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NWU - TREES

TREES is the Tourism Research Unit at the North-West University. Privacy policy: https://www.nwu.ac.za/access-to-information-act

Tourism Research in Economic, Environs & Society, or TREES, is a focus area for tourism research at North-West University. TREES has been or is currently working with various clients which include South African National Parks (SANParks), ATKV, Pilanesberg National Game Reserve, Big Concerts, major arts and music festivals in South Africa (Jazz Festival, Aardklop, Vryfees and Innibos for example) as well as sporting events such as the Comrades Marathon, Two Oceans Marathon and the Cape Argus Cycle Challenge. TREES is responsible for the development of a measuring instrument (questionnaires), the distribution thereof, the capture of data and the publishing of exceptional quality research reports which are then delivered to its clients. The main focus of TREES' research includes marketing analysis, social impact assessment, economic impact assessment, travel behaviour, decisions and travel motivations.

02/10/2026

🎷📊 𝗥𝗘𝗦𝗘𝗔𝗥𝗖𝗛 𝗜𝗡 𝗔𝗖𝗧𝗜𝗢𝗡 𝗔𝗧 𝗦𝗕𝗝𝗢𝗝! 🎶

On 25 & 26 September, our research team, under the guidance of Prof Martinette Kruger, took to the festival grounds at the Standard Bank Joy of Jazz (SBJOJ) to investigate the festival’s market and economic impact.

Festival research goes far beyond the numbers! 📊 It helps us understand who attends, how visitors experience the festival, what they spend, and the wider contribution festivals make to local economies and communities. These insights provide valuable evidence that can support festival organisers in making informed decisions and planning for the future.

A heartfelt thank you to everyone who participated in our research and to the SBJOJ team for supporting our work.

And, of course, a huge WELL DONE to our fantastic student fieldwork team! 👏🎓 Your contribution helped bring research to life!

From the classroom to the festival grounds, this is research in action! 🎷📊🌍

29/09/2026

🎓🌍 𝗦𝗨𝗣𝗣𝗢𝗥𝗧𝗜𝗡𝗚 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗡𝗘𝗫𝗧 𝗚𝗘𝗡𝗘𝗥𝗔𝗧𝗜𝗢𝗡 𝗢𝗙 𝗧𝗢𝗨𝗥𝗜𝗦𝗠 𝗥𝗘𝗦𝗘𝗔𝗥𝗖𝗛𝗘𝗥𝗦

We are proud to celebrate four of our North-West University postgraduate students who represented at the 2nd Tourism and Hospitality Postgraduate Conference, held in the Drakensberg from 21–25 September 2026! 🎉 Through the TREES Postgraduate Conference Initiative, led by Prof Martinette Kruger and Prof Adam Viljoen, our students are given opportunities to take their research beyond the thesis.

👏 Congratulations to Kaven Lempe, Carlin Barnes, Matildah Kutumela and Deborah Kalobo on presenting their research across important areas of contemporary tourism, including travel decision-making, conservation communication, pro-environmental behaviour and resident perspectives on meaningful destination experiences.

🎤 Carlin Barnes participated in the panel discussion “Navigating the Postgraduate Journey: Reflections from Postgraduate Students,” sharing perspectives alongside postgraduate students from other institutions.

🎓 Prof Martinette Kruger contributed to the panel discussion “Embedding Research in Learning and Teaching,” exploring the relationship between research, teaching and student development.

Behind every emerging researcher is a network of dedicated supervisors and mentors. We extend our sincere appreciation to Prof Lindie du Plessis, Dr Madeline Huyser, Dr Walter Wessels and Prof Elmarie Slabbert, together with Prof Kruger and Prof Viljoen, for their continued commitment to postgraduate research development.

We also thank the , Tourism Educators South Africa (TESA),, the conference organising committee and everyone involved in creating this valuable platform for knowledge exchange, collaboration and the development of tourism and hospitality researchers across Africa.

