services

Mr Maurice Kong Director of Food and Beverage, Hong Kong How to Deliver a Successful Banquet to YourConvention and Exhibition Centre Customers

Mr Martin Kwan Director of Operations, New Projects, Developing a 5-star Hotel in ChinaMarco Polo Hotels

Mr Wilson Kwok Managing Director, Laden Development Ltd Wine Seminar

Ms Janet Lai Group Director of Human Resources, Human Resources Management in MultiunitSino Group of Hotels Hotel Firms

Ms Petty Lai Assistant Director-General (Regional Cooperation) The Management of the Hong Kong WTOHong Kong Committee for Pacific Economic Ministerial Conference 2005Cooperation

Mr Clement Lam General Manager, Sales China and HKSAR Competition Issues Cathay Pacific is Facing TodayCathay Pacific Airways Ltd

Mr Edmond Lam General Manager, Hong Kong Wetland Park Visitor Management in the Hong Kong WetlandPark

Mr Jerome Lee Director of Engineering Hotel: Renaissance Hotel Environmental ManagementHarbour View Hotel

Ms Maggie Lee Executive Officer, AOS Management Ltd Management and Marketing “The Avenue of theStars”

Mr Wilson Lee Resident Manager, Grand Hyatt Hong Kong Service Management

Speaker Title and Company Topic

22

HORIZONS

Speaker Title and Company Topic

Professor for a Day

Ms Ivy Leung Director of Human Resources, Langham 555 Training ExcellencePlace Hotel

Dr Gang Li Lecturer in Economics of Tourism, University Quantitative Research in Tourismof Surrey

Mr Jimmy Li Senior Analyst, Revenue Management, Hotel Occupancy Forecasting and YieldHong Kong Disneyland Management

Ms Elaine Luey Director of Marketing, JW Marriott Hotel Branding and Positioning: The Case of theHong Kong JW Mariott Hotel, Hong Kong

Ms Galina Lui Regional Sales and Marketing Manager, Globalisation of AirlinesSwiss International Airlines

Mr Jacky Luk Director, International Audit and Investment Challenges and Operational Issues in HandlingPlanning, International SOS Tourist Safety and a Crisis

Mr Ahmad Bakhtiar Deputy Director, Tourism Malaysia HK Malaysia’s Convention Industry and PromotionAbdul Majid

Ms Kelly Mak Head of Marketing and Customer Services, Planning Urban Tourist AttractionsMadame Tussauds at the Peak

Mr Joe Ng Manager, Regional Office, Asia-Pacific of Airline Pricing StratgiesAir Canada

Mr Wilson Shao Marketing Manager, East Rail, The KCR and the Tourism IndustryKowloon-Canton Railway Corporation

Mr Kevin Sun Director of Development, Marco Polo Hotels Corporate Strategies – The Case of Marco PoloHotels

Mr Sunny Sun Vice President Development, Langham Hotels Hotel Project DevelopmentInternational

Mr Alain Tang Chief Engineer, Grand Hyatt Hong Kong Facilities Management in the Hotel Industry

Mr Benson Tang Associate, Corporate Service and Real Estate Service Quality from the Customers’ PerspectiveGoldman Sachs (Asia) LLC

Mr Alidad Tash Director of Marketing Services, Venetian Macao’s Past, Present and Future Gaming andMacao Ltd Lodging Habits

Mr Paul Tse Security Manager and Health Club Manager, Security Management in HotelsEaton Hotel Hong Kong

Ms Susan Tse Director of Marketing, Ngong Ping 360 Ngong Ping 360

Mr Dave Vermeulen Vice President, Resort Operations, Disneyland Parks: Worldwide…CulturalHong Kong Disneyland Challenges and Considerations

Prof Stephen F Witt Visiting Professor, SHTM Tourism Demand Analysis and Forecasting

Ms Maggie Wu The Equal Opportunities Commission Equal Opportunity Service to Customers

Ms Maggie Wu The Equal Opportunities Commission Managing Human Resources in Hotels andTourism

Mrs Ada Yau Curator, Education and Publicity Challenges and Issues in Promoting CulturalHeritage in Hong Kong

Mr Raymond Yeung Financial Controller, Royal View Hotel The Front Office Audit

Ms Linda Yuen Executive Director/General Manager, The Development and Challenge of the CruiseSightseers (HK) Ltd Industry

23

School of Hotel and Tourism Management

Learning Experiences

Student Learning

Foodservice Responsibility

On the first day of his Foodservices in Special Eventsand Conventions course, lecturer Guenther Karchassumed Donald Trump’s role from the hit televisionshow The Apprentice. He treated the classroom like aboardroom and appointed students to take on theresponsibilities of managing directors, with each havinga different duty. The sole purpose was to develop,stage and evaluate a quality event for a real client.

