Associate Professor Kou Receives Award

From July 25 to 26, 2025, Associate Professor Esther Kou Iok Teng participated in the 11th International Conference on Hospitality and Tourism Management, held at Asia Pacific University in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. She was awarded the "Best Paper Presentation Silver Award" at the

conference. This honor is not only a high recognition of Esther Kou and her team's academic research achievements but also further enhances the influence and reputation of our faculty in the international academic community.

Best Paper Presentation Silver Award

The paper presented was co-authored by Associate Professor Kou and her master's student, Hu Ruiyue. Titled “The Link Between

Sustainable Hotel Practices and Employee Environmental Actions: Insights from Green Hotels in China,” the award-winning paper focuses on the cutting-edge field of pro-environmental behaviors of employees in China’s green hotels. It offers forward-looking and practical insights through its rigorous research design and innovative academic perspective. The paper delves into the intrinsic connection between sustainable hotel practices and employee environmental behaviors. By conducting empirical research on green hotels, it provides new theoretical

foundations and practical guidance for the sustainable development of the hotel industry.

Associate Professor Kou engaged in extensive exchanges

During the conference, Associate Professor Kou actively participated in various activities and engaged in in-depth exchanges and

collaborations with experts and scholars from different countries and regions. Through interactions with international peers, she gained new

ideas and directions for future academic research and teaching.

Thematic discussion session of the conference

The International Conference on Hospitality and Tourism Management, as a high-level knowledge-sharing platform focused on the broad

field of tourism and hospitality, brought together experts, scholars, researchers, industry professionals, and practitioners from around the

world. This year’s conference, held in Malaysia and organized by the International Institute of Knowledge Management (TIIKM) and Asia

Pacific University of Technology and Innovation (APU), centered on the theme of “Sustainable Tourism Development.” It covered several key research areas within sustainable tourism: technological advancements, changes in consumer preferences, policy and regulatory frameworks, enhancing customer experiences, and emerging trends.

During the conference, participants engaged in various activities such as keynote speeches, group discussions, and poster presentations,

sharing the latest research findings and practical experiences. They also exchanged in-depth insights on the challenges and opportunities

faced in the development of sustainable tourism. The organizers meticulously planned a rich array of academic activities and interaction

sessions, providing a platform for participants to showcase their work, broaden their horizons, and build collaborative relationships. From the insightful presentations by senior scholars to the innovative ideas of young researchers, from the practical experience sharing by industry

experts to the macro-level interpretations by policymakers, the conference was not only an academic feast but also a grand gathering for

industry exchanges. For more details about the conference, please visit the official website: https://tourismconference.co/.

Conference Photo

City University of Macau has always placed a high emphasis on the international development of its faculty and students, considering the

internationalization of faculty as a key strategy to enhance the university’s overall strength. The Faculty of International Tourism and

Management, along with the Research Management Office, have long supported faculty participation in international conferences and

academic exchanges. By providing a wealth of opportunities for interaction, the university has not only improved the teaching standards and

international perspectives of its faculty but also laid a solid foundation for its international development.

By | Hu Ruiyue

Edited by | Esther Kou Iok Teng

Reviewed by | Li Xi

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Contact: fitminfo@cityu.edu.mo