Asia Pacific Centre for Hospitality Research

The Asia Pacific Centre for Hospitality Research (APCHR) is established to foster research activities and advancements by the School of Hospitality and Service Management (SHSM) and to further develop collaboration with local and international partners. Research activities revolve around the intersecting fields of hospitality, tourism, leisure, culinary arts and events. The centre’s activities and research findings aspire to contribute to the sustainable development of the hospitality and tourism industry, to create a forum for critical discussions and to improve the wellbeing of local communities. APCHR aims to provide a professional interdisciplinary platform for both advanced and young researchers through the exchange of innovative ideas and methods and the implementation of research and consultancy projects. Ultimately, APCHR empowers hospitality scholars to participate in real-world problem-solving, knowledge creation and sharing, and academic excellence.

Vision of APCHR

We aim to create a hub of support and international collaboration for applied, transformative, and theoretical research in the fields of hospitality, tourism, leisure, culinary arts and events. We aim to establish a leading hospitality research center to advance Sunway University in the Asia-Pacific Region and globally.

Mission of APCHR

We envision to enhance transformative and interdisciplinary research pertaining to the fields of hospitality and tourism within the Asia Pacific region. Accordingly, we strive to:

1. Support hospitality and tourism scholars and a new generation of students and researchers engaging in conducting and disseminating research.
2. Encourage high-quality interdisciplinary research in the fields of hospitality, tourism events and culinary arts, linked to issues of sustainability, health, wellbeing, and business, contributing to national and global needs.
3. Create collaborations and new partnerships with local and international colleagues, centers and stakeholders.

Main Research Areas

1. Area 1: Hospitality and Service Management – branding; consumer behaviour; food and beverage management; human resources; Islamic hospitality; service marketing; service quality and recovery; green marketing; social media marketing
2. Area 2: Food, Health and Well-being – food choice and behaviour; gastronomic tourism; food cultural studies; Halal food production and consumption; nutritional wellbeing; traditional and indigenous food
3. Area 3: Sustainability in Tourism and the Service Industries – cultural and heritage tourism; localising the SDGs; impacts of tourism; responsible travel; sustainable service industries including retailing and the built environment
4. Area 4: Events and Destination Management – destination competitiveness; experience economy; sustainable events; virtual events
5. Area 5: Mobilities – intersections of tourism and migration (e.g. long-stay tourism, retirement migration, tourism migrant workers); tourism and citizenship (rights and responsibility, race, ethnicity, and religion)