That client was the Fu Hong Society, which providessocial services to adolescents and adults with mentaland multiple disabilities. The charity providesopportunities for its own clients to develop theirabilities and ensure that they achieve the greatestindependence possible. The ultimate aim is for them tobecome fully integrated members of society.

The students learned about the demands of holding aspecial event through community service projects withFu Hong over a number of weeks, with the focus onworking towards a final function at the end of thecourse.

“It was amazing to see how students reacted tointeracting with the disabled and the various levels ofresponse in the class. Some started running with itfrom the beginning; others kept their distance and feltuncomfortable. Aside from learning the fundamentalelements of the course, the partnership with Fu Hongtaught the students life skills, and gave them a certaintype of exposure they would normally not haveexperienced,” says Mr Karch.

the Real Worldin

Following interaction with Fu Hong in a number ofworkshops where food was used as a medium ofexpression, students took on allocated roles thatranged from producing a business plan, writing up aclient contract with Fu Hong and managing a budgetto devising worksheets, recipes and food ideas. All ofthese tasks channelled towards staging a lunch eventon the PolyU campus on 11 November 2006. Over 250people attended the event, including the disabled,their families, friends and student buddies.

“Through this type of teaching methodology, studentsnot only gained knowledge of how to put together aspecial event, but it also helped them grow anddevelop as human beings,” Mr Karch adds. Known asservice-learning, the approach combines an academicclassroom curriculum with meaningful communityservice initiatives.

Already an established trend in the US over the last 20years, this method has become a popular tool acrossuniversity campuses, integrating meaningfulcommunity service with instruction and reflection toenrich the learning experience through civicresponsibility.

“This teaching approach is definitely much newer inHong Kong, but universities here are taking to it andthis university has shown a commitment to it,” saysVisiting Associate Professor Joseph Koppel, who hasextensive experience using the approach in the US and

Guenther Karch supervising his foodservices students

The foodservices class with a Fu Hong client

24

HORIZONS

Learning Experiences

the Bahamas. Dr Koppel was the lead editor and amajor contributor to a monograph published by theAmerican Association of Higher Education entitledHospitality with a Heart: Concepts and Models forService-Learning in Lodging, Foodservice and Tourism.

Clearly a pioneer in this discipline, the PolyU awarded athree year teaching grant in 2005 to further developservice-learning on campus. The grant has allowed DrKoppel to extend his stay. “The university can use thisvehicle to facilitate more interaction between theindustry and students,” he adds. Last year he engagedstudents and the Eaton Hotel in a joint initiative todeliver traditional moon cakes and chicken soup to theelderly as a service to the community.

In the Fall of 2005, a group of Dr Koppel’s Year Onestudents worked with the JW Marriott Hotel to provideChristmas entertainment to patients at the Jockey ClubCheshire Home. “The experience taught students to beprofessional; they had to hold meetings with Marriottstaff beforehand, and coordinated what they wanted todo, organising the event from scratch by themselves,”he says. Students applied selected music as a culturalexpression in the entertainment they developed.

Dr Koppel is confident that service-learning will becomemore pervasive: “this is developing into a very strongteaching trend right across the board; it can be appliedto all academic disciplines and is certainly not exclusiveto hospitality and tourism education.”

Gaming Management Students VisitMacao

Assistant Professor Henry Tsai believes in action morethan words, so after weeks of teaching his GamingManagement course to a group of final yearundergraduates he decided they should experience theoperations of a casino for themselves. He took a groupof 48 students on a two-day trip to Macao in earlyNovember last year, arranging special visits to casinocomplexes including Sands Macao, Wynn Macao andStar World.

