Dr Eben Proos
NRF Rating: Y
Senior Lecturer: Tourism & Event Management
Qualifications: DBA (Business Administration, CUT) | PGCE (CUT) | M.Tech. (Tourism & Hospitality Management, CUT) | B.Tech. (Tourism Management, CUT)
Professional Background
Dr Eben Proos is a Senior Lecturer in the Tourism & Event Management Department at the Central University of Technology, Free State (CUT). His academic journey, rooted entirely at CUT, includes a B.Tech. in Tourism Management, a Postgraduate Certificate in Education, an M.Tech. in Tourism and Hospitality Management, and a Doctor of Management Sciences in Business Administration (DBA) obtained in 2019.
Beyond academia, Dr Proos is a Certified South African Specialist and Tour Guide, complemented by industry credentials including SA Host, the South African Wine Course, and the Beer Ambassador Certificate. His research and community engagement are deeply intertwined with the preservation and promotion of South African heritage, reflecting a commitment to both scholarly excellence and practical industry development.
Professional Recognition & Service
- National Recognition: Selected as one of the Mail & Guardian 200 Young South Africans in the Tourism & Hospitality category (2024).
- Institutional Awards: Recipient of the CUT Vice-Chancellor’s Excellence Award for Early Career Teaching (2019), alongside Faculty awards for Early Career Teaching, Early Career Research, and Staff Excellence in Innovation.
- Heritage Leadership: Current member of the National Heritage Council and the War Museum Council, and former Chairperson of the Friends of the War Museum.
Areas of Expertise
- • Niche & Heritage Tourism
- • Dark Tourism
- • Tourism Development & Routes
- • Event Marketing & Management
- • Tourism Psychology & Consumer Behaviour
Selected Publications
Top Journal Articles
- • Proos, E., Ramajoe, S. & Kokt, D. 2025. Human Resource Management Practices as a Predictor of Employee Turnover Intentions in the Hospitality Industry: Mediating Role of Psychological Capital. SA Journal of Human Resource Management, 23(0), a3178.
- • Proos, E. 2025. Astro-Tourism: A search for the unknown in Bloemfontein, Free State, South Africa. Development Southern Africa, 42(1), 93-106.
- • Proos, E. 2025. Sports Tourism: Breaking the Tackle at Rugby Stadiums. African Journal of Hospitality, Tourism and Leisure, 14(2), 250-258.
- • Proos, E. & de Klerk, B. 2024. Small Town Tourism and Marketing: Is a Destination Marketing Organisation the Answer? African Journal of Hospitality, Tourism and Leisure, 13(3), 655-663.
- • Proos, E. & Hattingh, J. 2020. Dark tourism: Growth potential of niche tourism in the Free State Province, South Africa. Development Southern Africa, 39(3), 303-320.
Selected Book Chapters
- • Proos, E. & Hattingh, J. 2024. Battlefield Tourism as an Agent of Tourism Development. In O. Akbulut, Y. Ekin, M.E. Güler & Ö. Sarıbaş (Eds.), Battlefield Tourism (Tourism Security-Safety and Post Conflict Destinations) (pp. 157-172). Emerald Publishing Limited.
https://doi.org/10.1108/978-1-83909-990-820241012 → - • Proos, E., Saayman, A., Dube-Xaba, Z., Slabbert, E., Tseane-Gumbi, L. & Matiza, T. 2023. Hospitality and Tourism. In South Africa Covid-19 Country Report [Second Edition]. DPME, GTAC & NRF, Pretoria.
- • Proos, E. & Hattingh, J. 2022. Apartheid Dark Tourism. In Encyclopedia of Tourism Management and Marketing. Edward Elgar Publishing.
- • Proos, E. & Hattingh, J. 2022. Dark Tourism: South African War. In Encyclopedia of Tourism Management and Marketing. Edward Elgar Publishing.
Top Conference Presentations
- • Proos, E. (2025). Friends of the War Museum events in Bloemfontein: What does the future look like for heritage organisations? 36th Southern Africa Institute for Management Scientists (SAIMS) Conference, Sun City, South Africa.
- • Proos, E. (2024). Utilising the social development theory of Vygotsky as a framework for route tourism development. Social Sciences International Research Conference (SSIRC), Mauritius.
- • Proos, E. (2023). Marketing and Management Effectiveness of small-town tourism in the Free State Province, South Africa. 34th Southern African Institute of Management Sciences (SAIMS) Conference, Centurion, South Africa.
- • Proos, E. (2022). Tourism as an instrument of preserving the heritage of women and children during the South African War (1899–1902). International Hybrid Conference on Violent Histories and Experiences of South African Women and Children, Bloemfontein, South Africa.
- • Proos, E. (2019). Proposed Battlefields Route for the central Karoo. 120-year Commemoration of the Anglo-Boer (South African) War International Conference, Bloemfontein, South Africa.
