WCST 2025: The 3rd World Conference on Smart Tourism Macau University of Science and Technology, Macao SAR, China Macao, China, December 17-20, 2025

Conference website	https://www.astworld.org/conference/greetings.php
Poster	download
Abstract registration deadline	March 31, 2025
Submission deadline	May 25, 2025

Welcome to The 3^rd World Conference on Smart Tourism (WCST)

Macau University of Science and Technology, Macao SAR, China

December 17-20, 2025

With the 3rd WCST (the 3^rd World Conference on Smart Tourism), this is the annual conference organized by AST (the Association for Smart Tourism), which unites academia, industry, government, and other organizations. The WCST has provided a worldwide and dynamic forum to actively exchange, share, and challenge state-of-the-art research and industrial case studies on smart tourism solutions. The 3rd WCST will be hosted at the Macau University of Science and Technology from Tuesday, December 17 to Saturday, December 20, 2025. Macau, known for its vibrant blend of cultural heritage and modern innovation, offers the ideal backdrop for fostering connections and inspiring dialogue. This year’s hybrid format combines in-person and online participation to ensure accessibility and inclusivity for a global audience. 

 

Namho Chung  &  Ben K. Goh

Conference Co-chairs

Association for Smart Tourism (AST)

Theme

Smart Tourism in the Age of AI Era: Connecting Global Commuities

Call for papers

The 3^rd World Conference on Smart Tourism (WCST) invites researchers, practitioners, policymakers, and industry experts to submit their work for this premier event dedicated to advancing smart tourism. This year’s theme focuses on how Artificial Intelligence (AI) is reshaping global tourism experiences and fostering connections among communities.

Date

• Conference: Tue-Sat, December 17-20, 2025 (China Macau Standard Time +08:00)
• Social Event: Fri, December 19, 2025 (China Macau Standard Time +08:00)

Conference Tracks and Topics

     We welcome submissions in the following areas:

     Smart Tourism Topics

• Smart Cities
• Smart Tourism Cities
• Smart Tourism Ecosystems
• Smart Tourism Applications
• Smart Tourism Design
• Smart Tourism Competitiveness
• Smart Tourism Law and Governance
• Smart Tourism Marketing
• Smart Tourism Data Analytics
• Smart Tourism Destinations
• Smart Tourism Experiences

     A.I. Topics

• AI-driven personalized travel experiences in smart tourism
• The role of artificial intelligence in enhancing sustainable tourism practices
• AI and big data analytics for predictive tourism demand forecasting
• AI-enabled technologies for tourism
• The impact of AI on customer service and engagement in tourism
• AI applications & disabilities
• The integration of AI in cultural heritage tours and preservation
• Ethical considerations and privacy issues in AI applications for tourism
• The future of hospitality with AI: From smart hotels to robotic services
• The role of AI in crisis management and recovery for tourism destination

     General Hospitality and Tourism Topics

• Current Global Issues in Tourism, Heritage, and Culture
• Hospitality Management, Destination Management
• Service Industry Tourism Management and Activities
• Restaurant, Dining, Culinary Business
• Accommodation, Hotel, Airbnb, Mobility and Transportation
• Sustainability, Sustainable Tourism, Entertainment Business and Content Management
• AR/VR/Metaverse in Hospitality and Tourism
• Apps in Hospitality and Tourism
• Ethics, Privacy, and Security
• Sustainable Tourism, Overtourism
• Spatial and Geographic Information Systems, Sustainable Development Governance (SDG) Issues

Submission Guidelines

• Pre-Conference Ph.D. Workshop
  	Submission	Presentation	Publication	Deadline
  Ph.D. Workshop Proposals	Up to 3 pages	Yes	TBC	May 1, 2025

• WCST Conference
  	Submission	Presentation	Publication	Deadline
  Full Paper	Up to 10 pages	Yes	Conference Proceedings	May 1, 2025
  Short paper	Up to 5 pages	Yes	Adjunct PDF Proceedings	March 31, 2025
  Undergraduate/Graduate Pitching Competition	Up to 2 pages	Yes	Adjunct PDF Proceedings	March 31, 2025

     For detailed submission guidelines for each track, please refer to the submission documents:

• Ph.D. Workshop Proposals
• Full paper
• Short paper
• Undergraduate/Graduate Pitching Competition

     All papers must be original and not simultaneously submitted to another journal or conference. The following is submission website:

     https://easychair.org/conferences/?conf=wcst2025

Important Dates

• Milestone	Date
  Abstract submission deadline	March 31, 2025 (12:00 PM CST/GMT+8)
  Full paper submission deadline	May 1, 2025 (12:00 PM CST/GMT+8)
  Notification of acceptance	April 30, 2025
  Camera-ready submission	May 15, 2025
  Conference dates	December 17-20, 2025
  Social Event	December 19, 2025

Committees

Conference Chairs

• Prof. Ben K. Goh (Macau University of Science and Technology)
• Prof. Namho Chung (Kyung Hee University)

