Albert G. Assaf
Robert L. Epstein Endowed Professor | Graduate Faculty Director
Professor Albert George Assaf is a professor at the Isenberg School of Management, University of Massachusetts Amherst. He is internationally recognized for his contributions to tourism, hospitality, and quantitative research methods. His expertise spans tourism and hospitality management, productivity and efficiency analysis, business performance, tourism economics, and quantitative research methods. Professor Assaf's current research examines the application of artificial intelligence in tourism and hospitality, restaurant performance, consumer behavior, and the use of advanced econometric and efficiency modeling techniques to support managerial decision-making. His research provides practical insights for businesses, governments, and destination management organizations by improving organizational performance, supporting evidence-based policymaking, and advancing sustainable and competitive tourism development. Professor Assaf has published extensively in leading international journals. He serves as Editor-in-Chief of Tourism Economics and holds editorial positions on several prestigious journals, contributing to the advancement of research and scholarly standards in the field.
Education
Professional Experience
Academic Appointments
Recent Honors/Awards
Dean's Excellence in Teaching Award, 2026
John Wiley & Sons Lifetime Research Achievement Award - ICHRIE, 2020
Elected Fellow of the International Academy for the Study of Tourism
Top 2% Most Cited Scholars
College Outstanding Research Award, 2020, 2022
Richard M. '73 and Nancy S. Kelleher '71 Teacher Award, 2018-2019
College Outstanding Teacher Award, 2018
Thea Sinclair Award for Best Paper in Tourism Economics, 2016
Exceptional Merit, University of Massachusetts-Amherst, 2014
Charles R. Goeldner Award for Best Research Article-Journal of Travel Research, 2013
Emerging Scholar of Distinction- International Academy for the Study of Tourism, 2013
Dean Research Excellence Award, 2011, 2012, 2013
The Emerald Literati Network Award for Outstanding Paper, 2012
The ASEDAS (Spanish supermarket association) and AEMARK (Spanish Marketing Academy) award for best retailing paper, 2011
Nominee for the Distinguished Teaching Award, University of Massachusetts-Amherst, 2010, 2011, 2012
Editorial Positions
Editor-in-Chief, Tourism Economics, 2017-Present
Associate Editor, Journal of Hospitality and Tourism Research, 2015-Present
Associate Editor, International Journal of Hospitality Management, 2013-Present
Resource Editor, Annals of Tourism Research, 2013-Present
Editorial Board, Journal of Travel Research, 2012-Present
Editorial Board, Tourism Analysis, 2012-Present
Editorial Board, Tourism Economics, 2012-Present
Editorial Board, International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management, 2012-Present
Editorial Board, Journal of Air Transport Management, 2015-Present
Editorial Board, Journal of Vacation Management, 2016-Present
Research Interests
Teaching Interests
- Managerial Economics
- Business Statistics
- Strategic Management
- Applied Statistics
- Applied Econometrics
- Casino Probability
- Managerial Accounting
- Operations Management
- Service Management
Selected Publications
Cao, Y., Assaf, A. G., Lee, S., & Uysal, M. (2026). Managerial ability as a moderator of the curvilinear ESG–Performance relationship. International Journal of Hospitality Management, 139, 104758.
Dogru, T., Assaf, A., Josiassen, A., & Kock, F. (2026). Operationalizing GenAI: a framework protocol for auditable and responsible GenAI use in academic research. International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management, 1-16.
Escobar, F. B., Kock, F., & Assaf, A. G. (2025). What is a cool restaurant? Understanding, measuring, and leveraging coolness for restaurants. Tourism Management, 108, 105116.
Coyne, M., Assaf, A. G., & Uysal, M. (2025). USA wine consumers’ self-expansion to territorial brand attachment. International Journal of Hospitality Management, 131, 104342.
Berbekova, A., Assaf, A. G., Uysal, M., Tsionas, M., & Parmeter, C. F. (2025). Quality of life performance index for tourism destinations. Tourism Management, 108, 105091.