Special Features

Dr. Nohman Khan is a distinguished postdoctoral researcher at Asia Pacific University of Technology and Innovation (APU), Malaysia, specializing in digital marketing, sustainable business practices, and interdisciplinary research methodologies. With a PhD in Management (Digital Marketing) from University of Kuala Lumpur and extensive academic and industry experience spanning over a decade, Dr. Khan has emerged as a leading researcher in digital transformation and sustainable tourism. His research portfolio encompasses 76+ publications with over 2500 Google Scholar citations, an H-index of 23, and i10-index of 38, including 22 WOS and 40 Scopus publications. Dr. Khan serves as a book editor for prominent publications including “Digital Platforms for Sustainable Business” (Elsevier) and holds editorial positions with multiple international journals. As an internationally recognized keynote speaker, Dr. Khan has delivered presentations at prestigious conferences across Asia-Pacific, including BECIC2025 (Thailand) and AIMC 2025, where he also served as Head of Scientific Committee. His expertise spans systematic literature reviews, digital marketing strategies, sustainable tourism, supply chain management, and educational technology. Dr. Khan’s professional journey includes strategic leadership roles as Managing Director of Connecting ASIA Sdn Bhd (2019-2024) and Chief Project Coordinator at China Communication Construction Company Limited, Pakistan (2017-2019). His academic contributions extend to innovative teaching methodologies, workshop facilitation, and mentoring emerging researchers in publication strategies. Currently, he focuses on advancing research in digital transformation, sustainable business models, and interdisciplinary collaborations while contributing to institutional development through editorial excellence and international partnership building.

Fondly referred to as Dr. George, holds a Doctorate in Tourism Product Management (MOE UAE equalized/recognized). Her research portfolio includes copyrighted works (L-156456/2024), a published book (ISBN: 9788183295536), case studies, and journal articles exploring diverse dimensions of tourism products. She brings over two decades of combined corporate/industry and academic expertise. Throughout her meritorious career, she has collaborated with key global industry brands holding positions in multiple countries and managing various verticals of the diverse holiday market. Currently, she is a Program Leader and Assistant Professor of Tourism and Hospitality at a prestigious university in Dubai United Arab Emirates, where her research focuses on rejuvenating phases of imminent tourism and hospitality products augmented by technological disruptions. Her professional expertise spans Tourism Product Management, team supervision, client relations, vendor negotiations, public relations, branding, office administration, and itinerary design. Her academic initiatives include training postgraduate students, guiding interns, conducting faculty development programs, and delivering specialized lectures on tourism innovations. Having visited over 27 countries for seminars, workshops, and familiarization (FAM) trips, she maintains a global perspective on tourism trends and practices. In addition to my extensive fieldwork, she is proficient in online travel booking tools, holiday product development, and global distribution systems (GDS). She holds various certifications in country-specific tourism specializations, underscoring my commitment to lifelong learning and professional excellence. My career reflects a continuous quest to integrate knowledge and practical expertise, ensuring meaningful contributions to the field of tourism and hospitality. To connect and get further details please go through her linkedin profile 

Eleni (Elina) Michopoulou is an Associate Professor in Business Management at University of Derby, UK. She holds a PhD in Accessible Tourism Information Systems from University of Surrey, UK. Her research interests include technological applications and information systems in tourism, online consumer behaviour and technology acceptance. She is particularly interested in the fields of accessible, wellness and e-tourism, which she has actively been researching for over fifteen years. Eleni has been involved in various research projects on these topics and worked with funding bodies such as the Wellness Tourism Initiative, Tanzania Tourism Board, Africa Oracle and European Commission. She is the co-director of the International Research Association of Tourism, Hospitality and Events Networks in Academia (ATHENA); Eleni has published over 100 academic journal articles, book chapters and conference papers and is the co-founder of THEINC International Conference. She often acts as guest editor for special issues in service sector journals and sits on the editorial board of over 10 high impact academic journals. Eleni is the Editor-in-Chief of the International Journal of Spa and Wellness published by Routledge/Taylor&Francis.

