Change the world

01/04/2025

The recent Tourism Start-Up Workshop hosted Mandela University’s Ocean Sciences Campus, marked the beginning of a strategic collaboration between the Mandela Metro, the School of Economics, Development & Tourism (SEDT), and the Engagement Office.

 

The workshop aimed to reimagine tourism as a socially just and sustainable sector grounded in local realities and historical awareness.

Stakeholders from across the tourism spectrum - including University academics, municipal representatives, and community voices - proposed a foundational framework guided by values of inclusion, co-learning, and mutual respect.

Key thematic pillars, such as “Service to Society,” “Equalised Engagement,” and a “Quintuple Helix Platform”, were developed to foster equitable partnerships linking government, academia, civil society, communities, and the private sector.

Participants also named key challenges that must be addressed to ensure the initiative’s sustainability: the demanding workloads of academic staff, the need for broader and ongoing stakeholder consultation - especially with those in grassroots tourism spaces—and securing dedicated funding to drive long-term impact.

The process now moves forward through Action Learning and Key Advisory Sets, laying the groundwork for a dynamic, values-led, and inclusive tourism research and development agenda for the metro and beyond.

Contact information
Ms Elma de Koker
Internal Communication Practitioner
Tel: 041-504 2160
elma.dekoker@mandela.ac.za