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
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.
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
Dr Brigitte Stangl
Director of the Centre
Researchers
Mark Ashton
Associate Professor; University Academic Lead for Employability
Nicole Cocolas
Lecturer in Transport Management
Professor Chris Cowls
Visiting Professor
Dr Nadine Itani
Programme Leader and Lecturer in Air Transport Management
Dr James Kennell
Associate Professor in Events & Hospitality
Dr Bora Kim
Senior Lecturer in Hospitality Management; Director of Studies, SHTM
Dr Albert Kimbu
Reader, Co-Director Centre for Sustainability and Wellbeing in the Visitor Economy
Dr Yanning Li
Senior Lecturer (Assistant Professor) Events, Organisations and Operations
Dr Erin Ling
Lecturer (Assistant Professor) in Artificial Intelligence and the Future of Work
Dr Daisy Liu
Senior Lecturer in Hospitality
Professor Emily Ma
Professor
Dr Pablo Pereira Doel
Research Fellow
Dr Alector Ribeiro
Associate Professor in Tourism Management
Dr Isabel Rodriguez
Lecturer
Dr Jonathan Skinner
Reader in the Anthropology of Events
Dr Nikolas Thomopoulos
Associate Professor in Transport
Professor Iis Tussyadiah
Dean of Surrey Business School
Dr Wenqi Wei
Lecturer in Hospitality Management
Dr Tracy Xu
Associate Professor in Hospitality; Co-Director of Future of Work Research Centre
Surrey affiliated members
Professor Adrian Hilton
Director Surrey Institute for People-Centred AI | Director of Centre for Vision, Speech and Signal Processing
Professor Ranjana Das
Professor
Dr Irina Cojuharenco
Reader, Founding Director of the University of Surrey Business and Economic Experiments (USBEE) Laboratory
Dr Husna Zainal Abidin
Researcher Wakayama University, Japan
Dr Athina Ioannou
Lecturer in Business Analytics
Professor Leo Jago
Emeritus Professor
Professor Anita Eves
Emerita Professor
Professor Caroline Scarles
Visiting Professor
Paul Pike
Client Services Director, The Fan Engagement Group; Visiting Professor, Surrey Hospitality & Tourism Management
Postgraduate research students
Luka Bazelmans
Postgraduate researcher
Lijuan Chen
Postgraduate Research Student
Jiaolong Cheng
Postgraduate Research Student
Septi Fahmi Choirisa
Postgraduate Research Student
Vanessa Cumper
Postgraduate Research Student
Christiane Hensel-Gatos
PhD Researcher
Brana Jianu
Postgraduate Research Student and Associate Tutor
Yoon Jung Kim
Postgraduate Research Student
Max Li
PhD Researcher
Elisa Mameli
PhD Researcher and Associate Tutor
Kanokwan Phoaroon
Postgraduate Research Student
Todd Seo
Postgraduate Research Student
Zhenni Wu
PhD researcher
Xiaoyi Xu
Postgraduate Research Student
Haoyue Yu
Postgraduate Research Student