Thank you to the team! 👏🎓

28/09/2026

🌐🔎 𝗗𝗘𝗘𝗣𝗘𝗡𝗜𝗡𝗚 𝗢𝗨𝗥 𝗗𝗜𝗚𝗜𝗧𝗔𝗟 𝗙𝗢𝗢𝗧𝗣𝗥𝗜𝗡𝗧: 𝗘𝗫𝗣𝗘𝗥𝗧 𝗩𝗢𝗜𝗖𝗘𝗦 𝗜𝗡 𝗧𝗢𝗨𝗥𝗜𝗦𝗠

As we reach the end of our Deepening Our Digital Footprint journey, we turn to a selection of TREES researchers to reflect on what technology and artificial intelligence could mean for the future of tourism. 🌍💡

🎓 𝗗𝗿 𝗘𝗡𝗚𝗘𝗟𝗕𝗥𝗘𝗖𝗛𝗧
Technology is changing tourism rapidly, creating a need to consider how students are prepared for the industry they will enter.

🌱 𝗗𝗿 𝗖𝗛𝗔𝗠𝗕𝗪𝗘
Digital platforms and AI could help rural and community-based tourism destinations improve visibility, connect local enterprises with markets and showcase cultural, natural and water-based tourism resources.

💻 𝗣𝗥𝗢𝗙 𝗠𝗔𝗧𝗜𝗭𝗔
Advances in connectivity, digital technology and AI-driven work are contributing to the growth of digital nomad tourism. For South Africa, this emerging segment presents opportunities linked to our connectivity, infrastructure, co-working spaces, climate and diverse leisure offerings.

🌊 𝗣𝗥𝗢𝗙 𝗟𝗨𝗖𝗥𝗘𝗭𝗜
Digital technology and AI can support marine conservation while engaging tourists in citizen science and environmental monitoring. The opportunity is not simply to adopt these tools, but to explore how they can be used responsibly to educate visitors.

🦁 𝗣𝗥𝗢𝗙 𝗩𝗔𝗡 𝗗𝗘𝗥 𝗠𝗘𝗥𝗪𝗘
From GPS devices, drones and camera traps to mobile applications, virtual reality and augmented reality, technology is changing how visitors experience natural areas.

A huge thank you to our TREES researchers for sharing their expert voices throughout this journey, and to everyone who followed, engaged and contributed to the conversation.

The digital journey continues. 🚀

27/09/2026

🌍🤖 𝗪𝗢𝗥𝗟𝗗 𝗧𝗢𝗨𝗥𝗜𝗦𝗠 𝗗𝗔𝗬 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟲: 𝗗𝗘𝗘𝗣𝗘𝗡𝗜𝗡𝗚 𝗢𝗨𝗥 𝗗𝗜𝗚𝗜𝗧𝗔𝗟 𝗙𝗢𝗢𝗧𝗣𝗥𝗜𝗡𝗧

Today, we celebrate World Tourism Day 2026 under the theme “Digital Agenda and Artificial Intelligence to redesign tourism.” 🌍💡

As tourism continues to evolve, digital technologies and artificial intelligence are changing how we discover destinations, plan journeys, experience places and connect with tourism businesses and communities.

But digital transformation is not simply about adopting new technology. It is about asking an important question:

How can technology help us create better tourism experiences without losing what makes tourism human? 🤝

Today, we celebrate the people behind tourism: the researchers, lecturers, students, businesses, communities, destinations, travellers and tourism professionals who continue to shape this dynamic sector.

Happy World Tourism Day 2026! 🌍✈️

25/09/2026

🍷📱 𝗗𝗘𝗘𝗣𝗘𝗡𝗜𝗡𝗚 𝗢𝗨𝗥 𝗗𝗜𝗚𝗜𝗧𝗔𝗟 𝗙𝗢𝗢𝗧𝗣𝗥𝗜𝗡𝗧: 𝗪𝗛𝗘𝗡 𝗧𝗘𝗖𝗛𝗡𝗢𝗟𝗢𝗚𝗬 𝗠𝗘𝗘𝗧𝗦 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗛𝗨𝗠𝗔𝗡 𝗘𝗫𝗣𝗘𝗥𝗜𝗘𝗡𝗖𝗘

As part of Tourism Month 2026, we are exploring how digital technologies and AI are reshaping tourism, and our research at Blomme & Bubbles in Paternoster provided an exciting glimpse into what this can look like at a festival.

