Hanyang University Lab Wins Top Paper Award at Asia-Pacific Tourism Conference

Hanyang University's Future Innovation Tourism Lab has received the Best Paper Award for Industry Practice at the prestigious 2026 APacCHRIE Conference, held in Osaka, Japan, from May 28 to 31. The conference is a leading academic event for the hotel and tourism sector in the Asia-Pacific region, drawing over 700 researchers who presented 450 papers.

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Amidst AI, digital transformation, and sustainability demands, tourism is being re-examined as a field that newly connects regions, industries, and individual lives.

The winning paper, titled "Career Plateau and Divergent Turnover Pathways: Organizational Context in the Airline Industry," was co-authored by researchers Ji-hyun Jo, Hyun-ji Kwon, and Professor Hak-seung Shin. The research critically examines the issue of workforce outflow in the tourism and hospitality industry, which has been exacerbated since the COVID-19 pandemic, focusing specifically on the airline sector. It identifies how career plateaus, such as limited promotion opportunities, lead to diverse turnover intentions among airline employees. The study further differentiates these pathways based on the organizational contexts of full-service carriers (FSCs) and low-cost carriers (LCCs).

Through in-depth interviews, the research team revealed that employees' decisions to leave are complex, extending beyond simple resignation to include "movement within the same industry," "transition to other tourism sectors," and "exiting the industry altogether." This suggests that low turnover rates do not necessarily equate to high job satisfaction, emphasizing the need to consider employees' psychological detachment. The findings propose a new direction for human resource management in the tourism industry, advocating for a focus on both career prospects and job quality, rather than solely on reducing turnover rates.

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This study examined the sustainability of the entire tourism and hospitality industry through the career issues of airline employees.

Professor Hak-seung Shin commented on the evolving landscape of tourism, stating, "Amidst AI, digital transformation, and sustainability demands, tourism is being re-examined as a field that newly connects regions, industries, and individual lives." He pledged to continue research that explores the expanded role of tourism and contributes to the sustainable development of regions and industries. Researcher Ji-hyun Jo added, "This study examined the sustainability of the entire tourism and hospitality industry through the career issues of airline employees." She stressed that "for the sustainable growth of the tourism industry, we must innovate not only the tourist experience but also the career experiences and job quality of employees."

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for the sustainable growth of the tourism industry, we must innovate not only the tourist experience but also the career experiences and job quality of employees.