“The casino managers took our group around Sandsand we even got a glimpse of the gaming areas usuallyreserved for VIPS,” says Dr Tsai. A casino executive fromLas Vegas also gave the students a comparative talk ongaming in Macao and the US.

“Some students had never been to a casino before,while others had not really paid special attention tothem, so the trip was a real eye-opener for many. Theygot an insight into casino operations, what dealers doand how games are played, and could really see howwhat they had learned could be applied to a real lifesituation,” he adds.

US exchange student Kaitlin Haggard, a frequentvisitor to Las Vegas, comments that her original idea ofMacao was of “another island off China becomingWesternised by the popularity of gambling andcasinos.” But she returned optimistic that an amalgamof Eastern and Western influences would shape avibrant city.

Aside from casinos, the group experienced aspects ofthe new Macao, visiting Fishermen’s Wharf and the A-Ma cultural village. They also encountered some of thetraffic congestion that has become symptomatic withintense development in the hospitality and tourismsector. Local student Stanley Leong sees the bright sideof this, speculating that the rapid development andlack of readily available talent will mean moreemployment opportunities for hospitality professionalsfrom Hong Kong.

Dr Tsai’s course is the only SHTM undergraduate courserelated to gaming. It offers students an introduction tocasino gaming and provides an insight into the historyand operations of the industry in various parts of theworld. It also focuses on rules and regulations, gamingcontrol, gambling and technology surveillance, and thesocial and economic impact of gambling.

The gaming management students take a break in Macao

25

School of Hotel and Tourism Management

Student Exchange

Ticket to the World

Nothing quite surpasses the experience of living and learning overseas. The SHTM has student exchangeprogrammes with universities in Australia, mainland China, Europe, Japan, Korea, New Zealand, Peru and the

US, to name just a few.

“The SHTM is very supportive of exchanges as they enhance the global outlook of our students,” says DrCatherine Cheung, International Student Exchange Coordinator. Student Exchange Scholarships are available tostudents with outstanding track records of non-academic and academic involvement who can demonstratefinancial need and want to study abroad for one semester.

“Students need to be open minded and versatile in their ability to adapt to new environments. Such experienceswill bring them numerous benefits in the future, honing their sensitivity towards dealing with people of differentcultures in the hospitality and tourism industry,” Dr Cheung adds.

Each student’s motivation for an overseas exchange may be different, but their experiences all show how much theybenefit both socially and academically from encounters with the world.

Suzanne Ryder Richardson,third year exchange student fromOxford Brookes University, UK

Making friends was never easier for Suzanne RyderRichardson than during her semester at PolyU. HongKong was her first choice from a long list of exchangeoptions that included Australia, Europe and the US.

“The SHTM made us feel very welcome right from thebeginning; we felt part of the School as soon as wearrived,” she says. “The experience definitely exceededmy expectations.”

This was Ms RyderRichardson’s first time inAsia, and the exchangeafforded a multiculturalexperience that spannedbeyond Hong Kong.“Through the programme,I met a lot of people fromaround the globe – from allover Europe as well as

mainland China. The PolyU campus is much moreinternational than my home university, and aside fromlearning about the East I gained a better understandingof how to interact with different cultures.”

She was so impressed by her visit that she is writingher final year dissertation on the Chinese perception of

the importance of intercultural management. Withgraduation around the corner next year, Ms RyderRichardson is thinking about a career in eventsmanagement, with the hope that an opportunity mightarise to bring her back to Hong Kong.

Sara Birgitta Lengauerthird year exchange student fromthe International University ofApplied Sciences, Bad Honnef, Bonn, Germany

With a long-time interest in Asia,Sara Birgitta Lengauer jumped atthe opportunity of a lifetime whenshe discovered that herinternational hospitality and tourismmanagement programme offeredthe chance to study at the besthotel school in Asia. Having studied

Putonghua in her final years at high school, she waseager to use Hong Kong as an anchoring pad to fueltravels to mainland China, which eventually took inBeijing, Gulin, Shenzhen and Macao.

“Aside from learning a lot about tourism in this part ofthe world, I would say I really learned about life,”remarks Ms Lengauer. “The whole cultural experiencewas completely new to me, from the food to thebehaviour of people, and the way they thought andacted.”

