International Conference

Dean of Tourism and Hospitality Management School at Central Asian University
Professor of Hospitality and Tourism Management. Erdogan Ekiz is the Dean of Central Asian University's Hospitality Management and Tourism School in Tashkent, Uzbekistan. He was an Associate Professor at Westminster International University in Tashkent before becoming Dean of Faculty at TEAM University in Tashkent, Uzbekistan. He was an Ad-Hoc Professor at The Ostelea in Morocco before coming to Uzbekistan. Dr. Erdogan served as Mohammed VI Polytechnic University's first Dean of the School of Hospitality Business and Management. He was the director of the International Relations and Agreements Unit and the Postgraduate Studies Unit at King Abdulaziz University's Faculty of Tourism in Saudi Arabia. He was an associate professor there. In addition, he was the department's first head of travel and tourism.

At Hong Kong Polytechnic University's School of Hotel and Tourism Management, Dr. Ekiz earned his Ph.D. in tourism and hospitality management. The Supreme Attestation Commission of the Cabinet of Ministers of the Republic of Uzbekistan just awarded him a DSc in Economics. He graduated from Eastern Mediterranean University in North Cyprus with a B.Sc. in tourism and hotel management and an M.B.A. in services marketing. He holds the titles of "Qualified Learning Facilitator" (QLF) from École hôtelière de Lausanne and "Certified Hospitality Educator" (CHE) from the American Hotel and Lodging Educational Institute. He holds the International Air Transport Association's (IATA) "Advanced Trainer" distinction. He has taught in Hong Kong, Taiwan, Cyprus, Malaysia, Turkey, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Morocco, and Uzbekistan for more than 25 years.

Service failure, customer complaint behaviour, tourist behaviour, and culture are among Dr. Ekiz's areas of specialisation. More than 200 of his conference papers, book chapters, and journal articles have been published. In addition to working on a dozen grants and consulting projects for the public and commercial sectors, he has successfully finished a number of consulting assignments with significant industry players.

Professor Kaye Chon serves as the Dean, Chair Professor, and the Walter and Wendy Kwok Family Foundation Professor in International Hospitality Management at The Hong Kong Polytechnic University's School of Hotel and Tourism Management. Before his tenure at PolyU, he held academic roles at several U.S. institutions, including the University of Houston, University of Nevada, Las Vegas, and Virginia Tech.

Under Professor Chon's guidance, the School of Hotel & Tourism Management at Hong Kong PolyU has emerged as a global leader in hospitality and tourism management education. For seven consecutive years, the School has secured the top spot in the "Hospitality and Tourism Management" category in the Global Ranking of Academic Subjects.

Professor Chon is a regular keynote speaker at international conferences and has contributed significantly to academic literature. He has authored or co-authored over 200 papers in international journals and professional publications, and has written or edited 12 books. His co-authored book, Welcome to Hospitality, is used as a textbook in over 100 hospitality education programs worldwide. Currently, he serves as the Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of Travel & Tourism Marketingand the Asia Pacific Journal of Tourism Research.

In recognition of his contributions to tourism knowledge, Professor Chon was awarded the Ulysses Prize by the United Nations World Tourism Organization in 2011. This prestigious award, often referred to as the "Nobel Prize in Tourism," is given annually to a scholar for their lifetime contributions to the field.

Before embarking on his academic career, Professor Chon gained industry experience in the hotel and travel sectors in the United States. He holds degrees from the University of Maryland, Georgia State University, University of Nevada – Las Vegas, and Virginia Tech.