In late September and early October, the World Leisure Organization (WLO) took another significant step in strengthening its long-standing collaboration with the City of Cape Town Metropolitan Government (CoCT) and the University of the Western Cape (UWC). This visit showcased a variety of key events that fostered knowledge exchange and collaboration between WLO, South African institutions, and international stakeholders.
The first of these events was the Leisure Experience Research Opportunity (LERO), held from September 25 to October 1. Co-led onsite by Prof. Dr. Marie Young and Dr. Makhaya Malema, alongside WLO Board member Dr. Miklos Banhidi, this unique field research project focused on assessing recreation programs in Cape Town, with an international orientation aimed at promoting active and healthy communities in the city.
On October 2, UWC hosted the World Leisure Young Ambassadors Student Conference. This event featured insightful presentations from students representing South Africa, other African nations, and beyond, offering them the opportunity to showcase their work to an international audience. WLO would like to extend particular thanks to Dr. Miklos Banhidi for his outstanding work in organizing this conference and for his ongoing commitment to nurturing the next generation of leisure researchers and professionals.
October 3 marked the official opening of the Leisure and Tourism Conference 2024 (LTC2024), where WLO Chairwoman Joanne Schroeder delivered a keynote speech on leisure social prescription. Additionally, WLO Chief Operating Officer Dr. Cristina Ortega presented the organization and its key programs to the gathered international participants. Several WLO Board members also contributed to the event with scientific presentations: Dr. Marcel Bastiaansen, Dr. Lucetta Tsai, Dr. Gıyasettin Demirhan, and Dr. John Dattilo, providing diverse and highly relevant insights.
The WLO visit concluded with a pivotal in-person meeting of the WLO Board of Directors. This gathering initiated discussions on the organization’s next Strategic Plan and featured the presentation of new university candidacies for joining the World Leisure Centers of Excellence network.
Another highlight of the visit was the invitation extended by Dr. Lyndon Bouah, Chief Director for Sport and Recreation in the Western Cape Department of Cultural Affairs and Sport, to Joanne Schroeder, Cristina Ortega, and Board member Marie Young. They participated in a panel discussion organized by the government of Cape Town, which brought together public servants from various departments, including tourism, recreation, and sports. The event provided a platform to explore potential alignments between WLO and Cape Town’s strategic plans and was followed by a productive working meeting that opened new collaboration opportunities with promising prospects for the future.
WLO extends its sincere gratitude to Board member Prof. Dr. Marie Young for her dedicated efforts in organizing this comprehensive and successful program. Her work not only strengthened the WLO’s relationship with South Africa but also reinforced its presence across the African continent. The WLO looks forward to building on these collaborations and continuing its mission to promote leisure and well-being globally.
«The LERO program has been a very interesting learning and experimentation program. I learned a lot from the experience and it reinforced my conviction that developing leisure programs is a lever for educating and supporting communities. It also reinforces my research on the importance of recreational spaces, but even more so on the need to think about how to make these spaces safe».
Esther DJOSSA
LERO participant, doctoral student at WLCE Université du Québec à Trois-Rivières
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