Bongkosh Rittichainuwat, Ph.D., MHM, BA, CIS, CEM, EMD, is the director of Hotel & Tourism Management at Siam University where she was the past-dean of the International College.  Dr. Rittichainuwat is the Secretary of the Asia-Pacific Council on Hotel, Restaurant, and Institutional Education (APac-CHRIE) where she served as the Director of Research (two terms) and Director of Marketing. She is the Regional Editor of Southeast Asia of the International Journal of Tourism Research, (SSCI, Q1) and also an editor of the Elephant Welfare Book published by CABI (the UK).  Bongkosh is also on the editorial board of top 1-15^th Quartile 1-Scopus journals in hospitality and tourism: Asia Pacific Journal of Travel Research, Journal of Travel & Tourism Marketing, and Journal of Hospitality and Tourism Research. She also published a book titled “Special Interest Tourism” with Cambridge Scholar Publishing, UK. She received her Bachelor of Arts from Chulalongkorn University, her Master of Hospitality Management from Conrad N. Hilton College, University of Houston, and her Ph.D. in Hospitality Administration from Oklahoma State University. Her industry designations include an Exhibition Management Degree from the UFI University of Cooperative Education in Ravensburg, Germany, the Certified Incentive Specialist designation by the Society for Incentive Travel Excellence, and the Certified in Exhibition Management designation by the International Association of Exhibitions and Events.

 

References
https://www.apacchrie.org/about-us/board-members/
https://www.cambridgescholars.com/resources/pdfs/978-1-5275-1352-5-sample.pdf
https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/10548408.2022.2061674

Dr. Jong-Hyeong Kim is Associate Director and Associate Professor in the School of Community Resources and Development at Arizona State University, HAIC. He has a strong record of research and scholarship with significant contributions to both instruction and service. Prior to joining Arizona State University, Dr. Kim worked at universities in Canada, Taiwan and mainland China, and Australia and received multiple teaching excellence awards. Dr. Kim received his doctoral degree from Indiana University in the U.S. Dr. Kim’s research interests have been in consumer behavior, with special emphasis on memorable experiences. As a part of his research program, Dr. Kim has published more than 65 papers in top-tier refereed journals. In recognition of the importance of his research, Dr. Kim has received numerous accolades during the course of his academic career. For example, in 2025, he was recognized as a highly cited scholars (ranked 34th) in Sport, Leisure, and Tourism globally based on a study conducted by Stanford University researchers. In addition, Dr. Kim received best paper awards multiple times at international conferences. He currently serves as Associate Editor of the Journal of Tourism, Heritage, and Services Marketing (Scopus-indexed) and sits on the editorial boards of several SSCI journals, including the Asia Pacific Journal of Marketing and Logistics, Leisure Studies, and Sustainability. To date, he has served as the major advisor for eighteen doctoral and master’s students.

Dr. Viana Hassan is a distinguished academic, researcher, and industry professional specializing in Tourism and Cultural Management, actively contributing to the sector in both Lebanon and Malta. She is the Founder and CEO of the European Tourism and Events Training Academy, where she leads initiatives aimed at elevating professional training and educational standards in tourism and events. Dr. Hassan earned her Ph.D. in Tourism Management and Cultural Studies from Saint Joseph University in Beirut, completing a dissertation entitled “Medical Tourism in Lebanon.” 

With over 21 years of professional experience, Dr. Hassan has built extensive expertise across diverse areas of the tourism industry. Her career includes airline sales work at Middle East Airlines (MEA) and co-management roles in several Lebanese travel agencies. She has developed strong competencies in tourism management, customer service, branding, event management, airline business management, niche tourism, business operations, customer acquisition, and medical tourism. 

