ATLAS Africa Coordinators
Karen Harris and Christoffel Botha
University of Pretoria
South Africa
Contact form
If you would like to get in touch with one of the ATLAS Regional Coordinators, please fill in the form HERE
From Recovery to Resilience: Sustainable Pathways for Transforming Tourism
We are pleased to announce the upcoming International Conference in South Africa: From Recovery to Resilience: Sustainable Pathways for Transforming Tourism. The conference will take place at the Maslow Hotel in Sandton – Johannesburg, South Africa, between September 1-5, 2025. The conference is co-organised by the University of Johannesburg, South Africa, and the University of Oulu, Finland.
More information can be found HERE
Report 2024
The fourth ATLAS Africa postgraduate student presentation took place on 8 November 2023 where Honours students in Heritage and Cultural Tourism presented on the theme: “Tourism and Cultural Diversity: The UPCT way”. This theme aligned with the 2023 CultSense SIG Cultural Tourism Conference held in Rotterdam in June 2023, “Bridging Cultures through Travel: From theory to practice”. Given SA’s multiculturalism, the students focused on how differences and divisions can be bridged through tourism.
This annual event serves not only as a platform for University of Pretoria postgraduate students to showcase their research, but also as a means to conscientise academics and students across Africa and beyond about ATLAS Africa.
In addition to the CFP and invitation which goes out on through ATLAS channels, it is also shared across Africa with universities and colleges teaching tourism through a range of social media platforms as well as email correspondence.
The fifth ATLAS Africa online presentation will be held in November 2024 with the theme: “UPCT – more than just a tour”.
The second ATLAS Africa online conference, co-hosted by UP took place on 26 April 2024 with the theme: “Tourism after freedom: Democratic Africa”. Coinciding with SA’s commemoration of 30 years of democracy, it focused on sovereign African states and how they have gone about repositioning and advancing tourism, hospitality and leisure after independence in the 20th century. Just on 40 papers were presented in 12 online sessions on 11 themes related to travel market segments across the African sub-continent with about 80 attendees from 15 countries.
The online conference was opened by the Deputy Vice-Chancellor from Univ Pta, Prof Sunil Maharaj, the Deputy Director General from the Ministry of Tourism, Dr Shamila Chettiar as well as President of ATLAS, Prof Tara Duncan. A next ATLAS Africa conference will be held in 2026. Given that the United Nations has declared 2026 the “International Year of Volunteers” – tentative theme for this online conference will be: “Volunteer Tourism – Tourism Volunteers: a sustaining a future”
https://www.unv.org/pressrelease/un-general-assembly-proclaims-2026-international-year-volunteers-sustainable
The year 2024 also marked the first time Africa featured in the ATLAS Masters thesis competition, with one recipient receiving an honourable mention. We will continue to encourage members to participate.
In all three above instances news articles are produced which also feature ATLASandATLAS Africa providing more marketing and awareness.
Thanks to both Leontine and Jantien for their support with both of all the ATLAS Africa initiatives. This included announcements, abstract reviewing, technical logistics, design, Zoom links and loads of enthusiasm.
A very special word of thanks to Prof Tara Duncan for her continual support of ATLAS Africa initiatives since our appointment to the ATLAS board. Thanks also for opening the student online presentation last year and in previous years, your encouragement and support meant so much. The same applies to the two online conferences co-hosted by ATLAS Africa and UP.