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![DiGMY logo](/sites/default/files/styles/medium/public/2020-06/digmy%201-01.jpg?itok=JfapojeE)
Centre for Digital Transformation in the Visitor Economy
We are dedicated to researching, endorsing, and advocating the power of information technology and digital media in the visitor economy.
Research aims
![DiGMY logo](/sites/default/files/styles/400xauto/public/2020-06/digmy%201-01.jpg?itok=Uxmg8RRB)
The Centre for Digital Transformation in the Visitor Economy (DIGMY) work in collaboration with leading academic, business, public and third sector partners across a broad spectrum of disciplines to provide rigorous and critical scientific foundation to deliver value to the visitor economy of tomorrow. Driven by innovation and technological advancement to create resilience and digital inclusion, we focus on four core themes:
- Digital transformation in tourism, hospitality and events; including new media and consumer behaviour, new business models and disruptive innovation, transformation in business operations and performance,
- Smart systems in tourism, hospitality and events, including: artificial intelligence and robotics, sensors and internet-of-things,
- Technology for social good in tourism, hospitality and events, including: technology facilitating health and wellbeing, social isolation and loneliness, inclusion and accessibility,
- Data science and innovative methodologies in tourism, hospitality and events; including biometric research, data analytics and pattern recognition in big data.
![Person carrying passport at the airport](/sites/default/files/styles/banner_image_1500x470/public/2020-03/passport-travel-international-cta-strip.jpg?itok=NYogxx6q)
Covid-19 research in hospitality and tourism
Our research aims to understand the needs and requirements of businesses and travellers to be able to return to a new normality when it comes to travelling and the prosperity of businesses.
Research projects
The effects of social media bragging on employees at workplace
Principal investigator: Dr Hongbo (Daisy) Liu
Start date: September 2021
End date: September 2022
Principal investigators: Dr Bora Kim, Lorna Wang, Dr Nima Heirati , Dr Yoo Ri Kim
Start date: March 2021
End date: September 2021
Delivery resource sharing and the digital food court
Principal investigators: Dr Yoo Ri Kim, Dr Anyu Liu
Start date: March 2021
End date: September 2021
Start date: March 2021
End date: November 2021
Principal investigators: Professor Xavier Font, Dr Pablo Pereira Doel
Start date: December 2020
End date: May 2021
Start date: July 2020
End date: June 2022
The impact of Covid-19 on travel sentiment – The evidence from China
Principal investigator: Dr Anyu Liu
Start date: January 2020
End date: Ongoing
Next generation paper: connecting paper to the web
Principal investigator: Professor David Frohlich
Start date: November 2017
End date: December 2020
(Re)engaging with sport fans post-Covid
Principal investigators: Dr Yanning Li, Dr Bora Kim, Dr Shi (Tracy) Xu
Partners
We have extensive industry links across the hospitality, tourism and events sectors. Partners have included organisations specialising in digital media and technology, as well as a range of other prestigious organisations.
Facilities
Our research group is equipped with a world-class biometric research laboratory to facilitate various consumer behaviour studies using psycho-physiological measurements. The digital lab is outfitted with an integrated system of biometric sensor equipment including remote and mobile eye-tracking, facial expression, galvanic skin response (GSR), optical heart rate, etc.
Using various biometric sensors in addition to other methodologies such as interviews and surveys, researchers are able to combine and synchronise data to enhance our investigations. Our lab allows us to experiment with the latest technology applications in tourism, hospitality, and events, such as virtual reality and social robots.