Complementing her industry background, Dr. Hassan is a seasoned educator with more than 19 years of teaching experience. She has served at several institutions, including the Lebanese University, AUL, Lebanese International University, Islamic University of Lebanon, American University of Malta, Institute of Tourism Studies (Malta), STC—Higher Education Partner of Wolverhampton University (UK), University of Malta, GBS Malta, and the Scholars School System (UK). Her academic work reflects a commitment to advancing tourism education and supporting student success. 

Internationally, Dr. Hassan has showcased her expertise at major global conferences, including Expo 2020 in the United Arab Emirates, the 7th Medical Tourism World Summit, and events across France, Austria, Spain, Italy, India, Turkey, Saudi Arabia, Indonesia, Malaysia, and Cyprus. She continues to shape global discussions on tourism innovation and development. 

Master Chef Nooror Somany Steppe is an internationally acclaimed culinary icon and the visionary founder of Blue Elephant International, a global ambassador of Royal Thai cuisine. Born in Chachoengsao, Thailand, she developed her passion for cooking from an early age, inspired by her mother’s authentic curry paste recipes and later enriched by her training in French cuisine in Belgium. Her career took a defining turn in 1980 with the opening of the first Blue Elephant restaurant in Brussels, which eventually expanded to prestigious culinary destinations including London, Copenhagen, Paris, Malta, Moscow, Jakarta, Bangkok, and Phuket.

Master Chef Nooror has been pivotal in elevating Thai cuisine onto the world stage. Under her leadership, Blue Elephant has grown into an international brand encompassing restaurants, cooking schools, and Blue Spice, a production line exporting premium Thai sauces and curry pastes to over 38 countries. Her innovative approach maintains the authenticity of Thai flavours while introducing refined techniques that appeal to global palates.

Across more than four decades, she has represented Thailand in numerous international culinary festivals, government initiatives, and diplomatic events—from the World Economic Forum in Davos to food promotions across Europe, the Middle East, Africa, Asia, and the United States. Her contributions have garnered prestigious honours, including the Officer of the Order of Leopold (Belgium) and recognition as one of the Bangkok Post’s Women of the Year 2025.

Beyond gastronomy, she is known for her philanthropy, serving as an Ambassador to the Queen Sirikit Centre for Breast Cancer and engaging in cultural, educational, and environmental initiatives. Today, Master Chef Nooror continues to champion Thai cuisine as a powerful instrument of global soft power and cultural diplomacy.

Associate Professor Ann Suwaree Ashton holds both a PhD and a master’s degree from the
University of Queensland, Australia. She is currently a faculty member at the Graduate School
of Tourism Management (GSTM) at the National Institute of Development Administration
(NIDA) in Bangkok, Thailand. Her research areas include wellness tourism destination
development, spiritual retreat tourism, and yoga tourism. Driven by her passion for health and
well-being, she has also pursued extensive training, becoming a certified yoga master instructor,
sound healing therapist, Reiki healer, and forest bathing researcher and practitioner. Her
dedication highlights her commitment to promoting wellness tourism activities, particularly in
the Southeast Asia region.

Founder and CEO of Sunny Sunflower (Thailand) Co Ltd. The company was established since 1993 as an inbound tour operator which expanded to one of Thailand’s leading DMC for MICE by 1995. Throughout the industry’s growth, the company has transitioned from an offline operation to a mix of offline / online through fully integrated online technology platform with coverage of nationwide destinations including regional countries extension. It has been leaded through difficult times of COVID-19, advancing to its strong operation today. We have over 30 years of experience in the tourism industry with excellent connections among suppliers including accommodation, attractions, transportation, and food and beverages. As the most supportive and prompt settlement action, we have earned the greatest respect and loyal partner from our suppliers earning the highest goodwill and collaboration.

