Research Projects

Research Skills Development Project

Background

In 2011 Professor Karen Harris in the Department of Historical and Heritage Studies (DHHS) at the University of Pretoria (UP) was approached by the Director General of the National Department of Tourism (NDT) to assist in building capacity in both the public and private southern African tourism sector through collaboration and research.

After signing a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) in 2012, this partnership has focused on researching key fields within the tourism domain that include: cross-border tourism; tourist guiding; tourism legislation; and advancing indigenous knowledge systems.

This signing was seen as an important step in allowing tourism as a research field to grow within Higher Education institutions throughout South Africa, an initiative between government and academia that has proven to be successful.

Research reports completed to date:

2018 – 2019:

- Cross-border themed tourism routes in the southern Africa region: Practice and potential

- The Indigenous Story Teller (IST): The Northern Cape as a case study

2017 – 2018:

- A policy review of the tourist guiding sector in South Africa

2016 – 2017:

- The potential of the creative industry for destination development in South Africa – film tourism as a case study

2015 – 2016:

- Harmonised tourist guiding in southern Africa (phase IV)

2014 – 2015:

- Harmonization of tourist guide training regulations and standards in southern Africa (Phase III)

2013 – 2014:

- Harmonizing of tourist guide training regulations and standards in southern Africa (phase II)

2012 – 2013:

- Understanding the concept of cross-border guiding in southern Africa (phase I)

For more information in relation to the mentioned annual studies conducted, please visit NDT’s Tourism Knowledge Portal.

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