NMMU Business School explores the Changing Landscapes of Global and Local Tourism on World Tourism Day

Port Elizabeth, 2 September 2013 -- In the upcoming instalment of NMMU Business School’s anthology of Strategic Conversations, the changing global and local tourism environment will be traversed to determine if the Eastern Cape is capitalizing on trends and opportunities. The event takes place on 27 September, World Tourism Day.

This strategic conversation with guest speaker and presenter Professor Ernie Heath will critically look at the key international and local drivers of change in the tourism environment and particular emphasis will be placed on the “new” tourism opportunities and challenges for the Eastern Cape Province. In addition, part of the dialogue will be on the critical success factors that can place the province, with its abundance of natural and cultural tourism resources, on the highroad to achieving its true tourism potential.

Professor Ernie Heath, has extensive tourism management and marketing experience, particularly in the fields of strategic tourism management, strategic destination marketing and management, and rural and community tourism development and promotion. He is currently a professor in Business Management at the University of Pretoria, and was previously the deputy executive director of South African Tourism. He further served on the United Nations World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO) Education Council.

He has received global recognition for his work, including the Skål International Presidential Award for his contribution to the development of tourism in South Africa; recognition as a Destination Champion by Destination Marketing Association International (DMAI); the Chairman’s Award from the Indian Ocean Tourism Organisation (IOTO); and a World-Ted Qual Themis Award from the United Nations World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO) in recognition of his contribution to the global development of research, education and training in tourism.

For further information, contact Mercy Thinyane on: mercy.thinyane@nmmu.ac.za