Prof. Katsuya Hihara
Tokyo Metropolitan University, Japan

Katsuya HIHARA is currently a Professor at Tourism Science Department of Faculty of Urban Environmental Sciences in Tokyo Metropolitan University (TMU). He has published numerous academic papers in international journals, such as Transportation Research Part C and E, Transport Policy, and PlosOne, and wrote chapters in books such as Handbook of Climate Change Mitigation and Adaptations 4th ed (Springer-Nature), as well as having extensive experience in transport and tourism policy sector for more than 25 years. He also advises to public sector organizations, such as Ministry of Land Infrastructure Transport and Tourism of Japan (MLIT), Tokyo Metropolitan Government, and City of Hachioji. He holds a degree of Ph.D. (Management) from University of Tsukuba.
His recent research interests are sustainable tourism market analysis, economic impact of tourism and regional development, risk sharing among aviation market participants, and pandemic impact on tourism/transport market.

Associate Professor Mitsunori Hirogaki
Kyushu University, Japan

Mitsunori Hirogaki graduated with a Bachelor of Science: Commerce from Doshisha University and pursued his Master's Degree in Commerce and Ph.D.: Commerce from Kobe University. Dr. Hirogaki is currently an Associate Professor of Marketing Strategy at Kyushu University, Graduate School of Economics, Department of Business and Technology Management (QBS Business School), where he teaches Marketing Strategy and International Marketing. He also teaches marketing research and consumer behavior at Ehime University.
He has served as an administrator in various capacities at Kyushu University and as one of the professors in various training programs dealing with Marketing in short-term executive programs, an Introductory Education Program for Freshman MBA students, and a regular feature on QTnet "Morning Business School" radio educational program aired by FM Fukuoka, and at Nikkei Business School. As a member of a research group at the Center for the Study of the Creative Economy (Doshisha University), he works with big data analysis to construct systems that identify seeds of innovation. Dr. Hirogaki’s current research focuses on Cross-Cultural Consumer Behavior in international marketing and marketing strategies in mature, developed societies.
He has published numerous papers in international journals such as Journal of Marketing Management; International Journal of Retail & Distribution Management; International Review of Retail, Distribution and Consumer Research; International Journal of Entrepreneurship and Small Business; Micro and Macro Marketing; International Journal of Technology Transfer and Commercialisation; and International Journal of Business and Globalisation. He is a member of the Japanese Economic Association, Japan Society of Marketing and Distribution, Kyushu Association of Economic Science, and Japan Association for Consumer Studies.