Find an expert
![Brigitte Stangl profile image](/sites/default/files/styles/image_150x150_scale_and_crop/public/2020-02/brigitte-stangl.jpg?itok=imoPN12l)
Dr Brigitte Stangl
Director of the Centre
Researchers
![Mark Ashton profile image](/sites/default/files/styles/image_150x150_scale_and_crop/public/2019-04/mark-ashton.jpg?itok=P-CZzQCr)
Mark Ashton
Associate Professor; Associate Dean (Education) FASS - Interim
![Chris Cowls profile image](/sites/default/files/styles/image_150x150_scale_and_crop/public/2019-06/chris-cowls.jpg?itok=SxLQuSYW)
Professor Chris Cowls
Visiting Professor
![Anita Eves profile image](/sites/default/files/styles/image_150x150_scale_and_crop/public/2018-02/anita-eves-staff.jpg?itok=5-lI8SJI)
Professor Anita Eves
Professor of Hospitality Management
![Nadine Itani profile image](/sites/default/files/styles/image_150x150_scale_and_crop/public/2022-06/Nadine%20Itani-3%20M%20-%20Copy.png?itok=r-TfIyo0)
Dr Nadine Itani
Programme Leader and Lecturer in Air Transport Management
![Leo Jago profile image](/sites/default/files/styles/image_150x150_scale_and_crop/public/2018-06/leo-jago-staff.jpg?itok=Q5QfPbS9)
Professor Leo Jago
Emeritus Professor
![James Kennell profile image](/sites/default/files/styles/image_150x150_scale_and_crop/public/2022-09/james-kennell.jpg?itok=jaI6f1ve)
Dr James Kennell
Associate Professor in Events & Hospitality
![Yoo Ri Kim profile image](/sites/default/files/styles/image_150x150_scale_and_crop/public/2020-05/yoo-ri-kim.jpg?itok=Rg3MHbm0)
Dr Yoo Ri Kim
Senior Lecturer
![Yanning Li profile image](/sites/default/files/styles/image_150x150_scale_and_crop/public/2018-05/yanning.jpg?itok=1oaGYBl5)
Dr Yanning Li
Senior Lecturer (Assistant Professor) Events, Organisations and Operations
![Erin Chao Ling profile image](/sites/default/files/styles/image_150x150_scale_and_crop/public/2022-09/erin-ling.jpg?itok=uHNvN_O7)
Dr Erin Ling
Lecturer (Assistant Professor) in Artificial Intelligence and the Future of Work
![Hongbo (Daisy) Liu profile image](/sites/default/files/styles/image_150x150_scale_and_crop/public/2020-02/hongbo-liu.jpg?itok=NBufRT3H)
Dr Daisy Liu
Senior Lecturer in Hospitality
Professor Emily Ma
Professor
![Pablo Pereira-Doel profile image](/sites/default/files/styles/image_150x150_scale_and_crop/public/2018-04/Pablo%20Pereira%20Doel.jpg?itok=7NYSTGgA)
Dr Pablo Pereira Doel
Research Fellow
![Manuel Alector Ribeiro profile image](/sites/default/files/styles/image_150x150_scale_and_crop/public/2018-09/manuel-alector.jpg?itok=Vm3ioYQz)
Dr Alector Ribeiro
Associate Professor in Tourism Management, Director of Tourism Programmes
![Caroline Scarles profile image](/sites/default/files/styles/image_150x150_scale_and_crop/public/2018-01/Caroline_Scarles_Oct2015-2879.jpg?itok=AGHDTniC)
Professor Caroline Scarles
Professor of Technology in Society
![Jonathan Skinner profile image](/sites/default/files/styles/image_150x150_scale_and_crop/public/2021-09/jonathan-skinner_0.jpg?itok=ZQhpCmfD)
Dr Jonathan Skinner
Reader in the Anthropology of Events
![Nikolas Thomopoulos profile image](/sites/default/files/styles/image_150x150_scale_and_crop/public/2019-09/nikolas-thomopoulos.jpg?itok=ZlNoiWYP)
Dr Nikolas Thomopoulos
Associate Professor in Transport
![Iis Tussyadiah profile image](/sites/default/files/styles/image_150x150_scale_and_crop/public/2024-07/IIST_0.png?itok=ux74chnZ)
Professor Iis Tussyadiah
Professor and Head of School of Hospitality & Tourism Management
![Zhenni Wu profile image](/sites/default/files/styles/image_150x150_scale_and_crop/public/2020-09/zhenni-wu.jpg?itok=uRYxgnRb)
Zhenni Wu
PhD researcher
![Shi (Tracy) Xu profile image](/sites/default/files/styles/image_150x150_scale_and_crop/public/2018-06/tracy-shu.jpg?itok=KFfJiL1G)
