PhD Position in HERITOUR

The Faculty for Arts and Science and the Faculty of Hospitality and Tourism Management Studies at the University of Aruba are pleased to announce a challenging PhD position that examines representation and regeneration of heritage and tourism economies in small-scale insular and geographically remote communities in European Overseas Countries and Territories as part of the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Doctoral Network project titled “HERITOUR - Enhancing collaborative synergies between Cultural HERItage and TOURism”.

PhD Position in HERITOUR - Enhancing collaborative synergies between Cultural HERItage and TOURism
(1.0 fte)

About HERITOUR
HERITOUR is a Marie Sklodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA) Doctoral Network that examines how the cultural heritage and tourism sectors can collaborate more effectively to address shared challenges and reduce the negative impacts of tourism. Cultural heritage represents a major segment of contemporary tourism, yet increasing touristification and overtourism have intensified debates about environmental degradation, social disruption, and pressures on heritage sites. Although European and international policy frameworks promote ethical and sustainable tourism, heritage and tourism governance remains fragmented, with sectors operating under different institutional structures and priorities. HERITOUR investigates how current collaborations function and how cross-sectoral policies can be developed within a democratic and regenerative governance model. The project focuses on hybridisation, sustainability, resilience, and democratisation, and provides interdisciplinary training for Doctoral Candidates.

HERITOUR is a collaboration between Erasmus University Rotterdam (the Netherlands), University of Stavanger (Norway), Middle East Technical University (Turkey), Mid Sweden University (Sweden), the University of Granada (Spain), and the University of Aruba. Successful Doctoral Candidates will be seconded at heritage and tourism organisations for the total duration of three months during the employment period. A total of 10 PhD vacancies are available across six universities.

This project is supervised by Dr. Luc Alofs (University of Aruba), Dr. Naomi Oosterman, and Prof. Dr. Stijn Reinders (both Erasmus University Rotterdam). The supervising committee of this doctoral trajectory consists of Prof. Dr. Stijn Reinders (promotor, Erasmus University Rotterdam), Dr. Luc Alofs (University of Aruba, co-promotor, daily supervisor), Dr. Naomi Oosterman (Erasmus University Rotterdam, co-promotor).

For more information, check the vacancy page of the University of Aruba at www.careers.portal.ua.aw. For the other positions, please check the project website at www.heritour.eu.

About the research project
The objectives of the PhD project at the University of Aruba concern the Heritour project's sub-theme Democratisation and can be summarised as follows:

The Doctoral Candidate:

• Identifies participatory and sustainable models for the synergy of the heritage and tourism sectors that mitigate the limitations of scale and remoteness in small island Overseas Countries and Territories (OCT) and continental tourism-based economies;
• Identifies the requirements for promoting innovative knowledge and cultural awareness building for remote continental economies and small island OCT’s that mitigate the tension between commodification and indigenous ownership of cultural heritage practices;
• Produces an interdisciplinary multi-case study on OCT and regional continental economies by applying a mixed-method research design.

Apart from producing a doctoral dissertation, the Doctoral Candidate develops:

• A nation-building and destination branding policy brief dedicated to sustainable and regenerative heritage and tourism economies, designed for insular and remote continental economies;
• Professional resources aimed at fostering collaboration between the heritage and tourism sectors, specifically tailored to regional continental and OCT’s local practices;
• Best practices for the development of sustainable models for regional economies of small-scale insular OCT's and remote continental regions.

Job description
Research (1.0 fte) with a maximum duration of 36 months.

The successful candidate is expected to be involved in:

• Conducting PhD research.
• Publishing and presenting research results in the form of articles in international peer-reviewed journals and papers at international conferences.
• Participating in intensive training schools as part of the HERITOUR training framework.
• Writing a dissertation within the appointment duration of three years.
• Partake in two six weeks secondments, including one at Istanbul Planning Agency in Istanbul, Türkiye and one in Aruba, to gain insights in visitors management frameworks.
• Taking part in seminars, workshops, etc. that are organised by the University of Aruba, as well as the HERITOUR consortium.

Requirements and selection criteria EU
To be eligible, a candidate must have:

• Not resided or carried out their main activity in the European or Caribbean territories of the Kingdom of the Netherlands for more than 12 months in the 36 months immediately before the starting date of this employment (unless as part of a compulsory national service or a procedure for obtaining refugee status under the Geneva Convention);**
• Not already in possession of a doctoral degree at the date of the recruitment. (Researchers who have successfully defended their doctoral thesis, but who have not yet formally been awarded the doctoral degree, are not eligible).

** This requirement applies to all territories of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, including the public entities Bonaire, St. Eustatius and Saba and the autonomous countries Aruba, Curacao and St. Maarten.

Requirements and selection criteria University of Aruba

• A (research) master's degree or equivalent with a relevant specialisation within the social sciences or humanities, such as cultural heritage, sociology, media studies, anthropology, island studies, and/or related disciplines;
• Familiarity with and keen interest in qualitative research methods; 
• Independent thinking and critical analytical skills;
• Good collaboration skills and an ability to join interdisciplinary and intercultural academic communities;
• Excellent oral and written communication skills in English (CEFR C1);
• Motivation to carry out high-level research and publish in top peer-reviewed international journals.

Additional information and conditions of employment
The position is for 1.0 FTE with a maximum duration of 36 months. The start date of this position is September 1st, 2026, and will run for a fixed term of 1 year initially, to be converted into a full 3-year contract contingent upon good performance.

We offer

• A fully funded PhD position within the Heritour project;
• An interdisciplinary and internationally connected research environment; 
• Integration within the research and outreach programs at the partner Universities;
• Interdisciplinary supervisory teams; 
• Collaboration with interdisciplinary researchers and with relevant stakeholders.

The monthly gross salary (living and mobility allowance) of Afl. 6.375,00 is in accordance with the structures of the University of Aruba and the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Doctoral Network. In addition, we offer holiday allowances, and a generous paid leave scheme, work-life balance coaches, collective health insurance, and more. If the selected candidate has a family, they may be eligible for a family allowance as part of the MSCA Fellowship.

The selection committee will invite a small number of candidates for an online interview. Candidates may be asked to submit a more detailed research plan and/or give a presentation as part of the application procedure. The interviews are scheduled to take place in May 2026.

Additional information van be obtained through
For more information on the University of Aruba, please visit www.ua.aw.

Additional information about the vacancy at the University of Aruba can be obtained from Dr. Luc Alofs at luc.alofs@ua.aw. For more information about the HERITOUR project consortium and the application procedure, please contact heritour@eur.nl. For more information on the vacancies, check the individual vacancy pages of the universities mentioned above, or check the project website at www.heritour.eu.

Application documents
To apply use the application form on the website. Please send (1) a completed and signed Declaration of Honours [https://heritour.eu/], as proof of not having resided in the Kingdom of the Netherlands for more than 12 months in the 36 months in the Kingdom of the Netherlands, (2) a motivation letter of max. half an A4, (3) your resume including publication list (if applicable), (4) a brief research idea of max. 300 words based on the description of the project and (5) the names and contact details of two potential references (no letters of recommendation are required at this stage). In addition, provide further proof of mobility requirements.

Deadline and submission
Send in your application before April 30, 2026, to www.careers.portal.ua.aw.

The position is financed by HERITOUR MSCA DN: Enhancing collaborative synergies between cultural HERItage and TOURism 2026-2029) GA 101226351 — HERITOUR — HORIZON-MSCA-2024-DN-01.