Dr Andrea Giampiccoli, Durban University of Technology Faculty of Management Sciences’ Department of Hospitality and Tourism Research Fellow, was recently revealed as the topmost productive author by the African Journal of Hospitality, Tourism and Leisure.
The study entitled, Community-based Tourism: A Bibliometric Visualisation Analysis, listed Dr Giampiccoli as the most active author with 20 publications. With 12 scholars enlisted, the demographics recognised the most notable writers in community-based tourism (CBT).
The journal was published in August 2023 after three scholars from the University of Delhi, and India had conducted the study. Through an analysis of publication trends and bibliometric visualisation networks, the study looked at how knowledge about community-based tourism has evolved.
According to the journal’s abstract, the study used the Visualisation of Similarities (VOS) viewer tool to graph data linked to publication trends for 376 scopus-indexed publications, including articles, book chapters, and conference proceedings, from 1995 to 2021.
Speaking on his accomplishment, Dr Giampiccoli said, “The fact that a study on community-based tourism literature bibliometric indicates that I am a top global producer in community-based tourism makes me harvest the fruits of many years, almost all of it at DUT, and my dedication to study community-based tourism in all its possible aspects. It feels like I am beginning to harvest my long-term effort to always want to understand community-based tourism more and make community-based tourism a valuable option to improve the tourism sector for the benefit of everyone. This recognition is a further push for me to continue to work harder in this direction.”
Dr Giampiccoli added that this achievement would not have been possible without collaborating with others, “I believe collaboration is fundamental in the academic world and certainly research. After my PhD which was based on community-based tourism, I have written numerous papers on community-based tourism with various authors from different countries and academic backgrounds to try to have a wider, deeper and more comprehensive approach to community-based tourism. Their contributions have been important and supported me to continue to research the community-based tourism field more,” he said.
Head of the Department for Hospitality and Tourism at DUT, Dr Erasmus Mnguni, lauded Dr Giampiccoli for his achievement. “I am delighted to extend my warmest congratulations to my esteemed colleague for being named the topmost productive author by the prestigious international journal. This remarkable achievement is a testament to his unwavering dedication, exceptional expertise, and relentless pursuit of excellence in his field. His prolific contributions to the world of academia have not only enriched our institution but have also left an indelible mark on us, his peers and the broader scholarly community,” he said.
Pictured: Dr Andrea Giampiccoli
Zandile Mahlobo