26

HORIZONS

Student Exchange

The hardest adjustment to make at the beginning wasovercoming the noise pollution, the humidity andstrong air conditioning. “To get the most out of theirexperience, exchange students need to be outgoingand open-minded, and should be able to adapt to theculture,” she says, adding that “they must rememberto take a camera too, as so many things are differenthere.”

Having honed her Putonghua skills further by taking anintermediate course at PolyU, Ms Lengauer hopes toone day work in a capacity that will allow her to bringChinese tourists to Europe so they can experiencesomething similar to what she has just been through –a truly memorable, life-altering few months.

Vivian NgSHTM exchange student at theUniversity of Houston, Conrad N.Hilton College of Hotel and RestaurantManagement, USA

Three weeks after Vivian Ng arrived forthe Fall Semester her dormitory wasevacuated and the college shut to facethe onslaught of hurricane Rita. For oneweek she rode out the storm at afriend’s house, 45 minutes away fromthe campus. “Hurricane Rita came soonafter hurricane Katrina, so people werevery panicked and worried. But in theend, it was much better than expected with not muchdamage,” she recalls.

The experience did not tarnish Ms Ng’s impressions ofthe southern state. To the contrary, it promptedgreater bonding between her classmates, culminatingin a truly memorable experience. “I became muchmore independent because I had to get used to doingeverything on my own,” she says. “I think mycommunication skills also improved because I met somany people from different parts of the world.”

Experiencing a more casual teaching manner thatencouraged students to ask questions, Ms Ng learnedabout leadership in the hospitality industry, facilitiesand housekeeping management, and tourism andbeverage management.

When she graduates in hotel management next May,Ms Ng hopes to develop a career in either the hotel or

airline business. “If given the opportunity, I woulddefinitely go back to Houston. It was fun.” No doubtshe will time her next visit to avoid the hurricane season.

Daisy WongSHTM exchange student at NHTVBreda University of Applied

Sciences, the Netherlands

When Daisy Wong’sSpring Semester cameto an end herinternational and localfriends at the NHTVBreda University ofApplied Sciences clungto each other and cried.

“The best part was meeting people and cultivating deepand meaningful friendships,” says Ms Wong. Sharing ahouse with four other exchange students in a

compound that was home toother international students,she made friends withundergraduates from Spain,Greece, Germany and the US.

“The experience changed mea lot. It showed me adifferent way of life. Before Iwent on the exchange, I

always thought Hong Kong was the best, but afterreturning I realised how much we can learn from othercountries. It really changed my perspective of the city,”she explains.

Ms Wong says that the differences between Dutch andHong Kong students were huge. “Dutch students willmake efforts to balance their studying and relaxation,whereas the Hong Kong focus is typically on studyingand making money. People in Europe really know howto treasure life, and as a result have a much higherstandard of living. I think people in Hong Kong are toowork focused.”

Ms Wong hopes that she will have the opportunity tosee more parts of the world in the future. She isexpected to take up a one-year job posting with theHong Kong Tourism Board following graduation in2007, as part of her scholarship agreement with thebody three years ago.

27

School of Hotel and Tourism Management

Scholarships

Our deepest gratitude goes to the many benefactors who support theSHTM and its students by providing scholarships and prizes. That supportnot only strengthens the School, but also ensures the vitality of thehospitality and tourism industry.

SHTM Scholarships

Scholarship Awardees for the 2005-2006 Academic Year

Awardee Scholarship Value (HK$)

Higher Diploma in Hotel Management

LEUNG Nam Wa Lam Tai-fai Sports Development Sponsorship Scheme Sports Scholarship 10,000

Higher Diploma in Hotel, Catering and Tourism Management

PANG Shuk Mui Sports Scholarship for Outstanding Student Athletes 3,000

BA(Hons) in Hotel and Catering Management

CHNI Shanshan UGC Scholarship for Outstanding Mainland Students 100,000

CHONG Chuen Shya The Hong Kong Polytechnic University International Students Scholarship 90,000

JUNG Se-kyung The Hong Kong Polytechnic University International Students Scholarship 90,000

