The APacCHRIE Tokyo Symposium 2026 series of events successfully concluded in Tokyo Midtown Yaesu (Japan) in January 2026, marking an important academic forum on the future of Tourism and Hospitality Education in the context of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Digital Transformation reshaping the entire global service industry. The event was organized by APacCHRIE (Asia-Pacific Council on Hotel, Restaurant, and Institutional Education) and hosted by Ritsumeikan University, one of Japan's leading educational institutions.

Within the framework of the event, Dr. Le Nguyen Bao, Director of Duy Tan University, participated as a speaker and member of the regional academic leadership, presenting strategic analyses on the development trends of Tourism and Hospitality Education in the AI ​​era, and sharing experiences from the practical implementation of AI-driven training in Vietnam.

AI, Digital Transformation, and Restructuring of Tourism and Hospitality Education

The workshop opened with a keynote address by Professor Kaye Chon, founder of APacCHRIE and Dean of the School of Tourism and Hospitality Management, Hong Kong Polytechnic University – one of the world's leading institutions for tourism education according to rankings. Professor Kaye Chon emphasized the role of education in leading the tourism and hospitality industry through technological and social challenges in the upcoming AI era.

In the presentation on “The Future of Tourism and Hospitality Education”, Dr. Dr. Le Nguyen Bao and the APacCHRIE Executive Board members focused on clarifying the multifaceted impact of AI on the industry, including:

- Personalizing the tourist experience,

- Analyzing tourism behavior data,

- Intelligent service recommendation systems,

- Service robots,

- Virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) applications in tourism training and experiences.

According to Dr. Le Nguyen Bao, AI is becoming a competency platform for the modern tourism and hospitality industry, but it cannot completely replace the human element, which is the core of service quality perception. Therefore, education in this field needs to be restructured towards deep integration between technology, practice, and sustainable development thinking, in which:

- AI laboratories,

- Service robots, and

- Numerical simulation

will play a central role in training.

Strengthening Duy Tan University's Role in the Regional Tourism Academic Network

 

On January 24, 2026, the APacCHRIE Executive Board meeting, held in Tokyo, acknowledged the outstanding contributions of its members in expanding the organization's academic and social influence. The meeting also updated the progress of preparations for the APacCHRIE 2026 conference in Osaka, which is currently being comprehensively implemented with a focus on service innovation, AI application, and sustainable development.

 

In APacCHRIE's long-term roadmap, Duy Tan University has been identified as the host institution for the APacCHRIE 2028 conference in Da Nang City, demonstrating the international academic community's trust in the university's organizational capacity, training quality, and strategic direction.

 

APacCHRIE - A Global Academic Networking Platform

 

Established in 2002 as a regional branch of ICHRIE, APacCHRIE is now the largest Hospitality and Tourism Education network in the Asia-Pacific region, representing over 75 universities in more than 18 countries, closely connected with ICHRIE federations globally.

 

Through APacCHRIE, member educational institutions participate in the international academic ecosystem, promoting research collaboration, curriculum innovation, and knowledge transfer between academia and industry. In Vietnam, Dr. Nguyen Cong Minh, Head of the Postgraduate Department, Duy Tan University, has been Vietnam's representative in the APacCHRIE Association since the end of 2024.

 

The appointment of Dr. Le Nguyen Bao and Dr. Nguyen Cong Minh's active participation in the APacCHRIE Tokyo Symposium 2026 and Duy Tan University's preparation to host APacCHRIE 2028 affirm the increasingly prominent role of Vietnamese higher education in shaping the future of tourism and hospitality education in the region. This also reflects Duy Tan University's commitment to international integration, digital transformation, and the development of technology- and AI-based education.

 

Duy Tan University's Tourism & Leisure Management program is currently ranked in the Top 51-100 globally according to the QS World Rankings by Subject 2025. This is also the highest ranking Duy Tan University has achieved in a specific field across international rankings.