Organizing committee

• Prof. Chulmo Koo (Kyung Hee University)
• Prof. Jose Weng Chou Wong (Macau University of Science and Technology)
• Prof. Lawrence Hoc Nang FONG (University of Macau)
• Prof. Seulki Lee (Sejong University) 
• Prof. Guosheng Han (Shandong University)
• Prof. Lina Zhong (Beijing International Studies University)
• Prof. Yeongbae Choe (Gachon University)
• Prof. Seunghun Shin (Hong Kong Polytechnic University)
• Prof. Sunyoung Hlee (Beijing Institute of Technology)
• Prof. Eunjung Yang (Kyung Hee University)
• Prof. Yang Yang (Temple University)
• Prof. Lu Lu (Temple University)
• Prof. Sai Liang (Nankai University)
• Prof. Hui Li (Nankai University)
• Prof. Qiang Guo (University of Science and Technology of China)
• Prof. Weiming Zheng (Xiamen University)
• Prof. Tao Hu (Hainan University)
• Prof. Bora Kim (University of Surrey)
• Prof. Jookyung Kwon (Dongguk University, WISE campus)
• Prof. Jihye (Ellie) Min (University of North Texas)
• Prof. Myung Ja Kim （Hanyang University）
• Prof. Yan Feng (Macau University of Science and Technology)
• Prof. Susanna Kim (Macau University of Science and Technology)
• Prof. An Yu Liu (Hong Kong Polytechnic University)
• Prof. Tsz-Wai Lui (National Taiwan Normal University)
• Prof. Gang Li (Deakin University)
• Prof. Senoo, Dai (Tokyo Tech University)
• Prof. Jungkeun Kim (Texas A&M University)
• Prof. Jun Chul Kim (Brunel University London)
• Prof. Mou Jian (Busan National University)
• Prof. Kaede Sano (Wakayama university)
• Prof. Sangwon Park (Kyung Hee University)
• Prof. Sung-Byung Yang (Kyung Hee University)
• Prof. Teakyung Kim (Kyung Hee University)
• Prof. Young Hoon Chang (University of Nottingham-Ningbo)
• Prof. Pham Hong Long (Vietnam National University)

Keynote Speakers

• Prof. Jihong Jeung (Tsinghua University)
• Vice President of Digital & Technology Solution   Winnie Ho   (MGM, Macau SAR China)

Panel Discussion

Panel Discussion 1：Current Issues in Tourism

Dec 18, 2025, 10:00 - 11:00 (MST) │ Moderator: Prof. Ben K. Goh (Macau Univ. of Science and Technology)

Speakers:

• Ben K. Goh (Macau Univ. of Science and Technology , Dean, MUST)
• Cihan Cobanoglu (Univ. of South Florida , EIC of Journal of Hospitality and Tourism Technology)
• Catheryn Khoo (Torrens Univ. Australia , EIC of Tourism Management Perspectives)
• Michael Hall (Univ. of Canterbury , Co-Editor of Current Issues in Tourism)
• Cathy Hsu (Hong Kong Polytechnic Univ. , EIC of Tourism Management)
• Nancy G. McGehee (Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State Univ. , CO-EIC of Journal of Travel Research)
• Xiang (Robert) Li (Temple Univ. , AE of Tourism Management)
• Xinran Y. Lehto (Purdue Univ. , EIC of Journal of Destination Marketing & Management)

Panel Discussion 2：AI-powered Smart Tourism 2.0 in the Agentic Era

Dec 19, 2025, 10:00 - 11:00 (MST) ) │ Moderator: Prof. Ulrike Gretzel (Univ. of Southern California)

Speakers:

• Ulrike Gretzel (Univ. of Southern California, AE of Information Technology & Tourism)
• Rainer Alt (Leipzig Univ. , EIC of Electronic Markets)
• Chulmo Koo (Kyung Hee Univ., CO-EIC of Journal of Smart Tourism)
• Fevzi Okumus (Univ. of Central Florida , EIC of International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality and Management)
•  Bernard J. (Jim) Jansen (Hamad Bin Khalifa Univ. , EIC of Information Processing & Management)
• H. Raghav Rao (University of Texas at San Antonio , CO-EIC of Information Systems Frontiers)
• Marianna Sigala (Univ. of Newcastle, Australia , EIC of Journal of Hospitality and Tourism Management)
• Zheng (Phil) Xiang (Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State Univ., CO-EIC of Journal of Information Technology & Tourism)

Venue

The conference will be held in Macau University of Science and Technology, Avenida Wai Long, Taipa, Macau, China

Registration

Registration Fees

	Early bird registrations (Until 31 August 2025)	Regular registrations (After 31 October 2025)
Member(1)	$200	$300
Non-Member	$300	$400
Graduate Student	$100	$200
Undergraduate Student	Free
(1) For membership registration, please refer to the AST website information below. Social Event Fee: Pay extra $50

Registration Deadlines

• Early Bird Registration: Until August 31, 2025 (by 12:00 PM, CST/GMT+8)
• Regular Registration: After October 31, 2025 (by 12:00 PM, CST/GMT+8)

Contact Information

All questions about submissions should be emailed to Dr. Ping Li : pingli@bit.edu.cn

For any inquiries, please contact us at:

• Email: strc@khu.ac.kr
• Tel.: +82-2-961-2349

For more details, please visit AST Conference Website: 

     https://www.astworld.org/conference/greetings.php.

We look forward to receiving your submissions and welcoming you to the 3^rd WCST!