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  • Esther Kou Iok Teng, Associate Professor and Program Coordinator (Master) (Ph.D Supervisor)

Esther Kou Iok Teng, Associate Professor and Program Coordinator (Master) (Ph.D Supervisor)


 

Office：City Viva Hotel, 2nd Floor, Room VH218   

Tel：8590-2526

Mail: estherkou@cityu.edu.mo

 

Academic Qualification

Ph.D in International Tourism Management, City University of Macau

Master of Arts in Hospitality & Tourism Management, University of Birmingham of United Kingdom

Bachelor of Tourism Business Management, Macao University of Tourism (formerly known as Macao Institute for Tourism Studies)

 

 

Professional Qualification

Certificate of Development, Leadership and Globalization program, Universidade de Coimbra, Portugal

Teacher Training "Rapid Teacher Training Programme on Open, Distance and Online Learning", UNESCO

 

 

Working Experience

2025-Present     Associate Professor, Program Coordinator, Ph.D Supervisor, Faculty of International Tourism
                            and Management, City University of Macau
2020-2025         Assistant Professor, Faculty of International Tourism and Management, City University of Macau,
                            Master Supervisor
2011-2020         Lecturer, Faculty of International Tourism and Management, City University of Macau
2009-2011         Part-time Lecturer, School of Continuing Studies, Macau University of Science and Technology
2008-2011         Project Director, Insights Unlimited Travel & Tourism Consultancy
2005-2007         Marketing Manager, Wai Lung Investment Co., Ltd. (An Authorized Haagen-Dazs and Godiva Franchisee
                            in Macau)

 

Teaching Area

Undergraduate Programs: 

Tourism Sociology

Intercultural Relations

Theories and Practice of MICE

Special Topics in Hotel Management

Management of Leisure and Entertainment Tourism Business

Tourism Economics

Travel Service Management

 

Master's Program:

Operations Decision Making

Strategic Hotel Management

Research Methods

Planning and Operation Management of MICE and Events

Tourism for the International Hospitality Business

 

Doctoral Program:

Theory, Methodology and Practice of Tourism Education

Strategic Tourism Management

 

Research Area

Tourism and hospitality management

Cultural and leisure

Sustainable development

Regional economic development

Tourism education

Inter-disciplinary studies

 

Professional Certification

Certified in Exhibition Management (CEM®)/ International Association of Exhibitions and Events (IAEE), China & USA

Professional Conference Management (PCM) certificate by Singapore Association of Convention & Exhibition Organisers & Suppliers (SACEOS), Singapore

Tourism Economist (Intermediate), China

Certified Hospitality Educator (CHE®) by the American Hotel & Lodging Educational Institute (AHLEI), USA

Certified Hospitality Trainer (CHT®) by the American Hotel & Lodging Educational Institute (AHLEI), USA

Certified Hospitality Supervisor (CHS®) by the American Hotel & Lodging Educational Institute (AHLEI), USA

Certified Guest Service Professional (CGSP®) by the American Hotel & Lodging Educational Institute (AHLEI), USA

Psychological Counselor, by Institute of Psychology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, China

WSET Level 2 Award in Wines (Merit) by London Wine & Spirit Education Trust, UK

Senior Tea Art Specialist / Training Center of China Management Science Society

Tourist Guide (Mandarin, Cantonese, English), Macao Government Tourist Office, Macau SAR, China

Tour Guide (English) / Ministry of Culture and Tourism of the People's Republic of China

Teacher Qualification Certificate / Department of Education of Guangdong Province

 

Awards

2026            International Conference on Culture, Tourism, and Hospitality (ICCTH2026) – Best Paper Award
2025            National Finals of the National College Student "Red Tourism" Creative Planning Competition – Best Faculty
                    Advisor Award
2025            International Conference on Hospitality and Tourism Management (ICOHT 2025) Best Paper Silver Award
2023/2024  City University of Macau- First Class Research Recognition
2023            Outstanding Research Achievements, Sun Yat-Sen University- Tangjiawan Youth Forum on Integration of
                     Cultural and Tourism Industries and Academics
2023             National Excellent Guidance Teacher Award, China Foreign Languages Publishing Administration
                      Asia-Pacific Communication Center
2022             Excellent Guidance Teacher Award, Education and Training Branch of the Chinese Association of Business
                      Economics
2022             Excellent Guidance Teacher, Anhui Provincial Higher Education Computer Education Research Association
2022/2023   City University of Macau- Outstanding Research Recognition
2021/2022   City University of Macau- Excellent Research Recognition
2018/2019   City University of Macau-Teaching Innovation Recognition

