In my latest article, led by Elke Zweers, we explore how the concept of tourism authenticity is shaped by spectacular representations that both attract and obscure the realities of the Kavango Zambezi Transfrontier Conservation Area in southern Africa. By innovatively applying Debord's 'spectacle' and Lacanian psychoanalysis, we reveal how these narratives create a compelling yet…Read more New article out in a special issue of Political Geography, named ‘Enjoying contradictions: The spectacular fantasy of tourism authenticity in southern Africa’
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New book chapter about Indigenous agency in Namibian ecotourism
In Namibia's growing ecotourism industry, the Haiǀǀom and!Xung San peoples face an important contradiction: they are marketed as 'authentic' stewards of nature—primordial guardians untouched by modernity—yet must embrace the very capitalist systems their tourism represents to survive economically. This tension reveals more profound problems with how Western consumers approach Indigenous cultures. Tourists seeking such 'authentic'…Read more New book chapter about Indigenous agency in Namibian ecotourism
New book review about an important book by journalist Olivier van Beemen: Ondernemers in het wild: Het ontluisterende verhaal van een club witte weldoeners in Afrika.
This is a short book review in the Open Access journal the Journal of Political Ecology, about Van Beemen's book that he wrote (in Dutch) about the ideology, politics, activities and struggles of conservation giant African Parks. There are now French and German translations available, English is on the way. I highly recommend the book…Read more New book review about an important book by journalist Olivier van Beemen: Ondernemers in het wild: Het ontluisterende verhaal van een club witte weldoeners in Afrika.
Interview in Resource about culling elephants
The following is an interview with me in my university's magazine Resource about culling elephants in Namibia and Zimbabwe: https://www.resource-online.nl/index.php/2023/06/17/we-didnt-let-them-silence-us/?lang=en. Happy to see this is out now, the interview was in October last year. Thanks Marieke Enter for all your work on this! ‘The criticism is pure colonialism’ Culling elephants in southern Africa Marieke Enter…Read more Interview in Resource about culling elephants
Check out two recent articles on The Conversation
I published two articles in the well-known and academically grounded news page The Conversation over the last months. The first is about doing research among Indigenous groups and the second is about the unsustainability of the wildlife economy, which is gaining popularity in southern Africa. The latter is based on a special issue I co-edited…Read more Check out two recent articles on The Conversation
Stasja Koot 