About the Author
Dr. Xuan V. Tran, a Professor, studies microeconomics and macroeconomics and consumer behavior psychology in hospitality and tourism.
Tran’s research has examined economic effects on demand for luxury hotel rooms, hotel brand personality and service quality, and customers’ price sensitivity in upscale lodging. In addition, he has examined aspects of crime and tourism, financial decision-making in the lodging industry, and numerous other issues involving tourism in Asia, Europe and the United States.
Dr. Tran has authored 5 books, 10 book chapters, and 23 peer-reviewed articles since joining the University of West Florida (UWF). In 2006, he established a network connecting Innisfree hotel general managers with hospitality students, which led to Julian MacQueen pledging $250,000 to the UWF hospitality program in 2013. Dr. Tran also organizes annual conferences at the UWF College of Business, fostering a strong partnership with Innisfree Hotels, recognized by Julian MacQueen, founder, and Ted Ent, CEO and President.
As a representative of UWF, Dr. Tran visited Japan to teach UWF students at Jikei College in Tokyo. In Spring 2026, he will publish “Revenue Management Illustrated,” a UWF Pressbook that will be available as a free-access textbook for students worldwide. His students hold prominent leadership roles in the tourism industry and have made significant contributions to the success of UWF and the local community.
Dr. Tran has presented his research internationally, with invitations to Sweden, London, Japan, Paris, and New York. He has been recognized for his achievements in teaching, research, and service, receiving numerous awards, including the 2024 Office of Undergraduate Research Mentoring Award, the 2024 Raymond C. Dyson Faculty Research Award, the 2023 Raymond Dyson Service Award, the 2022 Raymond Dyson Research Award, the 2019 Raymond Dyson Service Award, the 2019 E.W. Hopkins Faculty Development Award, and the Student Market Competition Smith Travel Research Award for 2016-2019 in New York. Additionally, his work was acknowledged as a Top Hottest Article in 2016 by the Annals of Tourism Research.
Tran, a former Fulbright Scholar, earned a Ph.D. in Hospitality, Recreation and Tourism at the University of Utah. Before joining the UWF faculty, he taught at the University of Utah and at colleges in Japan, China and Vietnam. He has served as faculty at UWF for 18 years.
