Fang Meng

Professor

University of South Carolina

fmeng@hrsm.sc.edu

Biography

Fang Meng is a professor in the School of Hospitality and Tourism Management, and a research associate in the Richardson Family SmartState Center of Economic Excellence in Tourism and Economic Development at the University of South Carolina. She received her Ph.D. in hospitality and tourism management from Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University (Virginia Tech), and her M.S. and B.S. from Beijing International Studies University. Prior to joining the University of South Carolina, Meng worked as a faculty member at The Ohio University and the Beijing International Studies University.

Meng’s research interests include tourism marketing and management, destination branding, consumer behavior / experience in tourism and hospitality (e.g., online review behavior, social media and the sharing economy in tourism and hospitality), and international tourism. Her extended research areas also cover destination development with the involvement of community stakeholders, quality of life and health and wellness tourism. Meng has authored more than 160 scientific publications, including over 70 refereed articles in highly-ranked tourism and hospitality journals such as Journal of Travel Research, Tourism Management, International Journal of Hospitality Management, and International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management.

To date, Meng has been awarded more than $900,000 in external and internal research funding as Primary Investigator (PI) or Co-PI. Many of the projects were funded by reputable industry partners including the U.S. Department of Commerce, American Hotel and Lodging Educational Foundation, South Carolina Economic Development Administration, South Carolina Department of Parks, Recreation and Tourism, and South Carolina Department of Agriculture.

Meng is the Co-Editor-in-Chief of Tourism Analysis: An Interdisciplinary Tourism & Hospitality Journal, and she serves on the editorial board of eight academic journals including Tourism Management, Journal of Travel Research, and Journal of Vacation Marketing. She is a guest editor of Anatolia special issue and an ad hoc reviewer for multiple academic journals. Meng is an Expert Committee member in the World Tourism Cities Federation (WTCF) and a fellow in the International Association for China Tourism Studies (IACTS). She also gives presentations / speeches in numerous international and professional conferences as a keynote speaker, panelist, or moderator.