Centers, Labs & Projects

Key Laboratory

1、Key Laboratory of Sustainable Tourism Smart Assessment Technology, Ministry of Culture and Tourism, China

The Key Laboratory of Sustainable Tourism Smart Assessment Technology of China’s Ministry of Culture and Tourism is built upon the UN Tourism Monitoring Centre for Sustainable Tourism Observatories and is supported by the School of Tourism and the School of Artificial Intelligence at Sun Yat-sen University. It leverages Sun Yat-sen University’s strengths in tourism management and computer science, alongside the capabilities of the Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Big Data Analysis and Processing and the Tourism Development and Planning Research Center. The Laboratory focuses on two primary research themes: (1) destination-level data acquisition and intelligent processing for sustainable tourism, and (2) sustainable tourism assessment and service technologies.

2、Center for Tourism, Leisure and Social Development Research of Sun Yat-sen University

The Center for Tourism, Leisure and Social Development Research of Sun Yat-sen University was established in June 2013 and was designated as Guangdong Provincial Social Science Research Base in December 2020. Affiliated with School of Tourism Management at Sun Yat-sen University, the center has assembled an interdisciplinary academic team. It has produced a wealth of research outputs in areas such as the socio-cultural impacts of tourism, tourism anthropology and sociology, social space in tourism, tourism mobility, as well as rural tourism and rural revitalization. These efforts have significantly contributed to the theoretical advancement of tourism, leisure, and social development studies, and also broadened the practical application of research outcomes.

Guided by its key research priorities - “integrated development of culture and tourism”, “tourism poverty alleviation and rural revitalization”, and “tourism development in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area”, the Center leverages interdisciplinary strengths in tourism and leisure studies, economics, management, anthropology, and geography. It fosters innovation-oriented teams dedicated to bridging theoretical and practical approaches, thereby continuously advancing the field of tourism and leisure studies. Major initiatives include organizing regular tourism and social development forums, academic salons, and other scholarly events; maintaining the “Yixian Lvyan” media platform (i.e., Wechat public account for tourism research) to disseminate recent research outcomes; and producing research reports and policy advisory documents relevant to tourism, leisure, and social development.

3、Monitoring Center for Sustainable Tourism Observatories of UN Tourism

In the context of globalization and industrialization, promoting sustainable tourism development has become a global consensus, and identifying concrete technical methods to monitor sustainable tourism development has emerged as a central concern. Initiated by the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO was renamed the UN Tourism in January 2024), the International Network of Sustainable Tourism Observatories (INSTO) project has made notable progress in areas such as indicator development and methodological discussions.

The INSTO project selects representative tourism destinations worldwide to monitor the impacts of tourism, covering aspects such as socio-cultural change, economic development, and environmental protection. Through these monitoring activities, the project aims to guide the scientific development of destinations, enhance their demonstrative role, and foster international exchange and cooperation. On July 19, 2010, Sun Yat-sen University and the UNWTO reached an agreement in Madrid, Spain, designating Sun Yat-sen University as the technical support unit for tourism sustainability monitoring and establishing a corresponding technical support institution within the university. Based on UNWTO’s indicators and methods, Sun Yat-sen University has successfully carried out longitudinal monitoring at multiple sites, including—but not limited to—annual monitoring reports of Yangshuo, China (since 2006), Huangshan, China (since 2008), and Xidi village and Hongcun village, Anhui, China (since 2012), which have been highly recognized by UNWTO.

On September 28, 2010, UNWTO and Sun Yat-sen University signed a cooperation agreement to establish the Monitoring Centre for Sustainable Tourism Observatories of UN Tourism (MCSTO). The Centre is responsible for the management and monitoring of sustainable tourism development observatories in China and, in the future, across the Asia-Pacific region, ensuring that monitoring efforts are continuous, comprehensive, and effective.

4、UNESCO Chair on Sustainable Tourism in UNESCO Designated Sites

The UNESCO Chair on Sustainable Tourism in UNESCO Designated Sites was officially authorized by UNESCO on May 27, 2020, and the second construction cycle was officially announced on December 14, 2023.

Duties of UNESCO Chair on Sustainable Tourism in UNESCO Designated Sites

  • Promotes and disseminates research on sustainable tourism and heritage sites: 
    • Establishes key partnerships with heritage sites, designs and carries out research projects.
    • Actively disseminates research results and outcomes to practitioners through publications, academic conferences, etc.
    • Establishes an open-access database for the public to access information on sustainable tourism and heritage.
  • Establishes academic networks on heritage and tourism: 
    • Builds active collaborative networks among institutions or individuals in sustainable heritage tourism sites; promotes knowledge sharing and best practices in heritage and sustainable tourism.
    • Facilitates academic exchanges or conferences to enable knowledge sharing between scholars and students in heritage and tourism studies.
  • Raises public awareness of sustainable tourism in heritage sites.
    • Organizes activities including forums and competitions, to promote heritage education among young people.
    • Increases public awareness of heritage conservation and the sustainable tourism through public media.
  • Develops the improvement of heritage management capabilities：
    • Cultivates and trains postgraduates in the field of heritage and tourism.
    • Conducts short-term training programs for managers, government officials, and youth workers at home and abroad.
    • Develops heritage management projects and training.