Staff
Mrs Hanneri Borstlap
Senior Administrative Assistant +27 18 285 2331 Hanneri.Borstlap@nwu.ac.za Building E3; 234, Potchefstroom MA (Tourism Management), Hons, BA (Communication)
Prof Marco Scholtz
Associate Professor +27 18 285 2331 Marco.Scholtz@nwu.ac.za PhD, MCom, Hons, BScProfessor Scholtz is currently a lecturer for the module "Tourism Research Methodology" at TREES, Potchefstroom Campus. His primary fields of research in tourism include social impact analyses; cultural heritage tourism; and social media as a marketing medium.
Prof Elmarie Slabbert
Director: TREES Research Unit +27 18 299 1806 Elmarie.Slabbert@nwu.ac.za E3 Room 223, PotchefstroomPhD
Prof Elmarie Slabbert is a professor in Tourism Management at the School of Tourism Management, North-West University (South Africa). She completed her PhD in 2005 and is currently one of the senior researchers at TREES, focusing on travel behaviour, the socio-cultural impact of tourism and marketing issues. Elmarie is the chairperson of the Southern African Institute for Management Scientists and deputy-chairperson of the Tourism Educators of South Africa. She has authored and co-authored 37 peer-reviewed articles, eight accredited conference proceedings and, since 2005, 34 master’s students and 19 doctorate students have completed their studies with success under her guidance. She is currently serving on the Research Forum of the Minister of Tourism. In 2013, she was the second runner-up for the Women in Science Award by the Department of Science and Technology. Over the last five years, she formed part of the top 20% of the North-West University, receiving the top achiever award.
Prof Peet van der Merwe
Professor +27 18 299 1812 Peet.VanderMerwe@nwu.ac.za Building E3, Room 226, PotchefstroomBA, BA Hons, Masters and PhD
Wildlife tourism, ecotourism, natural area tourism, sustainable tourism and marine tourismPeet van der Merwe is currently a senior lecturer and researcher in Tourism Management at the North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, School of Tourism Management. He obtained his degree in Recreation and Tourism Management in 1994, honours degree in 1995 and master’s degree in 2000 from the North-West University. He completed his PhD in 2004 in Tourism Management, was promoted to associate professor in 2010 and full professor in 2014. Peet received his NRF (C3) rating as a researcher in 2016. He also applied successfully for numerous NRF funding for projects, with the most recent focusing on land-use models for the private wildlife industry. As a researcher, he forms part of the NRF research unit TREES (Tourism Research in Economic Environs and Society) and currently lectures Game Farm Management to third-year students, and Ecotourism at honours level.
Peet’s field of expertise lies within wildlife tourism, hunting tourism, ecotourism (sustainable tourism) and marine tourism. Research outputs are as follows: Peer-reviewed publications (47), Popular articles (28), Projects (41), Research reports (35), Books (4), Chapters in books (5), Magister and PhD students completed (19), conferences attended (international and national) (54) and International guest lectures (3).
Prof Karin Botha
Professor +27 18 299 4219 Karin.Botha@nwu.ac.za Building E3, Room 224, PotchefstroomPhD, MCom, Hons, BCom
Events marketing, consumer/purchase behaviour.Karin Botha is a Professor in Tourism Management in the School for Tourism Management at the North-West University (Potchefstroom Campus). She obtained her degree in Tourism Management and Psychology in 2003; followed by her honours degree in 2004, MCom in 2009 and PhD in 2012; all in Tourism Management. As researcher in the entity TREES (Tourism Research in Economics, Environs and Society), Karin’s special interest and research expertise focus on events marketing; specifically, in the area of consumer behaviour and consumer profiling at arts, culture and culinary events. Karin has been involved with various research projects/surveys, especially relating to the South African festivals and events industry. She has published national and international articles in peer-reviewed academic journals and accredited conference proceedings within this field, and has presented these research findings at conferences in South Africa and abroad. She is actively involved as study leader for post-graduate students, examiner of master’s and PhD students, and regularly reviews articles/papers for academic journals and conferences. Karin has contributed to chapters in peer-reviewed tourism textbooks and is involved with the development of learning material for Tourism subjects at the University. She was awarded her Y2 rating as researcher by the National Research Foundation (NRF) in 2018.She further received an Institutional Excellence in Teaching Award (ITEA) in the highest category (A-grading) from the University in 2008 and in 2012, as well as two best paper awards at international academic conferences. She is also a member of the Golden Key International Society and the Southern Africa Institute for Management Scientists (SAIMS).
Prof Pierre-André Viviers
Professor +27 18 299 1805 PierreAndre.Viviers@nwu.ac.za Building E3, Room 227, PotchefstroomPhD, MCom, BCom Hons, BCom.
Pierre-André Viviers is an associate professor at the North-West University (NWU), Potchefstroom Campus, South Africa. He obtained his BCom Tourism degree in 2000 and his BCom Honours degree in Tourism Management in 2001. His master’s degree was completed in 2006. He completed his PhD in 2010, which was titled: Measuring community perceptions: An instrument for sustaining festivals. During his academic career of 16 years at the North-West University, he has been awarded numerous accolades, namely an (A grading) ITOU award for training excellence from the North-West University in 2007 and 2013. He received the Golden Key International Honour Society award for the best lecturer in the Faculty of Economic and Management Sciences at the North-West University in 2006 and has been named the best lecturer in the Faculty of Economic and Management Sciences at the North-West University in 2007. In 2014, he received the Vice-chancellor’s Award as the promoter of the best master’s degree at the NWU. Pierre-André has published various articles in accredited, national and international academic journals, and has presented papers at national and international conferences, where he has won best paper awards on three occasions. His main focus of teaching and research is event tourism and marketing.
Dr Serena Lucrezi
Senior Lecturer +27 18 285 2331 23952997@nwu.ac.za Phd (Marine Ecology), Hons (Zoology)Dr Dao V Truong
Postdoctoral fellow +27 18 285 2331 vandao83@yahoo.co.uk E3, Potchefstroom Phd
Dao has been with NWU since 2015. He graduated from the University of Canterbury. His research interests include sustainable tourism, poverty alleviation, and social marketing.