 

Professional Society Membership

Researcher, Macao-HengQin Institute for Sustainable Development
Vice President, Macao Greater Bay Area Tourism Research Association 
Macau Regional Economic Research Association, Deputy Chairman of the Supervisory Board
Treasurer, Macao Tourism and Hospitality Association 
Secretary-General, Macao Writers Association
Director, Asia Pacific Association for Gambling Studies
Member, Expert Committee of Zhuhai Tourism Association
Distinguished Professor of "Integrating Ideological and Political Education in Universities, Secondary Schools, and
Primary Schools" Project, College of Marxism, Guangdong Polytechnic of Science and Technology
Member, Advisory Committee, Zhuhai City Polytechnic
 

Academic Publication

Journal Papers

  • Kou, I. E., & Wang, Y. (2026). Book review of Butcher, J.(Ed.)(2025). Tourism’s Horizon: Travel for the Millions. Goodfellow Publishers Ltd. ISBN: 9781917433334, pp. 280. European Journal of Tourism Research, 43, 4308-4308.
  • Wu, M., & Kou, I. E. (2026). From tasting to traveling: How wineries' phygital experience drives tourists' wine tourism intention. International Journal of Tourism Research, 28(2), e70308. (SSCI, Q1)
  • Kou, I. E., Wu, J., Lin, Z., & Gong, T. E. (2025). Staycation: A review of definitions, trends, and intersections. Tourism and Hospitality Research, 25(4), 568-579.
  • Guo, C., Lyu, Y., Li, P., & Kou, I. E. (2025). Knowledge, Attitudes, and Practices (KAP) Towards Climate Change Among Tourists: A Systematic Review. Tourism and Hospitality, 6(1), 32.
  • Liu, T., & Kou, I. E. (2024). Determinants for the development of creative tourism: A stakeholder perspective. Heliyon, 10(13). (SCIE, Q1)
  • Wong, I. A., Lin, Z., Yang, F. X., & Kou, I. E. (2024). From shattered assumptions to fantasy realization: the role of meaning search in pleasure travel during the COVID era. Current Issues in Tourism, 27(11), 1750–1768. (SSCI, Q1)
  • Kou, I. E. (2024). Parting Thoughts XXIV: Rejection. Leisure Sciences, 46(4), 593–594. (SSCI, Q1)
  • Kou, I. E., Wu, J., Lin, Z. C., & Gong, T. E. (2024). Staycation: A review of definitions, trends, and intersections. Tourism and Hospitality Research, https://doi.org/10.1177/14673584241251992 (ESCI)
  • Liu X., Kou, I. E. (2024). “Ethical and responsible tourism: managing sustainability in local tourism destinations”, Journal of Tourism and Cultural Change, 22:1, 137-139, (SSCI)
  • Kou, I. E. (2024). Parting Thoughts XXI: Sense of Place and the Search for Leisure. Leisure Sciences, 46:1, 101-103, (SSCI, Q1)
  • Guo, R., Kou, I. E., & Jiang, Q. (2023). Unlocking the Creative Potential: A Case Study of Luoyang City’s Creative Tourism Development. Sustainability, 15(20), 14710. (SSCI, Q2)
  • Kou, I.E. (2023), "Book review: Millennials, generation Z and the future of tourism", Journal of Tourism Futures, 9(3), 438-439. (ESCI)
  • Kou, I. E. (2023). “Technology Advances and Innovation in Wine Tourism: New Managerial Approaches and Cases” Information Technology and Tourism, 25(3), 477-479. (SSCI, Q1)
  • Peng, K. L., Wu, C. H., Lin, P. M., & Kou, I. E. (2023). Investor sentiment in the tourism stock market. Journal of Behavioral and Experimental Finance, 37, 100732. (SSCI, Q1)
  • Wong, I. A., Lin, Z., & Kou, I. E. (2023). Restoring hope and optimism through staycation programs: An application of psychological capital theory. Journal of Sustainable Tourism, 31(1), 91-110.  (SSCI, Q1)
  • Kou, I. E., Wong, I. A., & Lin, Z. (2022). Attracting casino visitors through social media: Transition from online to offline environment. Journal of Hospitality and Tourism Technology, 13(5), 875-890. (SSCI, Q2)
  • Kou, I. E. (2022). Cultural Tourism and Cantonese Opera, Jian Ming Luo, Routledge, New York (2022), X+108pp, ISBN 9780367743819, £44.99 (Hbk.), ISBN 9781003157564, £16.99 (ebk.). Journal of Hospitality and Tourism Management, 52, 50-51 (SSCI, Q1)
  • Lin, Z. C., Wong, I. A., Kou, I. E. , & Zhen, X. C. (2021). Inducing wellbeing through staycation programs in the midst of the COVID-19 crisis. Tourism Management Perspectives, 40, 100907. (SSCI, Q1)
  • Hu, X., Xi, L., Kou, I. E., & Su, X. (2021). Macau residents’ attitude towards the free independent travellers (FIT) policy: an analysis from the perspective of the ABC model and group comparison. Asia Pacific Journal of Tourism Research, 26(9), 935-952. (SSCI, Q2)
  • Kou, I. E., & Luo, J. M. (2021). Determinants of industry identity: an empirical examination of entertainment tourism. Journal of Tourism Quarterly, 3(2), 114-129.
  • Kou, I. E.(2019). Quick Response (QR) Code's application in Education, China and World Highlights, (6)3, pp22-23
  • Luo, J. M., Chau, K. Y., Lam, C. F., Huang, G. Q., & Kou, I. E. (2018). Attitudes of undergraduate students from university–industry partnership for sustainable development: A case study in Macau. Sustainability, 10(5), 1378. (SSCI, Q1)

