Participants take part in a panel discussion at TUJ on March 30, 2026.
- Joint tourism industry event at TUJ provides students with opportunities to engage with industry leaders
- Panel discussion focuses on how digital transformation is reshaping traditional hospitality and challenges such as overtourism
- TUJ’s tourism and hospitality program has gained strong interest since its 2023 launch, with added momentum from the opening of TUJ Kyoto
Temple University, Japan Campus’ (TUJ) Tourism, Hospitality and Event Management program and Booking.com Japan held a joint event on tourism on March 30, 2026. The program featured speeches by tourism industry executives, a panel discussion moderated by a TUJ professor and a networking session between industry professionals and TUJ students, offering an opportunity to reflect on the industry’s evolving business landscape and the challenges it faces.
Titled “The Future of Tourism: Enabling a Connected Travel Ecosystem,” the event explored innovation, public-private collaboration and emerging career pathways beyond traditional hospitality. Held at Temple’s Parliament student lounge, it brought together tourism industry leaders, business professionals and TUJ students, many of whom are enrolled in Temple’s Tourism, Hospitality and Event Management undergraduate program.
The collaboration between Temple’s globally ranked tourism and hospitality program and Booking.com, a leading global online travel agency, provided students with an opportunity to deepen their understanding of industry trends. Topics such as digital transformation, policy developments and new business models highlighted how travel is being reshaped beyond traditional hospitality.
Panel Discussion and Student Engagement
Benjamin Altschuler, associate professor at Temple University’s School of Sport, Tourism and Hospitality Management, moderated the panel discussion, which focused on emerging pathways in a digitally integrated travel ecosystem. The discussion featured Yang Li, head of public affairs for APAC at Booking.com, Mayumi Birt, chief transformation and operating officer for Japan at Veltra, and Sean Nicolas, a country representative for a leading global hotel chain.
The panel discussed how digital developments in the industry, including the increasing use of artificial intelligence, are reshaping tourism. The sector is growing rapidly, accelerating further after the pandemic and is becoming an increasingly important driver of global economic growth.
At the same time, panelists noted that human-provided services remain preferred by clients and continue to play an important role in meeting their needs. Participants also addressed the challenges the industry faces, including overtourism.
Temple students had the opportunity to engage more deeply in these topics, as panelists offered further insights in response to their questions. Students, panel participants and industry guests then broke into groups to network and build connections within the tourism sector.
Beyond the panel discussion, the event was planned and executed by Altschuler and Yuting An, assistant professor in the program, on behalf of TUJ, with extensive volunteer support from TUJ students. Kelly Langley, public affairs manager at Booking.com, also played an instrumental role in bringing the event together.
World-Ranking Tourism & Hospitality Program
Temple Japan introduced its tourism and hospitality management program in the fall of 2023, and it has since grown into an area of strong interest among students. The program gained further momentum with the opening of TUJ Kyoto in 2025, expanding opportunities for students to engage more directly with Japan’s diverse tourism landscape.
The Kyoto expansion has enabled TUJ to deepen its connections with local and regional tourism stakeholders while creating new opportunities for hands-on learning. By extending its tourism and hospitality program to Kyoto, the university is also positioning itself to support expanded research initiatives for both faculty and students, further strengthening its role within the tourism industry.
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