Dr Aaron Tham is the Subject Component Lead in Tourism, Leisure, and Events Management within the School of Business and Creative Industries, University of the Sunshine Coast, Australia. Under his leadership, the university is ranked among the top 150 hospitality and tourism institutions according to the 2022 Shanghai University subject rankings. He is also an active transcultural researcher, with primary interests in the area of emerging technologies and event legacies, publishing more than 40 papers since 2023. Aaron is a Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy and is the Immediate Past Vice President and Conference Chair of the Travel and Tourism Research Association Asia Pacific Chapter. Aaron also currently sits on the Committee for Brisbane Taskforce for the 2032 Brisbane Olympics Legacies and also serves as the Managing Editor for the International Journal of Hospitality and Tourism Administration. He was recently awarded the Best Paper at the 2023 International Conference on Responsible Tourism and Hospitality, as well as the Emerald Publishing Emerald Appreciation Award 2023. Aaron has a sustained track record in grants locally and internationally, including the Sunshine Coast Council and other countries e.g. Japan and Brunei.
Professional Memberships
- Asia Pacific Council on Hotel, Restaurant and International Education (APac CHRIE
- Asia Pacific Tourism Association (APTA)
- Asia Pacific Travel and Tourism Research Association (APac TTRA)
- Association of Critical Heritage Studies (ACHS)
- Council of Australian Universities Tourism and Hospitality Education (CAUTHE)
- International Federation for Information Technology in Travel & Tourism (IFITT)
Awards/Fellowships
- Monash Graduate Scholarships, Monash University, 2010
- Monash Faculty Postgraduate Research Scholarship, Monash University, 2010
- Griffith Award for Academic Excellence, Griffith University, 2003
Professional Social Media
I investigate emerging technologies and event legacies on the back of mega events, and undertake a wide range of domestic and international collaborations to unpack nuances around the Times Higher Education Sustainable Development Goals (in particular SDG9). I also take pride in research leadership as the Managing Editor of the International Journal of Hospitality and Tourism Administration.
Research areas
- social media in tourism
- destination branding and marketing
- disruptive innovation
- medical tourism
- culture and heritage
Teaching areas
- Tourism and Leisure Policy and Planning
- Sustainable Tourism, Leisure and Event Management
- Event Management
Dr Tham investigates emerging technologies and event legacies on the back of mega events, and undertakes a wide range of domestic and international collaborations to unpack nuances around the Times Higher Education Sustainable Development Goals (in particular SDG9). He takes pride in research leadership as the Managing Editor of the International Journal of Hospitality and Tourism Administration.