LAM Che Wan The Hong Kong Polytechnic University International Students Scholarship 90,000

PHOON, Sweet Yee The Hong Kong Polytechnic University International Students Scholarship 90,000

NGWIRA Mabvuto, Percy The Hong Kong Polytechnic University International Students Scholarship 72,110

NI Lei The Hong Kong Jockey Club Scholarship for Outstanding Mainland Students 89,000

ZHU Hao The Hong Kong Jockey Club Scholarship for Outstanding Mainland Students 89,000

CHOW Ka Yan Dr James T Wu Scholarship 30,000

LEE Po Ying Dr James T Wu Scholarship 30,000

PANG Sin Ying Dr James T Wu Scholarship 30,000

AU YEUNG Ho Wang Maxim’s Caterers Ltd Scholarship 30,000

TAM Yee Ling, Elaine Maxim’s Caterers Ltd Scholarship 30,000

TSE Wai Ting, Tinny Maxim’s Caterers Ltd Scholarship 30,000

TONG Sin Man Rudy Choy Fund Scholarship 12,000

WONG Ka Yan, Mabel Rudy Choy Fund Scholarship 12,000

TIN Choi Lan Manuel Woo Scholarship in Memory of His Late Parents 10,000

CHENG Man Chung Outstanding Hotel and Catering Operations Management Student Award 5,000

CHAN Ho Ham Outstanding Strategic Management in Hospitality and Tourism Student Award 5,000

BSc(Hons) in Hotel Management

LI Xiu Hui The Hong Kong Polytechnic University International Students Scholarship 100,000

MULABE, Mike The Hong Kong Polytechnic University International Students Scholarship 100,000

CHAN Yuen Ki FTA Steve Shellum Scholarship 7,771

CHEUNG Ching Yi FTA Steve Shellum Scholarship 7,771

HUNG Wing Sze FTA Steve Shellum Scholarship 7,771

YIM Hoi Lam, Phoebe FTA Steve Shellum Scholarship 7,771

CHEUNG Ching Yi Eta Sigma Delta – International Hospitality Management Honour Society 3,000(PolyU Chapter) Scholarship

MSc in Hotel and Tourism Management

HUANG Pei School of Hotel and Tourism Management Services Scholarship for SHTM 20,000MSc Students

Doctor of Philosophy

LIANG Wan Ju Chung Hwa Travel Service Scholarship 20,000

28

HORIZONS

Elite of the Elite

Highest Achievers

An Elite of the Elite presentation ceremony was held in October 2006 at Millennium restaurant for recipientsof the SHTM Academic Achievement Award. Forty students with GPA averages of 3.7 or above during

Semester Two or Summer Semester 2005/06 received the award.

Another highlight of the event was the presentation of the Teaching Excellence Award 2006 to AssociateProfessor Vincent Heung.

The SHTM would like to extend its heartiest congratulations to the following students.

Higher Diploma in Hotel Management

Cheng Nga-yingTang Ka-leeYeung Wai-man

Higher Diploma in Hotel Management(Part-time)

Yau Lai-ping

Higher Diploma in Tourism Management

Chan Kwan-mei

BA(Hons) in Hotel Management

Chan Pui-yee, ZoeLam Che-wanLo EvanNi Shan-shanTam Pui-yin

BA(Hons) in Tourism Management

Chui Chi-kwanFan Yin-tingLam So-manLau Kwok-shingNg Sum-sumTong Sin-man

BA(Hons) in Hotel Management (Sandwich)

Chak Wing-shanCheung Yung-yeeJung Se-kyungMong Tan-nei

BSc(Hons) in Hotel Management

Chan Yuen-kiHui Man-shanHung Wing-szeLam Hiu-meiLi Xiu-huiTam Hiu-meiTang Yuen-yingWong Wa-chiYim Hoi-lam, PhoebeYuen Kwai-fong

BSc(Hons) in Tourism Management

Bao ChusuCheung Ching-yiKwong Kar-yee, KarryLi Kwok-tingLuk Wai-chingYan Shulan

BSc(Hons) in Hotel Management(Full-time Conversion)

Chow Kai-tai

BA(Hons) in Hotel and CateringManagement (Part-time Conversion)

Chan Ho-hamLau Ting-yan, MarshaWong Hoi-wai

Academic AchievementAward recipients proudlydisplay their certificates

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School of Hotel and Tourism Management

Eta Sigma Delta

ESD Chapter Expands

The latest Eta Sigma Delta (ESD) initiation ceremonywas held on January 2007 at the Che-woo Lui

Hotel and Tourism Resource Centre. Guests of honourMr Alan Lee, General Manager of Hong Kong FourseasTours, and Professor Kaye Chon, Director of the SHTM,applauded the initiates for their achievements andpotential as future leaders.

