The Future Innovation 골드문 토토사이트 먹튀 Lab (FITLAB), led by Professor Shin Hak-seung of the School of 골드문 토토사이트 먹튀, received the Best Paper Award at the 2025 Asia Pacific 골드문 토토사이트 먹튀 Association (APTA) International Conference held in Busan from July 7 to 9.

APTA is one of the most prominent academic associations in the field of 골드문 토토사이트 먹튀 and hospitality in the Asia-Pacific region, bringing together scholars worldwide to share cutting-edge research and industry trends.

Celebrating its 30th anniversary this year, the conference featured over 200 research presentations. Among them, the paper co-authored by Professor Shin and graduate researcher Lee Seul-gi (master’s program, School of Tourism) was honored with the Best Paper Award. The study, titled “Green or greedy? How consumer inference of ulterior motives shapes responses to hotel sustainability initiatives,” examined the divergent perceptions that hotel customers have of eco-friendly practices and provided both theoretical and practical implications for understanding and managing consumer responses to sustainability strategies.

“Our research began with the insight that eco-friendly practices—while expanding across the tourism and hospitality industry—do not always evoke purely positive responses from customers,” explained Professor Shin. The team explored whether customers perceive hotel sustainability efforts as genuine environmental actions (“green”) or as cost-saving or image-building strategies (“greedy”).

To examine this, the 골드문 토토사이트 먹튀ers conducted three scenario-based experiments incorporating real-life examples such as bans on complimentary disposable amenities, Earth Hour campaigns, and Green Stay Packages.

Professor Shin added, “Since March 2023, Korea has enforced the Resource Recycling Act, which prohibits complimentary amenities. This triggered negative customer reactions and controversy in real life.” The study offered insights into how consumer perceptions shift amid policy changes and proposed effective management strategies.

The study found that when customers interpreted a hotel’s motives as public-spirited, they perceived their participation in eco-programs as co-creating value and responded favorably. Conversely, when they suspected the hotel was acting purely out of profit-driven motives, even the same programs were seen as unfair demands for labor, leading to skepticism.

Professor Shin emphasized that the study “highlights the importance of carefully managing the motivational messages that customers are likely to infer, especially as sustainability programs increasingly require customer participation.”

He added, “The clearer customers understand that their actions contribute to environmental preservation, the more likely they are to align with the hotel’s public-good narrative. Encouraging voluntary participation through shared empathy and providing quantified environmental benefits—like saved resources or carbon reduction figures—are key to operating successful sustainability initiatives.”

Looking ahead, Professor Shin stated that “future strategies should focus on transforming consumers from passive supporters into active participants to enhance the authenticity of sustainable tourism and hospitality practices.” He also proposed future research directions, including comparative analysis of customers with varying eco-experience levels, exploration of psychological mechanisms beyond motivation inference, and data-driven empirical studies in collaboration with industry. Topics such as the impact of CSR and corporate governance improvements on customer perceptions and long-term attitude shifts were also highlighted as potential follow-ups aimed at building trust and shaping sustainable tourism strategies.

This study was based on Lee’s master’s thesis. “Lee’s practical experience in the tourism industry and her critical awareness sparked the research,” said Professor Shin. “We collaborated closely throughout the research design and analysis process to refine the study academically.”

Lee took the lead in collecting case studies of eco-friendly hotel programs and designing the experimental scenarios. Professor Shin oversaw the theoretical framework and methodological validity to ensure insightful and actionable findings. “Our tight collaboration resulted in a high-quality study recognized with the Best Paper Award,” he remarked.

He noted, “Since APTA typically features doctoral-level researchers and senior faculty from around the world, it’s exceptionally meaningful that a master’s student-led study received this honor.”

FITLAB continues to produce notable research on the international stage, with a focus on sustainability, technology-driven innovation, and revitalization of local 골드문 토토사이트 먹튀. Over the past three years, the lab has published more than 20 papers in top-tier SSCI journals and presented over 40 times at global conferences, earning eight Best Paper Awards.

“Our vision is to deliver tangible value to society, industry, and individuals through future-oriented, innovative tourism research,” said Professor Shin. “We aim to conduct high-level research aligned with international standards and contribute to global tourism scholarship. To that end, we are actively pursuing industry-academic collaboration and international joint research focused on pressing issues like digital transformation, ESG, and sustainable tourism.”

FITLAB is also intensifying research on local 골드문 토토사이트 먹튀 revitalization using digital technology. The lab analyzes how digital content can attract visitors to depopulating regions and how such 골드문 토토사이트 먹튀 can generate economic ripple effects. From an ESG perspective, the lab assesses the economic contributions of workations and long-stay 골드문 토토사이트 먹튀, seeking pathways to create a sustainable regional 골드문 토토사이트 먹튀 ecosystem.

Researchers are also examining how emerging technologies like AI, AR, and VR impact various stakeholders—from tourists to industry leaders—offering a multidimensional assessment of tourism innovation’s potential and limitations. Most recently, the lab secured a major R&D project from Korea’s Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries, titled “2025 Marine Blue Tech Future Leader Training Project,” to enhance both policy and industry value in marine tourism and develop future talent.

Professor Shin concluded, “We are expanding multi-layered research projects aimed at solving societal challenges and promoting sustainable growth in the tourism industry. We look forward to continued interest and support.”