THRIVE ISSUE 5 DECEMBER 2024 4 By Prof Diane Abrahams, Director, STH Marching to the sound of our OWN drum Culture and heritage are important aspects of tourism. When reflecting on this in the African context, I am reminded of how for centuries, the drum has always been symbolic in African culture – expressing hardships, celebrating triumphs, and highlighting the endurance and resilience that we have. As Africans, we feel the sound of the drum in our heart and soul. The sound of a beating drum is often used to welcome visitors to our shores. Drumbeats are used to bond teams in team-building exercises. More often drumbeats set the tone for festivities, and it is therefore often associated with authentic cultural tourism experiences in Africa. Authenticity plays a key role in tourism, especially considering the growing experience economy. Modern day consumers have an increasing yearning for memorable experiences. Success in this area is becoming essential for growing the tourism industry. Experiences are inherently personal, therefore there is only so much that can be taught about creating or curating genuine memorable experiences for visitors. The rest truly comes from inspiration within. For those of us in institutions of Higher Learning, tasked with growing and exposing young minds to different schools of thought and practices, the aim should be to cultivate an enabling learning environment where the next generation of young leaders are allowed to be authentic as they discover more about themselves. We need a generation of young leaders who are keen to act no matter what other people think, say, or do. In a world dominated by social media and “influencer” culture – where the opinions of others are not only easily accessible but seem to matter a great deal – being independent and comfortable with being different from others is truly a challenge. The request to our students is that they always bring their authentic selves to the classroom, which translates into embracing their unique qualities and peculiarities regardless of what pressure (societal or other) that they may be under. This makes for an enriching teaching and learning experience, as learning is co-created. In our quest to develop both ethical and authentic leaders - we should also work towards unlocking their wisdom. A big source of wisdom is intuition and listening to that inner voice. Nurturing the inner voice is a strategic undertaking as part of one’s personal and professional development. Science has confirmed how important intuition is in decision-making as many a major decision has not been arrived at through linear reasoning but by intuition. For a world in need of ‘realness’ and courageous leaders, let us encourage our students and each other to march to the sound of our own drumbeats; moving forward with a fearless and authentic rhythm to create, innovate, and grow memorable tourism experiences in Africa.
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