Of the 17 new ESD members, 12 attended the eventand participated in a candle-lighting ceremony led bychapter President Jennifer Fan. The five candles litrepresented the values of leadership, creativity,excellence, ethics and service.

The chapter is also actively helping other students. Therevenue from a second-hand book sale held inSeptember 2006 will help to build the ESD (PolyU)Scholarship fund. The inaugural Scholarship recipient isCheung Ching-yi, a first year student in the BSc(Hons)in Tourism Management programme.

ESD is a prestigious international society that unitesstudents with exceptional academic achievements atmore than 90 hospitality and tourism institutionsaround the world. SHTM undergraduates who havecompleted 50% of the credit hours required forgraduation and have a cumulative GPA of 3.5 or aboveare eligible to apply for membership.

Our heartfelt congratulations go to the following newESD members.

CHAN Ho-ham, Kelvin

CHAN Pui-yee, Zoe

CHAN So-yue

CHAN Wing-yin, Betsy

CHOW Lok-man

CHU Kiu-yeun, Anna

CHUI Chi-kwan, Odelia

HO Ka-lam

HO Sze-man

LEE Cheuk-wing

LEE Yuen-san

NG Ho-hin, Benjamin

TANG Ka-lee

WONG Hoi-wai

WONG Lai-kwan

WONG Mei-suet, Cherry

YEUNG, Lilian

Any student who is interested injoining the ESD (PolyU) chapter cancontact Eric Chan, SHTM Lecturer andESD Faculty Advisor, for details.

ESD members lighting candles for Excellence, Leadership,Creativity, Service and Ethics

(From left) Professor Chon, Ms Jennifer Fan, Mr Alan Lee andMr Eric Chan (ESD Faculty Advisor)

30

HORIZONS

Alumni Association

AlumniAssociationRevamped

The SHTM Alumni Association has ushered in thenew year with a loud bang, thanks to a revamped

marketing plan and a clear development strategyhinging on five key elements.

Those elements include alumni contributing back tothe school, nurturing current students, creating newindustry learning opportunities for alumni andstudents, and providing social gathering platforms formembers to catch up with old friends and networkwith new ones.

Chairman Wallace Li says that “we have injected somecommercial elements into the Association’s structure,running it just like a business. Together with ourmanagement team, we hope to rejuvenate theorganisation.”

External Affairs Secretary Benson Tang says that allactivities will now be carried out in alignment with thegoals of the plan. Of particular significance will be thecontinuance of the well-received Professor for a Dayinitiative, which features alumni giving talks to students.

“The concept is to match the expertise of an alumnuswith the schedules of the professors and bring backsomeone who can share the latest industry knowledgewith students, and offer them updated techniques andcase studies,” says Mr Tang. Alumni can also inviterelevant friends and colleagues from the industry to beprofessors for a day.

The Association also plans to give career talks to finalyear students and participate in orientationprogrammes for first year students. Learningprogrammes will cover wine tasting, Easter chocolatemaking and tea appreciation.

“We try to ensure a good spread of events and diversifythe activities to make them more interesting formembers,” Mr Tang explains.

Ever mindful of the need to network through socialgatherings, the Association has lined up a feast ofevents including a Chinese New Year dinner formembers and a four day trip to Taiwan.

Wallace Li hopes such extensive and structured effortswill encourage more graduates to become members.“To me, the major benefit of joining the Association isthe network. Graduates who join will only gain. Theywill get to know more people in the industry, andshould they need anything in the future they need onlygive us a call.”

He adds that the Association’s management team isdedicated to aggressively boosting the membershippool, and is committed to making the Associationbigger and better in the future.