Dr Tracy Xu
Associate Professor in Hospitality
Surrey affiliated members
![Adrian Hilton profile image](/sites/default/files/styles/image_150x150_scale_and_crop/public/2018-10/AdrianHilton_profile2018_01.png?itok=5nsVZqCc)
Professor Adrian Hilton
Director Surrey Institute for People-Centred AI | Director of Centre for Vision, Speech and Signal Processing
![Ranjana Das profile image](/sites/default/files/styles/image_150x150_scale_and_crop/public/2020-08/ranjana-das.jpg?itok=yXMUE1cn)
Professor Ranjana Das
Professor
![Irina Cojuharenco profile image](/sites/default/files/styles/image_150x150_scale_and_crop/public/2018-08/irina-cojuharenco.jpg?itok=iisYBL7H)
Dr Irina Cojuharenco
Reader, Founding Director of the University of Surrey Business and Economic Experiments (USBEE) Laboratory
![Husna Zainal Abidin profile image](/sites/default/files/styles/image_150x150_scale_and_crop/public/2020-02/husna-zainal-abidin.jpg?itok=kzWPNMRy)
Dr Husna Zainal Abidin
Researcher Wakayama University, Japan
![Athina Ioannou profile image](/sites/default/files/styles/image_150x150_scale_and_crop/public/2019-03/athina-ioannou_0.jpg?itok=kKWQGDdd)
Dr Athina Ioannou
Lecturer in Business Analytics
Postgraduate research students
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Serge Chamelian
Postgraduate Research Student
![Hoyoung (Rachel) Chang profile image](/sites/default/files/styles/image_150x150_scale_and_crop/public/2020-06/profile_rachel_chang.jpg?itok=dSdVk0z4)
Rachel Chang
Postgraduate research student
![Jiaolong Cheng profile image](/sites/default/files/styles/image_150x150_scale_and_crop/public/2022-09/Mia%20PHOTO_1.jpg?itok=M-BIl7oE)
Jiaolong Cheng
Postgraduate Research Student
![Septi Fahmi Choirisa profile image](/sites/default/files/styles/image_150x150_scale_and_crop/public/2024-04/DSCF76300-min.jpg?itok=gL-LyPEU)
Septi Fahmi Choirisa
Postgraduate Research Student
![David Cloarec profile image](/sites/default/files/styles/image_150x150_scale_and_crop/public/2020-09/david-cloarec.jpg?itok=lScTUIME)
David Cloarec
PhD Researcher
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Vanessa Cumper
Postgraduate Research Student
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Brana Jianu
Postgraduate Research Student and Associate Tutor
![Wenliang (Max) Li profile image](/sites/default/files/styles/image_150x150_scale_and_crop/public/2024-03/%E4%BF%AE%E5%9B%BE1%E5%8E%8B%E7%BC%A9_0.jpg?itok=mpij_PZW)
Max Li
PhD Researcher
![Gilang Maulana Majid profile image](/sites/default/files/styles/image_150x150_scale_and_crop/public/2023-07/DSC07004_mr1688669886321.jpg?itok=yC9Jl4NJ)
Gilang Majid
Postgraduate Research Student
![Elisa Mameli profile image](/sites/default/files/styles/image_150x150_scale_and_crop/public/2022-09/25996_Elisa%20Mameli_%20Postgraduate%20Research%20Student1.jpg?itok=Wp6CGLxF)
Elisa Mameli
PhD Researcher and Associate Tutor
![Ikram Nur Muharam profile image](/sites/default/files/styles/image_150x150_scale_and_crop/public/2020-02/ikram-nur-muharam.jpg?itok=4sm0bnw3)
Ikram Nur Muharam
Postgraduate Research Student
![Kanokwan Phoaroon profile image](/sites/default/files/styles/image_150x150_scale_and_crop/public/2023-06/Kanokwan%20-%20Profile%20Pic.jpg?itok=FTCUGZ3X)
Kanokwan Phoaroon
Postgraduate Research Student
![Xiaoyi Xu profile image](/sites/default/files/styles/image_150x150_scale_and_crop/public/2024-03/Staff%20photo_1.jpg?itok=siNeXk8S)
Xiaoyi Xu
Postgraduate Research Student
![Elsa Haoyue Yu profile image](/sites/default/files/styles/image_150x150_scale_and_crop/public/2024-03/Screenshot%202024-03-06%20at%2019.54.24.png?itok=KP6XArNL)
Haoyue Yu
Postgraduate Research Student