The generative power of nurturing new connections: Indigenous tour operators learning across, learning deeply

An Indigenous Darug tour operator, Uncle Lex Dadd, from Sydney, Australia, visited South Africa in January 2020 to visit the Kgalagadi and learn from and with an Indigenous #Khomani San tour operator, Dirk Pienaar. In this chapter, Uncle Lex and Dirk write together as Indigenous tour operators, along with non-Indigenous researchers from Australia, Marnie Graham and Sandie Suchet-Pearson. Together, we emphasise the generative power of this cross-cultural learning and sharing exchange in the Kgalagadi, describing how the exchange nurtured new connections between Uncle Lex and Dirk and their respective places, cultures and peoples. This also generated new insights for Dirk and Uncle Lex on their places of care and the role of Indigenous tourism in their respective lives. We also highlight the ways that cross-cultural exchange and learning processes have implications for tourism research; particularly in the way we prioritise our Indigenous voices and priorities through this research process and speak to tourism as a vehicle for development on our own terms. We have learnt much from sharing and learning together, and we advocate for further opportunities for Indigenous tour operators to learn together and share our places of care. We understand such processes as powerful and generative learning.