 

Chinese Journals / Newspaper Papers

  • Liu, T., & Kou, I. E. (2026). Research on the influence and path of digital teaching management in higher vocational colleges empowering talent cultivation under the background of high-quality development. Modern Vocational Education, 25, 57.
  • Kou, I. E. (2025). Implementing President Xi Jinping’s speech spirit: Promoting the high-quality development of higher education in Macao. Macao Education, 1(282), 46–47.
  • Xiong, H. C., & Kou, I. E. (2025). Research on regional cooperation paths for optimising cross-border talent mobility in Macao — an analysis of talent policy texts from Guangzhou, Shenzhen and the Guangdong-Macao In-Depth Cooperation Zone in Hengqin. Administração, 38(1), 22–33.
  • Wang, Y. Q., & Kou, I. E. (2025). The integration of Macao intangible cultural heritage digitization and “museum +”: An innovative path for culture empowering economy. Journal of Macao Economy, 1(57), 114–223.
  • Kou, I. E.(2024). Cultivating Innovative Talent and Accelerating the Development of New Quality Productive Forces. Macao Education. Issue 2, 2024 (Total Issue No. 279), p. 40.
  • Kou, I. E.(2024). Enhancing Development through Education: The Role of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Sister School Affiliation Program in the Bay Area. Macao Education Fourth issue of 2023 (Total 277 issues), pp.55-58
  • Yu, X. X., & Kou, I. E. (2024). Youth-oriented and internationalized development of Macao’s tourism industry: Opportunities and challenges of game empowerment. Journal of Macao Economy, 2024 (2) (Total No. 56), pp. 103.
  • Kou, I. E., Xiong H. C., Luo J.M.(2023). A Study on the Perception of Generation Z Travelers' “Tourism + Cultural and Creative Industries” Based on Internet Text Analysis. World Gaming & Tourism Research, Second issues, 2023 (total 8 issues)
  • Wu W. N.,&, Kou, I. E. (2023). Suggestions for Inclusive Development in Higher Education - The Case of Students with Hearing Impairment. Macau New Vision, Issue 33, November 2023
  • Wu X.H., & Kou, I. E. (2017). A discussion on marketing ethics in China. Enterprise Reform and Management, (04), 99.
  • Kou, I. E., & Wu X.H. (2017). Talent Recruitment and Training Strategies for Large Integrated Resorts in Macau. Human Resources Management, (1), 116-117.