New Membership CardIn January, the Alumni Associationlaunched a new membership cardas part of the effort to re-brandits image. Our members will beproud to have this card in theirwallets,” says Florence Chan,the Vice-Chairman ofCommunications.

SHTMAA Executive committee: (from top left) Lina Lam,Membership Secretary; Margaret Kwok, AdministrativeSecretary; Jason Wong, Communications Secretary; Ray Luk,Honorary Financial Secretary; Benson Tang, External AffairsSecretary; Florence Chan, Vice Chairman (Communications);Wallace Li, Chairman; and Maurice Kong, Vice Chairman(Membership)

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School of Hotel and Tourism Management

Alumni Association

The Association has worked in partnership with retailmerchants to offer special perks for card members,including discounts from certain restaurants, travelagents and jewellery stores. “We have lined up aboutten merchants so far, but we expect this pool will growmore and more in the future,” Ms Chan adds.

The Association will also be launching an electronicnewsletter for graduates and alumni later in the year,offering an alternative communication channel andheightening the group’s profile.

Alumni ScholarshipThe Alumni Association has launched a $5,000scholarship to support the work of the SHTM and itsstudents. Pooling the donations of alumni members,the scholarship is a first step in raising the profile of theAssociation.

Interested students will first need to submit a shortessay, addressing a topic that will change annually.Wallace Li notes that this year’s subject is how theAssociation can better enhance its marketing plan toattract more members. Short-listed candidates will beasked to present their papers before a panel of alumni,with the successful applicant announced by the end ofFebruary.

“This is just a kick off scholarship,” explains Mr Li. “Wewill be embarking on fundraising activities at a laterstage, and hope to offer even more scholarships in thefuture.”

Alum-notes1990sSunny Sun HD 1992 joined Langham HotelsInternational as Vice-President of Development, Chinaand has been relocated to Shanghai to spearhead thecompany’s development. Previously, he served asDirector of Development for Hilton International andAccor Asia Pacific. He can be contacted atsunsun69s@gmail.com.

Amy Chu BA(Hons) 1995 and her husband bothgraduated in the first cohort of Tourism Managementbachelor students. After graduation they pursuedMaster degrees in Tourism Planning and Managementat the University of Birmingham in the UK. Sincereturning to Hong Kong, Amy has been responsible for

the information databank of the Hong Kong TourismBoard.

Ray Luk HD 1995, MSc 2006 has recently become aparent, with his first baby born on 10 January. Ray methis wife, Demmi (another SHTM graduate) at the HongKong Jockey Club when she was working there parttime. He currently serves on the Executive Committeeof the SHTMAA as Honorary Financial Secretary.

Clive Cheng HD 1996 used the qualification heobtained from the SHTM to move from his position ofSenior Room Attendant at the Hong Kong Hilton toExecutive Housekeeper at the Harbour Plaza HungHom. In 2005, Clive was headhunted by the WynnMacao Resort Hotel, where he is now the Director ofHousekeeping.

Eric Chou HD part-time 1996 joined Cathay PacificAirways as a cabin crewmember in 1985. From 1987 to1991 he served as a First Class Flight Purser, and from1991 to 2000 held the rank of Senior Purser. Since2000 Eric has been an Inflight Services Manager. In2001 he received a Simply the Best – Inflight ServiceManager Category award. Eric has been an HonoraryMentor for the SHTM since 2002. He can be contactedat hkchoueric@gmail.com.

Candy Ng HD 1996, BA(Hons) 2001 has over 15years of experience in hotel rooms divisions. She iscurrently the Rooms Division Manager at the Excelsior,where she is responsible for the organisation,coordination and strategic planning of the division.Candy previously worked at the J.W. Marriott and inthe Marco Polo Hotels Group. She has served as anHonorary Mentor for the SHTM since 2005.

2000sIvan Chan BA(Hons) 2004 is an Assistant HumanResources Officer at the Renaissance Harbour ViewHotel, where he completed his internship in the FrontOffice Department. His position gives him theopportunity to enhance guest satisfaction, which shouldalways be the prime aim of the hospitality industry.

