Past edition · GLOTECH 2026

GLOTECH 2026 · San Diego

September 18–21, 2026 · Hybrid · San Diego State University, Adams Humanities Building, with online sessions on September 21.

47accepted papers

20+countries represented

13keynote speakers and panelists

28countries on the review committee

Leadership

Chairs

Prof. Cihan CobanogluConference Chair · Virscend University

Prof. Carl H. WinstonConference Chair · Director, L. Robert Payne School of Hospitality & Tourism Management, San Diego State University

Dr. Faizan AliResearch Chair · University of Galway

Dr. Bendegul OkumusResearch Chair · University of South Carolina

Program

Keynote sessions and panels

Panels included "Robots, AI, and the New Service Encounter: Who's Serving Whom?" Ira Vouk delivered the keynote "Teaching in the Age of AI: Rethinking Hospitality Education for an AI-Native Industry."

Ira VoukHospitality technology consultant, author, educator · Founder, AI Hospitality Alliance

Prof. Wan YangJames A. Collins Distinguished Professor, Cal Poly Pomona

Dr. Lisa CainFlorida International University

Prof. Chris CainDirector, PGA Golf Management, UNLV

Prof. Mehmet ErgulInterim Chair, Hospitality & Tourism Management, San Francisco State University

Dr. Luana NanuUniversity of South Florida

Mihai BoteChief Data and AI Officer · Founder, Confido Robotics

Dr. Eda AlphanUniversity of South Florida

Prof. Betsy StringamNew Mexico State University

Dr. Seden DoganUniversity of South Florida

Dr. Andrew MoreoFlorida International University

Dr. Chang (Evita) MaUniversity of South Carolina

Prof. Sean D. JassoVirscend University

September 18, 2026

Pre-conference workshop

AI-Enhanced Instructional Design, led by Dr. Cihan Cobanoglu. A hands-on afternoon in which faculty turned existing courses into AI-powered learning: micro-videos, podcasts, auto-generated assessments and LMS-ready modules, using tools such as NotebookLM, Claude and HeyGen.

Selected papers

A sample of the 2026 program

S 1.1
AI, Human Collaboration, and Tourism Education: Local Context as a Pedagogical Lens in Azerbaijan
Melih Madanoglu & Emin Ənvəroglu Quliyev
S 1.1
Rethinking Humanoid Robot Deployment in Hospitality: A Multidimensional Fit Framework
Chang (Evita) Ma, Luana Nanu, Mihai Bote & Peng Chen
S 1.2
Hospitality's Empathic Friend: How an Emotional Support AI Chatbot Can Be Used for Early Detection and Intervention for Employees' Psychological Distress
Bonhak Koo, Soon Cho & Uibin Lee
S 2.1
Towards a Readiness Framework for Responsible AI Adoption in Tourism and Hospitality Human Resource Management
Maria Brás, Paulo Carrasco & Hugo Palácios
S 2.1
From Representation to Generation: Rethinking Authenticity in Hospitality and Tourism in the Age of Generative AI
Federico Mertoli & Carmela E. Schillaci
S 2.2
Mindfulness in the Age of AI: When Routine Work Backfires in Hospitality
Wan Yang, Patrick Lee & Yao-Chin Wang
S 2.2
What AI Competencies Do Future Professionals Need? Insights from Industry Practice
Ye (Sandy) Shen, Sophie Sipes, Robert Huang & Mikel Reinhard
S 2.2
Watched by AI: How Algorithmic Surveillance Fuels Job Anxiety Among Hospitality Employees
Brandy Whitford, Ece Omuris, Andrew Moreo, AJ Aluri & Seden Dogan
S 2.3
Preparing the Hospitality Workforce for AI: A Framework for Implementation
Elizabeth Stringam
S 2.3
A Revised AIDUA Model in Hospitality: Empirical Evidence from an AI Concierge Tool Under Development in Europe
Ivett Pinke-Sziva
S 3.2
AI Paradigm Shifts and Firm Performance: Evidence from the Transition to Generative and Agentic AI in the U.S. Hospitality and Travel Sector
Gozde Turkmen Muldur
S 3.3
From Word-of-Mouth to Word-of-Machine: Trust and Acceptance of AI-Generated Travel Recommendations
Cathrine Linnes et al.

Presenting sponsors

L. Robert Payne School of Hospitality & Tourism Management, San Diego State University
School of Hospitality and Tourism Management, University of South Carolina

Gold sponsor

The Collins College of Hospitality Management, Cal Poly Pomona

Organized by

Virscend University and the Association of Global Educators, supported by JHTT and the IFITT North America Chapter