Linchi Kwok, Ph.D.

I attended  the annual  conference of iCHRIE (International Council on Hotel, Restaurant, and Institutional Education) Summer Conference in Orlando, FL in July/August. I t was an annual event where a group of hospitality professors and graduate students get together to showcase their research and network with one another.  It was nice catching up with other scholars and friends in the conference, but honestly, I don't feel people are very excited about the conference. Reasons may include:  Most researchers receive no incentives for conference proceedings.  Not all presentations are interesting; some are very boring.  Too much emphasis is put on theoretical contributions rather than meaningful practical impacts.  Networking events only take place within the conference hotel and lack of opportunities to explore the destination.  I then wonder what will be the remedies. Will it help by providing more training in public...

Last week, we reviewed some reasons why hostels are becoming more popular among travelers and investors , but that alone, is not a complete story because we are still missing one important piece of the puzzle – i.e., additional insights from the staff who is actually working in a hostel. As a result, I especially invited Joanne Lam  to share her experience of working in a hostel with us, who is currently working in the Green Tortoise San Francisco Hostel  and a master’s student at the Collins College of Hospitality Management (Cal Poly Pomona) .  Picture of @Jo_Lam Here are some highlights of what she shared:  Joanne’s Work Experience in Hostels “I’ve been working in a hostel for a total of about two years. ..."  Who Stays in Hostels "...  Many of them are backpackers, solo travelers, or simply with a few friends traveling for a long period of time; anywhere between two weeks to six months. O...