 

Newspaper Commentaries

  • Kou, I. E. (2026). Adding “everyday vitality” to integrated living in Hengqin: Building a new home for Macao residents. Exmoo News, Regional Observation, Friday, September 11, 2026.
  • Kou, I. E. (2026). Pathways for deepening the construction of Macao as a city of reading. Exmoo News, Regional Observation, Friday, May 15, 2026.
  • Kou, I. E. (2026). Tourism + education: New trends in Macao’s study tourism development. Exmoo News, Regional Observation, Friday, March 6, 2026.
  • Kou, I. E. (2026). Integrated development of “tourism + e-commerce” in Macao-Hengqin: Expanding diversified value chains and regional synergy pathways. Exmoo News, Regional Observation, Friday, January 16, 2026.
  • Kou, I. E., & Yu, X. X. (2026). Focusing on value-added demand for study tours: Exploring new tracks for Macao’s cultural tourism and education. Macao Daily News, Lotus Square C12, Wednesday, May 27, 2026.
  • Jia, E. N., Kou, I. E., & Yuan, X. H. (2026). Digital empowerment: A study on the inheritance and protection of intangible cultural heritage in Zhuhai. Journal of Hubei Open Vocational College, 39(1), 126–127.
  • Kou, I. E. (2025). Inauguration of the base: Patriotic education elevated to a new level. Exmoo News, Regional Observation, Friday, December 9, 2025.
  • Kou, I. E. (2025). Hengqin government affairs secretary service platform: Supporting the cross-border development of Macao enterprises. Exmoo News, Regional Observation, Friday, October 24, 2025.
  • Kou, I. E., Wang, Y. Q., & Yu, W. H. (2025). Focusing on young customer experience: Cultivating new growth points for Macao’s cultural tourism economy. Macao Daily News, Wednesday, April 30, 2025.
  • Jiang, Q. R., & Kou, I. E. (2024). Digital + cultural tourism: Stimulating new momentum for Greater Bay Area development. China Tourism News, Tuesday, December 3, 2024.
  • Kou, I. E. (2024). Seizing Macao-Hengqin synergy opportunities to promote the transformation and upgrading of cultural tourism products. Exmoo News, Creative Insights, Friday, November 8, 2024.
  • Kou, I. E. (2024). Optimizing the Hengqin-Macao tourism industry ecosystem to promote economic development in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area. China Tourism News, p. 3 (Vision, Theoretical Edition), Friday, March 22, 2024.

 

Publications (books)

  • Kou, I. E. & Yu, X.X. (2026). Selected Proceedings of the 2025-2026 Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area "Tourism+" Collaborative Innovation and Sustainable Development Forum. Macao-Hengqin Sustainable Development Research Institute. First Edition, April 2026. ISBN 978-99981-793-2-5.
  • Peng, KL., Kou, I.E., Chen, H. (2024). Space Tourism Value Chain: When East Meets West. Springer Nature. ISBN 978-981-97-1605-0
  • Kou, I. E. (2023). Study on the Sustainable Development of Tourism in Macao. Macao-HengQin Institute for Sustainable Development, November 2023 First Edition. ISBN 978-99981-793-0-1
  • Xining Liu, Kou, I. E. (2023). Study on the Image of Tourist Destinations. Macao-HengQin Institute for Sustainable Development, December 2023 First Edition. ISBN 978-99981-793-1-8

 

