On 14 February 2022the Department of Historical and Heritage Studies (DHHS) in the Faculty of Humanities at the University of Pretoria (UP) co-hosted the Association for Tourism and Leisure Education and Research’s (ATLAS) Africa Conference. The ATLAS Africa Conference aims to reflect (and reminisce) on the essence of travel and tourism on the African continent, and why many scholars and travellers “fell in love” with the continent and its distinct tourist attractions, products, destinations, services and sites in the first place. 

This international conference was organised by newly elected ATLAS Africa Coordinators Professor Karen Harris, Head of Department, and Christoffel Botha, lecturer in the Department of Historical and Heritage Studies. Aimed to re-engage, re-start and re-invigorate the Africa chapter of ATLAS, the conference was appropriately themed given that it took place on Valentine’s Day.  

"This conference drew together representatives from institutions across the African continent and beyond. In the wake of COVID-19 and the devastation caused to the tourism industry - this conference reflected on what was and what can be," said Prof Harris. 

Responding to Prof Harris's keynote address, "Out of Africa - Into Africa: The historical periodisation of tourism", Prof Tara Duncan, President of ATLAS said: "It was very insightful and a great start to the day. It is exciting to see how important tourism is your faculty and university, and to see how important it is to Africa more generally." Prof Harris’s address challenged the conventional notion of tourism history, contending that African tourism took on a different trajectory.

"Since the dawn of the new millennium, travel and tourism have become integral and critical to many economies of the nation states across the African continent,” said Vice-Chancellor and Principal of UP, Professor Tawana Kupe. The Dean of the Faculty of Humanities, Professor Vasu Reddy, attested to the fact that both colleagues are enthused about the relevance of tourism as a global force. “I am delighted that the Head of this Department, Professor Karen Harris, and her colleague Mr Chistoffel Botha, a lecturer in Heritage and Cultural Tourism in the Department, have been nominated to lead the Africa chapter of ATLAS at a global level as of 2022.  It is indeed also pleasing to see that both staff and postgraduate students from our Faculty, as well as from the Faculties of Economic and Management Sciences and Natural and Agricultural Sciences at the University of Pretoria are also presenting at the ATLAS Africa conference. This signifies the interdisciplinarity and the transdisciplinarity of this “indiscipline”, Heritage and Cultural Tourism,” said Prof Reddy. More than 40 papers were presented to an audience of over 150 delegates from more than 25 countries from Africa and beyond. Over 10 online sessions were held, on an array of themes that included: “African tourism for Africans”; “African tourism threats and opportunities”; “African tourism and protected areas”; “African tourism and cultural communities”; “African tourism and food”; “African tourism and technology”; “African urban and rural tourism”; “African tourism employment and promotion”; “African coastal, marine and island tourism”; as well as “African tourism transport and infrastructure”.

UP had a sizeable presenter presence at this international event with various staff members, and postgraduate students delivering papers, chairing sessions and leading critical debates from an array of multidisciplinary perspectives.

Other UP presenters and papers included:

Faculty of Humanities:

• C.R. Botha – “Benchmarking best practice in Africa: A conceptual model for tourist guiding”
• W. Senoamadi – “Making African tourism safe: The case of South Africa”
• L. Govender – “Ethnic identity and culture as drivers of travel choice: The case of South Africans as domestic tourists”
• B. Lubbe – “The past, present and future impact of air transport on tourism in Africa and South Africa”
• D. Van den Berg – “Africa’s first people, Africa’s last voice: Is tourism the key to cultural survival?”
• V. Verkerk – “Virtual reality: Saving South Africa’s tourism?”
• R. Henning – “#lovecapetown: An African urban tourism model”
• H. Nel – “Lighting the Cape of Storms: Lighthouse tourism along South Africa’s Atlantic coastline”
• R. Wyllie – “Community-based tourism in marine protected areas in Africa”

Faculty of Natural and Agricultural Sciences:

• H. Fisher and G. du Rand – “Promoting South African indigenous cultural foods through contemporary menu adaptions”

Faculty of Economic and Management Sciences:

• K. Tlabela and A. Douglas – “Information exchange and memorable visitor experiences in South African Visitor Information Centres”
• A. Mazenda and B. Ripinga – “The impact of the determinants of levy collection on revenue in Gauteng’s graded accommodation establishments”.

The conference received rave reviews from an array of continental and international stakeholders for its initiative to not only enhance Pan-African collaborations, but to also promote the strategic objectives set forth by the African Union (AU) in terms of “Brand Africa” and “Agenda 2063”.

Recordings of the ATLAS Africa Conference can be found on Youtube: <https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC407UgfuKNxrV2tRnhrdu0g/featured>