HONG KONG, Nov. 24, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- On November 22, 2025, the School of Hotel and Tourism Management (SHTM) at The Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK) successfully hosted the "NextGen Tourism Summit: Leading the Experience Economy," bringing together leading scholars and industry leaders to explore the future of tourism and the experience economy.
The summit opened with welcoming remarks by Professor Liwen Jiang, CUHK Pro-Vice-Chancellor (External Affairs); Mrs. Angelina Cheung, JP, Commissioner for Tourism, Culture, Sports and Tourism Bureau; Professor Lin Zhou, Dean of CUHK Business School; and Professor Robert Li, Director of SHTM.
Under the theme "Leading the Experience Economy," the summit convened nearly 40 deans, department chairs, and senior professors from top universities in mainland China specializing in tourism studies for in-depth panel discussions on visions, opportunities, challenges, and strategies of tourism research, education, and industry collaboration within the experience economy framework. Additionally, several distinguished scholars from disciplines beyond tourism, whose research closely relates to "experience", shared their insights on the future of the this emerging economic paradigm.
The rise of the experience economy is driven by evolving customer needs, technological innovation, and new business models. Today's consumers seek more than products or services, they desire personalized experiences that foster emotional connections and a sense of meaning. Experience has proven to be a powerful driver of customer loyalty and employee engagement across industries.
Founded in 1998, SHTM is part of CUHK Business School and has long been dedicated to innovation in research, teaching, and industry collaboration. Guided by a forward-looking vision, SHTM was among the first to advocate that the experience economy is key to redefining hospitality and tourism research and education. Building on this vision, SHTM will launch the Asia Pacific's first Master of Science programme dedicated to the experience economy, MSc in Leadership for Experience Economy (LEE), in the 2026-2027 academic year. The program aims to cultivate multi-skilled leaders with inspirational leadership, change management capability, investment insights, and technological innovation competence.
Professor Robert Li emphasized that the hospitality and tourism sectors, rich in experience-design expertise, should share their knowledge and collaborate with industries beyond tourism. In an era where technologies such as artificial intelligence are reshaping the world, business must adeptly integrate technology with empathy to create meaningful experiences for customers and employees.
The Summit was supported by Hong Kong Tourism Board, AsiaWorld-Expo, Hong Kong Hotels Association, Hyatt Regency Shatin Hotel, and The Federation of Hong Kong Hotel Owners. Three prominent industry leaders delivered keynote speeches: Mrs. Vivian Cheung, CEO of Airport Authority Hong Kong; Mr. Benjamin Vuchot, Executive Director and CEO of The Hongkong and Shanghai Hotels; and Mr. Dennis Chang, Executive Vice President and Division President, Greater China, Mastercard.
"The Summit's focus on the experience economy is especially timely, as Hong Kong seeks to redefine its tourism landscape and strengthen its global competitiveness." Mrs. Vivian Cheung commented. "Events like this foster the sharing of forward-thinking strategies, helping to position Hong Kong as a leader in tourism and visitor experience."
Mr. Vuchot also emphasized the importance of customer experience, "Luxury hospitality in the experience economy is measured in intangible moments of genuine human connection and warmth. At The Peninsula, we are curating a seamless transformational journey and unforgettable memories for our guests."
Mr. Chang shared data-driven insights underscoring the importance and impact of developing the experience economy, stating: "According to Mastercard Travel Trends 2025 report, consumer behavior is shifting from 'shopping' to 'experiences.' Our analysis shows that major sporting events and cultural activities have become powerful drivers of destination spending."
Through keynote addresses and panel discussions, the summit provided a valuable platform for scholars and industry leaders from mainland China and Hong Kong to engage in in-depth dialogue on the impact of the experience economy. Participants agreed that now is the ideal time to advance this trend, not only to enable human-centered applications of emerging technologies such as AI, but also to support Hong Kong's Tourism is Everywhere initiative and China's rapidly growing cultural tourism sector.
With this Summit as a starting point, CUHK SHTM looks forward to continuing to leverage its innovative strengths in research and education, leading the way toward the future of the experience economy.
CONTACT;
CUHK MSc in Leadership for Experience Economy Programme
msclee@cuhk.edu.hk
+852 3943 8799
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CUHK School of Hotel and Tourism Management Successfully Hosts the "NextGen Tourism Summit: Leading the Experience Economy"