Industry 4.0 Evangelist | AI & Digital Transformation Leader | Keynote Speaker | Technical Advisor

With over 21 years of international industrial experience across Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand, the Philippines, the Middle East, the United States, and Sweden, Dr. Imran specialises in guiding organisations to accelerate their Industry 4.0, AI, and digital transformation journeys. His expertise spans the full spectrum of transformation—including readiness assessments, strategic roadmapping, R&D, solution architecture, enterprise AI deployment, and workforce capability building—supporting sectors such as manufacturing, automotive, supply chain, smart cities, banking, construction, and fintech. As Group CEO of Datalytica, Dr. Imran leads operations across Malaysia, Thailand, and the United Arab Emirates, delivering AI-driven platforms, industrial analytics solutions, and strategic transformation programmes for government agencies, multinational corporations, and regional enterprises. His leadership extends to academia, where he plays a key role in shaping national talent pipelines and academic-industry collaboration. Dr. Imran serves on multiple Industry Advisory Panels, including:

• University of Wollongong (Malaysia Campus)
• Universiti Teknologi MARA (UiTM)
• Universiti Teknikal Malaysia Melaka (UTeM)

He is also a Founding Member of the Malaysia 4th Industrial Revolution Consortium (My4IRC), where he contributes to national strategies, standards development, and ecosystem strengthening for advanced manufacturing and digital innovation. Additionally, he serves on the Board of Studies (Industry Assessor) for UNITAR, supporting curriculum design and competency frameworks aligned to emerging technologies. As an Adjunct Associate Professor and Technical Advisor, Dr. Imran contributes to research initiatives, curriculum development, and capability-building programmes, ensuring alignment between industry needs and academic outcomes. A sought-after keynote and plenary speaker, Dr. Imran has delivered talks at global conferences, symposiums, and technical forums, sharing insights on AI adoption, industrial resilience, digital maturity, and sustainable innovation. His research is published in peer-reviewed journals and indexed conference proceedings (Scopus, ISI), strengthening the bridge between theory and applied industrial practice. Committed to bridging strategy, technology, and people, Dr. Imran champions responsible, human-centric, and ROI-driven transformation that empowers organisations to thrive in the era of intelligent automation.

Pichaya Noranitiphadungkarn is the Director of International Relations and Accreditations at Dusit Thani College. In this role, she plays a key part in fostering global partnerships, promoting international initiatives within the institution, and ensuring that its quality meets international standards.

She has been working at Dusit Thani College since 2008. In addition to her primary responsibilities, she has also served as the Secretary of the Dusit Thani College Council since 2019.

Beyond her current role at the college, she has been a board member of the Travel and Tourism Research Association – Asia Pacific Chapter since 2018 and served as the Treasurer from 2019 to 2023.    In 2025, she is elected to be the Admission Committee of Alliance: A Higher Education Network and also be appointed to Director of Industry Services of the Asia-Pacific CHRIE.

Her academic journey includes a Master of Arts in Education, with a specialization in Administration, Policy & Leadership from The Ohio State University, USA, and a Bachelor of Education from Chulalongkorn University, Thailand. She also holds a certificate in Hospitality Management from Cornell University. Currently, she is pursuing a Doctor of Hospitality and Tourism Management at The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong SAR.

Pichaya.no@dtc.ac.th

www.linkedin.com/in/pichaya-nora

Marco Valeri is Associate Professor of Organizational Behavior, Faculty of Economics at Niccolò Cusano University, Italy. He received PhD in Strategic Management and Organizational Behavior from “Tor Vergata” University, Italy. He is Lecturer in Applied Organizational Behaviour at Xenophon College, UK. He is Visiting Professor at University of Information Science and Technology (UIST) “St. Paul The Apostle”, Macedonia. He is Adjunct Professor at Faculty of Social Sciences and Leisure Management, School of Hospitality, Tourism and Events, Taylor’s University, Malaysia. He is Adjunct Professor, Faculty of Economics at Lovely Professional University (LPU), India. He is Associate Researcher in Strategy, Magellan Research Center, School of Management, Iaelyon Business School, Jean Monet University, France. He is a Lecturer in Strategies and Organizational Culture in Tourism at Comenius University, Slovak Republic and Lecturer in Leadership across Culture at University of Economics in Katowice, Poland. He is Honorary Associate Professor, University of Pannonia, Hungary.