University of Taipei

Department of Marketing and Management

Sung-Ta Liu
https://www.linkedin.com/in/sungtaliu/

Research Field

Marketing
Introduction

Dr. Sung-Ta Liu is an Associate Professor in the Department of Marketing and Management at the University of Taipei, Taiwan.

His research focuses on sustainable urban tourism, destination marketing, and consumer behaviour.

He welcomes international students who are interested in collaborative research and academic publication opportunities in these areas

Dr. Sung-Ta Liu is an Associate Professor in the Department of Marketing and Management at the University of Taipei, Taiwan. With a PhD from the Centre for Urban and Regional Studies at the University of Birmingham, UK, his research employs rigorous quantitative methods to address contemporary challenges in urban tourism and destination management.

What International Students Will Gain:

  • Research Skills: Hands-on training in survey design, data collection, and statistical analysis (SPSS, SmartPLS)
  • Publication Opportunities: Co-authorship on manuscripts targeting international journals
  • Field Experience: Access to Taiwan's urban tourism contexts and government open data resources
  • Professional Mentoring: One-on-one guidance on research methodology and academic career development
  • Cross-cultural Collaboration: Understanding of Asian urban development perspectives

Ideal Candidates: Students with backgrounds in tourism management, urban studies, marketing, or related fields who are motivated to pursue research-oriented careers and interested in quantitative methodologies.

Research Topics

1. Urban Tourism Development and Sustainability

  • Urban tourist behaviour and market segmentation during pandemic and post-pandemic periods
  • Sustainable tourism planning in metropolitan areas
  • Low-carbon tourism development strategies

2. Destination Image and City Branding

  • Hard vs. soft image attributes in destination marketing
  • Capital city branding strategies
  • Cultural identity and place representation in urban tourism

3. Tourism Information and Communication

  • Official destination website effectiveness and online newsroom functions
  • Government open data applications in tourism planning
  • Innovation diffusion and information adoption in tourism contexts
Honor

Publications:

  • Liu, Y. Y., Chiu, Y. H., & Liu, S. T. (2026). Effects of high urban temperatures on use of low-carbon transportation and participation in outdoor physical activities. City and Environment Interactions, 29, 100294. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cacint.2026.100294
  • Liu, S. T. (2023). Urban tourist profiles during the pandemic in Taiwan: A multigroup analysis. Heliyon, 9(3), e14157. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.heliyon.2023.e14157
  • Liu, S. T. (2022). Using innovation diffusion and information adoption to examine the potential of the hard image attributes of a city for urban tourism marketing. Public Administration & Policy, 74, 99-132.
  • Liu, S. T. (2021). Assessing the online newsroom functions of official destination websites: A mixed approach combining the modified Delphi method and the technology acceptance model. Journal of Tourism and Leisure Studies, 27(2), 245-272. http://dx.doi.org/10.6267%2fJTLS.202108_27(2).0004
  • Liu, S. T. (2020). Comparing perspectives of municipal-tourism-department and cultural-department on urban cultural-tourism development. Journal of Destination Marketing & Management, 16, 100432. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jdmm.2020.100432
  • Liu, S. T. (2017). A partial least squares structural equation modeling approach for examining multidimensional values of Taipei Zoo. Asia Pacific Journal of Tourism Research, 22(8), 863-873. https://doi.org/10.1080/10941665.2017.1344716
  • Liu, S. T. (2017). Sending marketing messages about industry-academy cooperation to information technology industry professionals: A partial-least squares structural equation modeling approach to the case study of Taiwan. Journal of Technological and Vocational Education, 7(3), 45-60.
  • Wang, C. P., Li, C., & Liu, S.T. (corresponding author) (2016). A multidimensional environmental value orientation approach to forest recreation area tourism market segmentation. Forests, 7(5), 92. https://doi.org/10.3390/f7050092
  • Liu, S. T. (2014). Selecting a destination image for a capital city rather than for a nation: A segmentation study. Journal of Destination Marketing & Management, 3(1), 11-17. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jdmm.2013.12.002
  • Liu, S. T. (2014). Reclaiming cultural identities under settler rule: Case studies of the Hakkas and the Taiwanese Indigenous Peoples. Settler Colonial Studies, 4(1), 100-104. https://doi.org/10.1080/2201473X.2013.812948
  • Liu, S. T. (2013). Settler urban legacies: A case study of Taipei City. Cities, 31, 239-247. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cities.2012.06.018
  • Li, C., Wang, C. P., Liu, S. T. (corresponding author), & Weng, L. H. (2010). Forest value orientations and importance of forest recreation services. Journal of Environmental Management, 91, 2342-2348. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvman.2010.06.020
Educational Background
  • PhD, Centre for Urban & Regional Studies, University of Birmingham, UK
  • MA, Globalization & Communications, University of Leicester, UK
  • BA, Landscape Architecture, Tunghai University, Taiwan