🎥 Festival organiser Arno Hattingh kindly allowed us to use their video material and shared a behind-the-scenes look at how the festival’s passport, QR codes, online store and point-of-sale system work together to create a more seamless visitor and retail experience.

But what happens next? 🤖

For w**e, food and culinary festivals, AI could take digital personalisation even further, helping visitors discover experiences based on their interests, navigate complex festival programmes, connect with producers, make purchases and continue those relationships beyond the event.

For researchers, this opens up exciting questions:

🔹 How does technology influence the entire visitor journey — from planning and discovery to on-site experiences and post-event engagement?

🔹 Can AI-enabled personalisation strengthen satisfaction, learning, loyalty and meaningful experiences?

🔹 How do we balance personalisation with privacy, trust and authenticity?

🔹 At what point could too much technology begin to diminish the human connection that makes festivals special?

The principle is simple:

✨ 𝗧𝗘𝗖𝗛𝗡𝗢𝗟𝗢𝗚𝗬 𝗦𝗛𝗢𝗨𝗟𝗗 𝗥𝗘𝗠𝗢𝗩𝗘 𝗙𝗥𝗜𝗖𝗧𝗜𝗢𝗡 𝗙𝗥𝗢𝗠 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗘𝗫𝗣𝗘𝗥𝗜𝗘𝗡𝗖𝗘 — 𝗡𝗢𝗧 𝗥𝗘𝗣𝗟𝗔𝗖𝗘 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗘𝗫𝗣𝗘𝗥𝗜𝗘𝗡𝗖𝗘.

A special thank you to Arno Hattingh and the Blomme & Bubbles Festival / Paternoster W**e & Tasting Lounge for sharing the video material and for providing valuable insight into the digital systems that support the festival experience. 🍷🌸

**eTourism

24/09/2026

🌍 𝗖𝗘𝗟𝗘𝗕𝗥𝗔𝗧𝗜𝗡𝗚 𝗢𝗨𝗥 𝗛𝗘𝗥𝗜𝗧𝗔𝗚𝗘, 𝗦𝗛𝗔𝗣𝗜𝗡𝗚 𝗢𝗨𝗥 𝗧𝗢𝗨𝗥𝗜𝗦𝗠 𝗙𝗨𝗧𝗨𝗥𝗘

Today, South Africa celebrates Heritage Day! A day to recognise and celebrate the diverse cultures, traditions, languages, histories and stories that form the rich heritage of our nation.

For tourism, heritage is more than something to preserve, it is something to experience, share and learn from. From historic landmarks and sacred places to traditional knowledge, cultural festivals, local cuisine, arts and living traditions, our heritage creates meaningful connections between people and places.

At TREES, we recognise the important role that heritage and culture play in tourism research and destination development. By understanding, protecting and celebrating our heritage, we can contribute to tourism experiences that are meaningful, inclusive and beneficial to communities.

Happy Heritage Day, South Africa! ❤️

23/09/2026

✨ 𝗪𝗛𝗘𝗥𝗘 𝗪𝗢𝗠𝗘𝗡 𝗜𝗡 𝗥𝗘𝗦𝗘𝗔𝗥𝗖𝗛 𝗖𝗢𝗡𝗡𝗘𝗖𝗧 & 𝗜𝗡𝗦𝗣𝗜𝗥𝗘

On 18 August, the School of Tourism Management at the Mahikeng Campus hosted a special Women’s Dinner under the theme “Empowering Women in Tourism Research.”

The evening brought together women academics and renowned researchers for meaningful conversations about the realities and opportunities of an academic career. Speakers shared their personal research journeys and practical insights on navigating academia, publishing, balancing academic and personal life, and finding fulfilment through research.

It was an inspiring evening celebrating the women who contribute to advancing tourism research, supporting one another and shaping the future of tourism scholarship.

🌸 𝗪𝗵𝗲𝗻 𝘄𝗼𝗺𝗲𝗻 𝘀𝗵𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗸𝗻𝗼𝘄𝗹𝗲𝗱𝗴𝗲, 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗳𝘂𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝗿𝗲𝘀𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗰𝗵 𝗴𝗿𝗼𝘄𝘀.

