Dr Tan Ai Ling

Dr Tan Ai Ling

Dr Tan Ai Ling

  • Senior Lecturer
Department of Hospitality and Events
Google Scholar ORCID Scopus ResearchGate
SDGs Focus
No Poverty
Decent Work and Economic Growth
Responsible Consumption and Production

Biography

Dr Tan Ai Ling is a Senior Lecturer at the School of Hospitality and Service Management, Sunway University. She earned her PhD in Hospitality and Tourism from Taylor’s University, Malaysia, and has taught in several universities, including the Surrey International Institute and Dongbei University of Finance and Economics in China. Dr Tan co-authored numerous high-impact journal articles and consultancy reports focusing on sustainability, food studies, and service quality. Her research achievements include securing multiple national and international grants, and contributing to various government consultation projects.

Academic & Professional Qualifications

  • PhD in Hospitality and Tourism, Taylor’s University (2015)
  • Master in Management, Open University (2008)
  • BSc in Food Studies, University Putra Malaysia (Major: Food Management) (2005)
  • Postgraduate Certificate in Business and Management Education, Surrey University (2024)

Research Interests

  • Food studies including food consumption and purchasing pattern
  • Food allergies and safety
  • Responsible packaging
  • Culture of health in SMEs
  • Service quality and recovery

Teaching Areas

  • Research Methods
  • Food Supply Chain
  • Quality Management

Courses Taught

  • Research Methods for Hospitality & Tourism, Master level
  • Quality Management
  • Sustainability Food Supply Chain Managemen

Notable Publications

2023 -

Tan, A. L., Supramaniam, S., Arumugam, V. M., & Ng, S. C. (2023). A review on non-economic legacies of business events. Journal of Convention & Event Tourism, 1-22. Routledge. 

2023 -

Abang Brian, C., Stephenson, M. L., & Tan, A. L. (2023). Recent research patterns and factors influencing eating behaviour amongst Malaysian youths: a scoping review. Frontiers in Sustainable Food Systems, 7, 1252592. 

2023 -

Tan, A. L., Trupp, A. & Tan, J. X. (2023). Dining out safely with food allergies: a comparative perspective from restaurant managers and servers in Malaysia. International Food Research Journal, 30(3), 750-763. 

2023 -

Tan, A. L. & Arumugam, V. M. (2023). Tourism development in the Marshall Islands: Examining the challenges and opportunities. In Stephenson, M.L. Handbook on Tourism and Small Island States in the Pacific (pp.245-256). Routledge Taylors & Francis Group. 
 

2022 -

Tavakoli, R. & Tan, A. L. (2022). A netnography study on the perceptions of consuming virtual food. Asia-Pacific Journal of Innovation in Hospitality and Tourism (APJIHT), 11(3), 97-116. 
 

2022 -

Arumugam, V. M., Tan, A. L., & Chai, A. M. F. (2022). Transitioning Business Tourists into Leisure Tourists: An Industry Perspective. Asia-Pacific Journal of Innovation in Hospitality and Tourism (APJIHT), 11 (2), 91–106 e-ISSN 2710–6519.
 

2022 -

Atikah, R. S., Tan, A. L., Trupp, A., Chong, K.L., Arni, A. G., & Arumugam, V. M. (2022). The emergence of a new religious travel segment: Umrah do it yourself travellers (diy). Geojournal of Tourism & Geosites, 40(1). 

2013 -

Tan, A. L. & Mansourirad, E. (2013). Cost minimization in Hotel’s Service Recovery. Applied Mathematical Sciences, 7(9), 4531-4534. Retrieved from http://dx.doi.org/10.12988/ams.2013.35291. 
 

Achievements & Accolades

  1. External grant, Toshiba International Foundation Grant, Embedding the Framework of Culture of Health in Small Medium Enterprises (SMEs): A Comparative Perspective between Japan and Southeast Asia, Total grant amount- RM 35,000, Time period: 1st April 2022- 30th April 2023. Role: Co-Researcher.
  2. Kickstart Research Grant, Member, The Motivations of Umrah Travel: A study of Umrah DIY Traveller (Kick-Start Year Research Grant 2021), Total grant amount- RM 10,000, Time period: 1st March- 31st December 2021. Role: Co-Researcher.
  3. External Grant, Member, Big Data Analysis on Muslim Travellers’ Behaviour in Malaysia ( Islamic Tourism Research Grant (ITRG) 2020), Total grant amount- RM 20,000, Time period: Jan 2021-Jan2022. Role: Co-Researcher.
  4. External Grant, Progrant Malaysia 2020 (German Academic Exchange Services), Total grant amount- £1200, Time period: 1st Mar 2020- 23rd Oct 2020.
  5. Internal Grant, Measuring the Non-Economic Legacies of Business Events: The Case Study of Malaysia (Sunway University), Total grant amount- RM 2690, Time period : 22nd June – 31st December 2020. Role:  Project Leader.
  6. External Grant, Data Collection on Business Events Economic Value 2019 (Malaysia Convention and Exhibition Bureau Project), Total grant amount- RM 47,000, Time period : 9th Aug 2019-31st March 2020.   Role:  Project Leader.
  7. 2018 External Grant, Data Collection on Business Events Economic Value 2018 (Malaysia Convention and Exhibition Bureau Project), Total grant amount- RM 36,427.60, Time period : 1st June 2018- 31st December 2018. Role:  Project Leader.
  8. Internal Grant, Transiting Business Travellers to Leisure Tourists: Exploiting The Business Events Visit (Sunway University), Total grant amount- RM 11,500, Time period : 1st Jan 2018-31st December 2018. Role:  Project Leader.
  9. External grant, Member, New Southbound MOOCS Series: Sustainable Development (Ministry of Education, Taiwan ROC), Total grant amount- NT 3,338,000, Time period : 2017-2018.  Role: Co-Researcher.