Conference Papers /Book Chapter

  • Kou, I.E., Wang, Y.Q., & Shen, H.W. (2026). GenAI Service Failure in Tourism: An Expectation-Confirmation Perspective on Value Co-creation and Co-destruction. Proceedings of International Conference on Culture, Tourism, and Hospitality (ICCTH), Macau, China.
  • Yu, X. X., & Kou, I. E. (2026). Strengthening Cross-border Cooperation through the Ladder of Co-production: A Case Study of Tourism Governance between Macao and Hengqin. The 2026 International Conference on Culture, Tourism, and Hospitality (ICCTH), Macau, China.
  • Kou, I. E. (2026). The multi-dimensional connotation and industrial integration mechanism of "Tourism +". In 2025—2026 Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area "Tourism +" Collaborative Innovation and Sustainable Development (pp. 4-8).
  • Kou, I. E., Wang, Y.Q. & He, X.Y. (2026). The establishment, management and effectiveness of the Affiliated Hengqin School of Hou Kong Middle School. In Development Report of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area (2025-2026).
  • Chen, Z. & Kou, I. E. (2026). Research on the collaborative development of in-depth integration of intangible cultural heritage and tourism in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area. In 2025—2026 Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area "Tourism +" Collaborative Innovation and Sustainable Development (pp. 36-40).
  • Han, F.E. & Kou, I. E. (2026). Strategic value, practical challenges and implementation paths of "Traditional Chinese Medicine + Study Tour + Travel" under Macao-Hengqin linkage development. In 2025—2026 Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area "Tourism +" Collaborative Innovation and Sustainable Development (pp. 66-75).
  • Kou, I.E., & Hu, R.Y. (2025). The Link Between Sustainable Hotel Practices and Employee Environmental Actions: Insights from Green Hotels in China. Proceedings of the 11th International Conference on Hospitality and Tourism Management (ICOHT 2025), Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
  • Kou, I.E., Yu, X.X. & Liu, T. (2025). Current Situation, Challenges and Countermeasures of Macao-Hengqin Collaborative "Tourism + E-commerce". Proceedings of the 2025 Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area Urban Destiny and Development Forum, pp. 168-180.
  •  Wang, Y.Q., Kou, I.E. & Liu, T. (2025). A Comparative Study of Macao-Hengqin Policy Resources: New Models and Opportunities for Cross-border E-commerce Integration and Development. Proceedings of the 2025 Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area Urban Destiny and Development Forum, pp. 214-222.
  • Kou, I.E, (2024). The Path of Collaborative Development of Macao-Hengqin Tourism under the Perspective of New Quality Productivity. Proceedings of the Macao Economic Forum 2023, Macao Economic Institute, Macao. ISBN 978-99965-60-19-14
  • Kou, I.E, Yu, Y. & Luo, J.M. (2021). Determinants to the Development of Intangible Cultural Heritage: The Case of Cantonese Opera. Proceedings of International Conference on Tourism Management and Hospitality, Barcelona, Spain.
  • Kou, I. E., & Liu, T. (2020). Could the adoption of Quick Response (QR) code in lectures enhance University students’ satisfaction? A case study of hospitality and tourism programs in Macau. In Cultural and Tourism Innovation in the Digital Era: Sixth International IACuDiT Conference, Athens 2019 (pp. 161-170). Springer International Publishing. ISBN 978-3-030-36341-3
  • Kou, I. E., Luo, J. M., & Chau, K. Y. (2017). Impact factor of development of entertainment tourism in Macau—Industry perspective. In Innovative Approaches to Tourism and Leisure: Fourth International Conference IACuDiT, Athens 2017 (pp. 391-404). Springer International Publishing. ISBN 978-3-319-67602-9
  • Kou, I.E, & Fang, S. (2017). Attitude and Behavioral Response to Bike sharing- A Comparative Study of the Generation Y and Generation Z. Taiwan Hospitality and Leisure Academic conference, Taiwan, China.

 

Research and projects (Last Five Years, Investigator, Core Team Members, etc.)

