SayPro is collaborating with Erasmus+ to strengthen research in tourism economics and community engagement across South African universities. This initiative promotes joint research projects with European institutions focusing on tourism’s economic impact, sustainability, and community development. SayPro supports universities in building academic capacity to analyze tourism trends, inform policy, and create inclusive tourism strategies. The goal is to generate evidence-based insights that guide local and national tourism planning. Through Erasmus+, South African scholars collaborate with European peers to address shared challenges and produce globally relevant, locally grounded research outcomes.
University researchers benefit from access to advanced methodologies, comparative case studies, and academic exchanges. SayPro facilitates workshops, conferences, and joint publications that promote mutual learning and raise the global profile of South African research. The program also includes mentorship for emerging academics and doctoral candidates, fostering a new generation of tourism scholars. SayPro ensures that the research focuses not just on profitability but also on equitable growth, sustainability, and community participation. By integrating economic data with social insights, SayPro encourages holistic tourism planning that uplifts communities.
SayPro emphasizes community engagement in tourism research to ensure that local voices inform the development of tourism policy and practice. Universities, with SayPro’s support, involve community stakeholders in data collection, co-design of tourism plans, and impact assessments. This participatory approach leads to more inclusive and context-sensitive tourism models. Erasmus+ provides tools and frameworks that enhance the credibility and relevance of this work. SayPro believes that meaningful research must be accessible and useful to those on the ground—local tourism operators, community leaders, and government stakeholders.
In the long term, SayPro aims to build a national network of tourism research centers that collaborate with European partners through Erasmus+. These centers will serve as knowledge hubs for government, businesses, and civil society. SayPro envisions a South Africa where tourism decisions are informed by robust, inclusive research that supports sustainable development goals. By investing in academic partnerships and community-focused inquiry, SayPro and Erasmus+ are helping reshape the future of tourism policy and practice in South Africa.