COVID-19 and African tourism research agendas. Issue 5 (2nd September 2020)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Rogerson, Christian M.; Baum, Tom
• Is Part Of: Development Southern Africa. Volume 37:Issue 5(2020)
• Page Start: 727
• Page End: 741
• Publication Date: 2020-09-02
• Subjects: COVID-19 -- African tourism -- research agenda; Economic development -- Africa, Southern -- Periodicals; Africa, Southern -- Economic conditions -- Periodicals; 338.90096805
• DOI: 10.1080/0376835X.2020.1818551
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0376-835X

Abstract

ABSTRACT: COVID-19 has triggered a burst of international scholarship concerning the reshaping of tourism and the resetting of tourism research agendas. The aim of this paper is to tease out some implications for re-orienting the African tourism research agenda from 2020 and beyond. Arguably, an appropriate African research response to COVID-19 in the context of tourism must embrace a genuine transdisciplinary approach and draw in researchers who would not, historically, have operated in the tourism space. Seven key themes are discussed namely, market confidence; dependence on international long-haul tourists; supporting regional and domestic tourism especially VFR travel; redefining community-based tourism; informal sector resilience; climate change; and, addressing present-mindedness in African tourism scholarship.