ASSESSMENT OF THE EFFECT OF COVID19 ON TOURISM IN NIGERIA
CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
BACKGROUND OF STUDY
The world awoke in December 2019 to an outbreak of a disease known as Coronavirus disease 2019. (abbreviated as COVID-19). The disease was described as an infectious disease caused by the coronavirus that causes severe acute respiratory syndrome. The COVID-19 disease has spread to approximately 196 countries and territories on all continents. Since then, there has been a concerted effort to limit the spread of the infection, which is thought to be transmitted from person to person. The disease has significantly slowed global economic activity, with many countries going into partial or total lockdown. The Covid-19 pandemic has caused mass production shutdowns and supply chain disruptions, causing global ripple effects across all economic sectors in unprecedented ways.
expected. The spread of the disease is expected to pose serious humanitarian challenges to countries around the world, particularly Africa and Nigeria. Economic consequences have already been felt.
As global demand for Africa’s raw materials and commodities has declined, so has Africa’s access to industrial components and manufactured goods from other parts of the world. This adds to the uncertainty in a continent already plagued by widespread geopolitical and economic insecurity (Morné et al., 2020).
Some of the measures put in place by the Nigerian government to prevent the spread of covid-19 include social distancing and a stay-at-home policy in which workers are expected to work from home.
Houses and all public gatherings were prohibited. This policy imposed spending restrictions and decreased consumption. Many factories have shut down in response.
or reducing output and output, while in other cases, employees work from home to limit physical contact. This has the potential to exacerbate Nigeria’s poverty and unemployment problems. According to the most recent National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) unemployment report, Nigeria ranks 21st out of 181 countries, with an unemployment rate of approximately 23.1%. The country has also been named the best in the world.
The world’s poverty capital, with an estimated 87 million people living on less than $2 per day (CSEA, 2020).
The tourism industry was impacted because travel opportunities for Chinese tourists, who typically spend more money, were reduced.
There were more cancelled flights, hotel reservations, and local and international events totaling more than $200 billion. Given that China was the largest manufacturer and exporter in the world and that the Chinese government had ordered the closure of important factories, the flow of goods through global supply chains was drastically reduced (Ozili &
Arun, 2020).
The tourism sector is quickly emerging as a significant employer that significantly boosts the GDPs of many nations around the world. Even though Nigeria hasn’t fully utilized the tourism sector’s enormous potential over the years, it has recently started to gradually increase its contribution to the GDP and overall economic growth of the nation. The coronavirus caused a new kind of recession that wasn’t brought on by previous recessional causes (Ozili & Arun, 2020).
According to Ozili and Arun, Nigeria’s 2016 recession was brought on by a decline in the price of crude oil, a balance of payments deficit, the implementation of a floating exchange rate regime, an increase in the price of gasoline at the pump, pipeline vandalism, and weak infrastructure. Many people are now worried that the covid-19 disease will cause Nigeria to enter another recession.
SUMMARY OF THE PROBLEM
The growth of the economy, society, and physical infrastructure now heavily and inextricably depends on tourism (Viyaja, 2016). It includes the entirety of nature, the universe, space, and the galaxy, as well as human activity, wildlife, mountain ranges, rivers, lakes, forests, and trees, as well as the social and cultural system, flora and fauna, and weather.
and weather, the sun, and the ocean. Tourism is a service industry that includes travel, lodging, and hospitality. Even though there is a literal difference, the terms tourism and travel are frequently used interchangeably. The main economic sector in every country is the tourism industry. In addition to creating significant employment opportunities in the tourism-related service sector of the economy, tourism generates significant amounts of revenue for the purchase of goods and services. The tourism industry will be most negatively impacted by the pandemic following the covid19 outbreak. Cruise lines, hotels, and the hospitality sector as a whole are experiencing a decline in demand and patronage as nations around the world continue to impose travel restrictions and close their borders.
PURPOSE OF THE STUDY
The main goal of this investigation is:
To
Learn how COVID19 has impacted the travel and tourism industry.
to determine the extent to which it has impacted social and economic activity
STUDY QUESTIONS
How much of an impact did COVID 19 have on the tourism industry?
What impact has it had on economic and social activities?
IMPORTANCE OF THE STUDY
The general public will benefit from this study, but primarily policymakers in the public and private sectors who will use it to help with the creation and implementation of policies.
additionally, it will be very helpful to researchers as a source of information.
OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY
The effects of COVID19 on Nigeria’s tourism industry will be the main subject of this study.
utilizing Cross River State as a representative respondent.
RESTRICTIONS TO THE STUDY
Finance posed a significant obstacle throughout this
While conducting this study, other difficulties included research, material availability, and time constraints.
TERM DEFINITIONS
Corona virus disease 2019 (covid19) is characterized as a condition brought on by the severe acute respiratory syndrome corona virus 2, a new corona virus (SARA-CoV-2)
Tourism is the industry-driven planning and management of vacations and visits to popular destinations.
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