  • Strategies for the In-depth Development of Study Tours in Macao and Hengqin from a Regional Synergy Perspective (PI, 2026–Present; Macao Foundation)
  • Research on New Opportunities and Strategies for the Integrated Development of "Tourism + E-commerce" in Macao and Hengqin (PI, 2025–2026 Macao Foundation)
  • Research Report on the Homestay Industry in Zhuhai (2025) (Key participating Researcher, 2025; Zhuhai Municipal Bureau of Culture, Radio, Television, Tourism and Sports)
  • Production and Cross-border Integration of Boundary Landscapes of Guangdong, Hong Kong and Macao under the Perspective of Assembling (Top three key participating researchers, 2025-2028 National Natural Science Foundation of China)
  • Study on the Protection of the Rule of Law in the Greater Bay Area of Guangdong, Hong Kong and Macao and the Hengqin-Guangdong-Macao Deep Co-operation Area: Macao Residents' Perceptions and Experiences (PI, 2024 Theoretical Studies on the Zhuhai System of People's Congresses System)
  • Study on the Effectiveness and Sustainable Development of Macao Smart Tourism (CI, 2024-2025 Macao Foundation)
  • Development of Macao's Cultural and Creative Tourism Industries in the Context of Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area (PI, 2022-2023 Macao Foundation)
  • Development of Scale to Measure Tourist Attitude toward Cantonese Opera as cultural brand of the Greater Bay Area (2021-2022 Macao Foundation)
  • Research on the relationship between image, value consumption and gastronomy (2021-2022 Macao Foundation)
  • Film induced-tourism Map AR/AI research in Macau (2020-2021 Higher Education Fund)
  • Development of Scale to Measure Tourist Attitude toward City Integration in Greater Bay Area, China (2020-2021 Macao Foundation)
  • The relation of study tour and national identity among adolescents in Guangdong, Hong Kong and Macao. Ministry of Education of the People's Republic of China (2020-2024 Humanities and Social Sciences China of Ministry of Education, Youth Development Foundation Project)
  • An investigation of tourist attitude and behavior toward world heritage list and museum in Macau (2019-2010 Macao Foundation)
  • UNWTO, Bachelor, Master, PhD Program TedQual certification (responsible for preparation, ongoing administration, pre-audits and training) (University Project, 2007-Present)
  • UNWTO Affiliate member (responsible for the preparation, communications and follow-up efforts) (University Project, 2007-Present)

 

Editorial and Academic Service

  • Frontiers in Psychology (Review Editor)
  • Journal of Hospitality and Tourism Technology (Paper Review Board Member)
  • Journal of Hospitality and Tourism Education (Paper Review Board Member)
  • International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management (Ad-hoc Reviewer)
  • Journal of Hospitality & Tourism Research (Ad-hoc Reviewer)
  • Current Issues in Tourism (Ad-hoc Reviewer)
  • Scandinavian Journal of Hospitality and Tourism (Ad-hoc Reviewer)
  • Journal of Hospitality and Tourism Research (Reviewer)
  • Global Gaming and Tourism Research (Ad-hoc Reviewer)

 

Community Service and Keynote Speaker

  • June 2023-Speaker for Macau Economic Forum https://macaueconomy.org/media_interviews_body.php?newsid=2023121209
  • June 2023- Judge for Guangdong-Macao In-Depth Cooperation Zone in Hengqin Financial Innovation Competition http://www.macaodaily.com/html/2023-06/13/content_1680725.htm
  • April 2023- Judge for Guangdong Province Vocational College Students' Professional Skills Competition -Tour Guide Service https://www.zhcpt.edu.cn/info/1445/71008.htm
  • November 2022- Keynote speaker for Hengqin "New Livable Space, Unity Creates Limitless" seminar of The 4th Leadership Training for Macao and the Co-operation Zone Officials http://www.hengqin.gov.cn/macao_zh_hans/hzqgl/dtyw/dtxx/content/post_3456815.html
  • February 2022- Speaker for Research Seminar on the Regulatory Mechanism and Operation Mode of Macau Gaming Industry" http://www.macaodaily.com/html/2022-02/18/content_1577877.htm
  • November 2021-Keynote speaker for MGM Symposium on Accessible Tourism for All https://www.gov.mo/zh-hant/news/837130/