We are pleased to invite you to an UHUWA Urban Heritage Talk exploring the complexities and opportunities of heritage tourism in Africa.
In this session, Dr Adun Okupe will examine how heritage - both tangible and intangible - shapes tourism narratives and contributes to cultural identity and socio-economic development. She will explore the interplay between tangible and intangible heritage, and the opportunities heritage presents to create immersive tourism experiences, whilst considering the role of community participation in preserving heritage and shaping tourism narratives. Heritage tourism development is not without challenges, which even with the best intentions, can result in suboptimal results, requiring a balance between effective heritage management, cultural authenticity and the need to avoid commoditization. Possible pathways to address these challenges including cultural education, values orientation, and economic empowerment, will be explored.
Dr Adun Okupe
Dr Adun Okupe is a tourism specialist with 20 years of experience in the hospitality, tourism, and infrastructure development space, specializing in sustainable development, strategy, and policy across Africa and Europe. She has led projects involving tourism development masterplans, market research, and financial feasibility for hotels, resorts,mixed-use developments and other development projects. She is a Principal Advisor at Red Clay, a tourism consultancy focused on West Africa, and she is the Executive Director of The Sahara Centre, a non-profit organization dedicated to advancing African solutions for African societies. Adun holds a PhD in Tourism Leadership from the University of Surrey.
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