Husna Zainal Abidin
Academic and research departments
School of Hospitality and Tourism Management, Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences.My research project
Digital Collaboration: A Solution for Destinations
Technological advancements and innovation are on the rise and are disrupting the traditional ecosystem of the tourism industry. Destination Management Organisations (DMOs) that are supposed to shape the ecosystem, however, DMOs are struggling to adapt to these changes. Husna’s research seeks to take a positive stance towards technological disruptions and aims to explore the positioning of a DMOs role within the tourism ecosystem in this digital era. Integrating biometric and qualitative research methods, the research will investigate the elements of the next generation digital collaborative platforms for DMOs from the perspective of both the businesses and visitors. Through the collaboration with Visit Surrey and Minted Box as the key industry partners, a trial platform will be developed and tested with existing stakeholders of the region.
Supervisors
University roles and responsibilities
- Graduate Teaching Assistant
Business, industry and community links
Husna obtained her bachelor degree in Tourism Management in 2016 from the University of Surrey and was subsequently awarded a studentship, enabling her to pursue her current PhD programme. Her main research revolves around the area of behaviour and decision making, collaboration, research design and digital platforms within the tourism industry.
Prior to her PhD, Husna worked as an intern to the Minister of Tourism and Culture of Malaysia. The experience deepened her interest in research-based decision making in governmental level tourism management. Truly believing in the importance of collaboration, Husna co-founded ASEANITE, a social enterprise with the mission to build and bridge social capital in ASEAN, through collaboration and connectivity among young professionals in ASEAN countries.