Prof Elmarie Slabbert is the Director of the Tourism Research unit TREES (Tourism Research in Economic Environs and Society) at North West University and a professor in Tourism Management. She completed her PhD in 2005 and has since then focused her research on tourism marketing and management challenges as well as the impact of tourism on communities. Elmarie is the chairperson of the Southern African Institute for Management Scientists and the Tourism Educators of South Africa. She has authored and co-authored 50 peer-reviewed articles, 10 accredited conference proceedings and since 2005, 54 Masters students and 24 Doctorate students completed their studies with success under her guidance. At international level she has presented more than 51 papers at international conferences and also a number of keynotes. 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. She is a rated researcher for the National Research Foundation (2019- C3). Elmarie has a passion for research and believe that the tourism industry can contribute to the alleviation of poverty if we can equip our leaners with the right set of skills and knowledge.