This “Alum-notes” section is where you can catchup with your long lost friends. Should you wish toshare your latest news with us, please send theinformation to Ms Maggie Ng athmmaggie@polyu.edu.hk. Photos are alsowelcome.

32

HORIZONS

Students’ Association

Instilling a Sense of Community

The last quarter of 2006 was a busyperiod for the SHTM Students’

Association (SHTMSA). Marking the startof the academic year, the Associationconducted an orientation camp for freshmen. “We had a camp fire dancewithout fire”, said SHTMSA President Cyrus Yip, noting that a rainstormcouldn’t dampen the fun. “Everyone was still very excited.”

An orientation evening in October for those who missed the first event alsohelped to instil a sense of community within the student body. And giventhe international nature of tourism and hospitality studies, SHTMSAmembers seized the opportunity to lead a delegation of Japanese studentsaround the campus in November. December saw the first full colour cover ofthe SHTMSA newsletter, and the Association is currently finalising the detailson a range of memorabilia, including an SHTMSA jacket.

As part of its mission to ensure that members are well-rounded in theirvocation, the SHTMSA also held personal development functions fromOctober to February. Ms Mei Ng conducted a well-attended table mannerclass in Millennium, the SHTM’s training restaurant. Classes co-organisedwith Canmake Cosmetics focused on basic skin care and makeup skills.

But not all activities were entirely serious. The beginning of November sawthe semi-finals of the annual singing contest, with the finale held in themiddle of November. Sporting activities were also held over the first twomonths of 2007, including badminton, 3-on-3 basketball and table tennis.

The highlight of the year was the Annual Dinner, held at the Sheraton HongKong Hotel and Towers on 7 February. All is now ready for the AnnualGeneral Meeting in March, when the Executive Committee will hand overcontrol to its successor in preparation for another exciting year.

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School of Hotel and Tourism Management

Calendar of Events

Upcoming Events

Date Event Organiser Contact

Feb 2007 Bio-safety in foodservice seminar, SHTM Tony TseHong Kong Email: hmttse@polyu.edu.hk

6 Mar 2007 SHTM Career Day, Hong Kong SHTM Tony TseEmail: hmttse@polyu.edu.hk

18 Apr 2007 Industry Appreciation Dinner, SHTM Tony TseHong Kong Email: hmttse@polyu.edu.hk

27 Apr 2007 China Hotel and Tourism SHTM Tony TseDevelopment Seminar, New York Email: hmttse@polyu.edu.hkUSA

May 2007 Uniform Systems of Accounts for SHTM Tony TseHotels seminar, Hong Kong Email: hmttse@polyu.edu.hk

15-20 May 10th Biennial Conference, International Academy Kaye Chon2007 International Academy for the Study for the Study of Email: hmkchon@polyu.edu.hk

of Tourism, Mugla, Turkey Tourism

16 May 2007 China Outbound Tourism Workshop, SHTM Tony TseBeijing, China Email: hmttse@polyu.edu.hk

24-27 May The 5th APac-CHRIE and 13th Asia Beijing International Zhou Deng/Ning Zhang2007 Pacific Tourism Association Joint Studies University Email: aptc@bisu.edu.cn

Conference, Beijing, China

30-31 May UNWTO Ulysses Conference 2007, UNWTO Kaye Chon2007 “Knowledge-based Development Email: hmkchon@polyu.edu.hk

through Tourism”, Madrid, Spain

July 2007 Certified Hospitality Educator SHTM and the American Tony TseWorkshop, Hong Kong Hotel and Lodging Email: hmttse@polyu.edu.hk

Educational Institute

3-4 July 2007 China Hotel Branding Forum SHTM Tony TseShenzhen, China Email: hmttse@polyu.edu.hk

21-23 Sept 6th Asia-Pacific Forum for Graduate School of Management, Derong Lin2007 Student Research in Tourism, Xiamen University Email: deronglin@hotmail.com

“Shaping Sustainable Tourism inAsia-Pacific: Competition andCooperation”, Xiamen, China

14-15 Dec 4th China Tourism Forum, SHTM and the School of Haiyan Song2007 “Community-based Tourism”, Business and Tourism Email: hmsong@polyu.edu.hk

Kunming, China Management, Yunnan