22/09/2026

✈️🌍 𝗧𝗥𝗘𝗘𝗦 𝗜𝗡 𝗚𝗥𝗘𝗘𝗖𝗘: 𝗟𝗘𝗔𝗥𝗡𝗜𝗡𝗚, 𝗖𝗢𝗡𝗡𝗘𝗖𝗧𝗜𝗡𝗚 & 𝗖𝗢𝗟𝗟𝗔𝗕𝗢𝗥𝗔𝗧𝗜𝗡𝗚

TREES researchers Dr. Michael Chambwe and Prof Lisebo Tseane Gumbi Lisebo Tseane-Gumbi participated in the SacredTravels4Growth Erasmus+ Capacity Building in Higher Education (CBHE) Study Visit, hosted by the University of Piraeus, Greece, from 7–11 September 2026.

The five-day programme brought together international project partners for academic exchange, field-based learning, stakeholder engagement and collaboration around religious tourism, pilgrimage, cultural heritage, innovation and sustainable tourism development.

🌍 Connecting people, places and research across borders. Well done team!

20/09/2026

🌍✈️ 𝗗𝗘𝗘𝗣𝗘𝗡𝗜𝗡𝗚 𝗢𝗨𝗥 𝗜𝗡𝗧𝗘𝗥𝗡𝗔𝗧𝗜𝗢𝗡𝗔𝗟 𝗙𝗢𝗢𝗧𝗣𝗥𝗜𝗡𝗧!

A few of our members attended the Consumer Behaviour in Tourism Symposium (CBTS 2026), held in Heide, Germany, from 16–18 September 2026.

The symposium explored the social dimensions of tourist behaviour, with discussions centred on ways to transform consumption into contribution.

Our team presented the following papers:

📌 Cluster-based insight into tourist perceptions of crowding in Kruger National Park
P. van der Merwe & A. Saayman

📌 Tasting value: Festival contribution and visitor engagement at a South African w**e festival
A. Viljoen & M. Kruger

📌 From consumption to contribution: Understanding socially responsible behaviour at a cultural festival
M. Kruger & A. Viljoen

📌 Branding Africa: Symbolism, strategic positioning and congruence in tourism logos and slogans
Z. Kankhuni & E. Slabbert

📌 Decoding green nation brand-induced travel intentions: Integrating cognitive and affective pathways of digital nomads
T. Matiza

It was an enriching experience for our team, expanding our international network, sharing research insights and exchanging ideas with researchers from across the tourism field. 🌍🎓

A sincere thank you to our friends and colleagues at the German Institute for Tourism Research and FH Westküste for organising an excellent conference and creating a valuable platform for knowledge exchange and collaboration.

🌍 Connecting research. Building partnerships. Deepening our international footprint.

15/09/2026

🔎✈️ 𝗪𝗛𝗔𝗧 𝗦𝗘𝗡𝗗𝗦 𝗬𝗢𝗨 𝗧𝗥𝗔𝗩𝗘𝗟𝗟𝗜𝗡𝗚?

Today, discovering your next destination can be just a scroll, search or conversation away! 📲✨

From an Instagram post that catches your eye, a TikTok video that sparks wanderlust, a Google search that leads you somewhere unexpected, or even a recommendation from friends and family, digital technology is changing how we discover and choose where to travel. 🌍✈️

And now, with AI becoming part of the travel journey, there are even more ways to find destinations and experiences tailored to our interests. 🤖🔎

So, we want to know: 𝗪𝗛𝗔𝗧 𝗜𝗡𝗙𝗟𝗨𝗘𝗡𝗖𝗘𝗦 𝗬𝗢𝗨?

Which destination did you decide to visit, what influenced your decision, and why did you choose it? 🌍✈️

Was it a social media post, a TikTok video, Google search, friends and family, a travel blog, or even AI? 🤖📱

👇 Comment below and tell us!

Address

Potchefstroom

Opening Hours

Monday	08:00 - 16:00
Tuesday	08:00 - 16:00
Wednesday	08:00 - 16:00
Thursday	08:00 - 16:00
Friday	08:00 - 04:00

Website

http://Commerce.nwu.ac.za/trees

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