Socio-economic Impact Of Crisis And Militancy On Tourism Destination In South-west Nigeria

SOCIO-ECONOMIC IMPACT OF CRISIS AND MILITANCY ON TOURISM DESTINATION IN SOUTH-WEST NIGERIA

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One of the most naturally endowed regions in Nigeria is the South-West. A beautiful canopy of unpolluted mangrove forest, an endless supply of aquatic life, and the rich and varied cultural history of its teeming population are additional blessings. However, due to the ongoing conflict and militarization of the area between various ethnic militias that are agitating for more environmentally friendly oil exploration techniques (including a share of the oil wealth) and the Nigerian armed forces, the development of world-class tourist destinations in the region has remained a mirage. The study made use of both primary and secondary data; the former was gathered through a questionnaire survey of 85 respondents in the Ondo State cities of Akure North and Akure South. Simple frequency percentage tables were used to evaluate and present the data collected to show how respondents felt the crisis affected the region’s socioeconomic development and tourism potentials. The initiative proposed and stressed the necessity for coordinated actions by all stakeholders to reduce tension and the onset of crisis in the region.

Chapiter 1

Introduction

1.1 The Study’s Background

In recent years, tourism has grown dramatically and is now one of the global industries with the fastest growth rates. The three key businesses that are currently driving the global economy are technology, telecommunications, and tourism, claims W.T.O. (2002). This claim unequivocally supported Poirier’s (2000) assertion that “tourism today is second only to oil as the world’s leading export commodity, accounting for global earnings of over $300 billion dollars or nearly 25% of total global gross national product (GNP) in the last decade.” It is clear that global economic fortunes and tourism growth are not distributed equally. Regardless of how naturally endowed a site may be or how highly built the physical infrastructure may be, such resources may never yield their full tourist potentials without a peaceful environment.It is well known that the tourist business is quite sensitive on a global scale. As a result, catastrophic events like terrorism, political unrest, and natural disasters can affect the demand and supply for tourism (Arana and Leon 2007; Ryan 1993; Page and Connell 2003; Glenn 2001).

Essner (2003) defines tourism as “a service based industry which is made up of several elements including transportation, accommodation, food and beverage, tours, and merchandising” as an example of a simple concept. However, it is more difficult to characterize terrorism. Scholars have argued over the “terrorist vs. freedom fighter” conundrum for decades. The most accurate definition, according to Enders and Saddler (2002), is “the premeditated use or threat of use of extra ordinary violence or brutality by sub national groups to obtain a political, religious, or ideological objective through intimidation of a large audience, usually not directly involved with the policy making that the terrorist seek to influence.” Additionally, because foreign nationals frequently take part in terrorist attacks against tourists, international terrorism is defined as “terrorism involving citizens or the territory of more than one country.” (Essner,2003).

A destination’s growth as a tourist destination and a tranquil atmosphere are clearly synergistic. Evidence has shown that investors generally view the absence of terrorism, violence, and similar concerns as a pre-condition for the development of destinations (Wahab 1995; Reichel 2004; So’nmez 1998). According to studies (Hall and Sullivan, 1996; Goodrich, 2002), political unrest and relationships have an impact on how places in tourist-producing countries are seen. Even after a crisis has passed, the unfavorable perceptions that it has projected are frequently challenging to erase. The lives of their residents are valued by practically all governments and authorities in tourist-producing nations. Threats to the lives, personal safety, and possessions of tourists take precedence over all other considerations in this regard. A notable example is the United States Information Service, which is run by the US government and regularly provides tourists and residents with data on countries and regions that are experiencing crises. As a direct result of the 9/11 al-Qaeda attacks, according to Goodrich (2002), the US government issued regular travel advice telling its nationals to stay away from a wide variety of nations (Table 1). Empirical data showed that the tourism industry frequently responds predictably to crises of any kind, which typically results in a sharp decline in the number of tourists coming into the country and worsening economic conditions in the country’s host region or tourist destination. For instance, according to Mwathe (2011), Egypt’s political crisis, which overtook the country in 2011, happened during the height of inbound tourism activity. Significantly fewer tourists are visiting historical sites in Luxor, Aswan, and Cairo already as a result of the impact, and hotel reservations and bookings have also been canceled.

Situation Of The Problem

This project examines how political turbulence and crisis have affected tourism and socioeconomic development in Nigeria, a case study of a sub-Saharan African economy in development. Emerging tourist destinations on the African continent have either disregarded or understudied the effects of political turmoil and crises on tourism and socio-economic development. This essay examines how civil unrest, resource agitation, and militaryization of the majority of towns in Nigeria’s South-West have affected the region’s tourism industry and socioeconomic growth. Additionally, it offers an empirical foundation for the justification of any potential variations in the records of incoming tourist visits to the Akassa region before, during, and after the crisis.

1.3 Study’s Objectives

This study paper’s goal was to examine the phenomena of terrorist attacks and the various approaches used to mitigate their impact on South Western tourism and the hospitality sector. The issue with terrorism in society is that it instills dread in all parties that are either directly or indirectly involved in terrorist acts. The goals consist of.

1. To determine how South West tourism activity is impacted by terrorist attacks

2. To assess the impact of terrorist attacks on the South-West hospitality and tourism industries, including their severity or frequency.

3. To make recommendations for government policies and procedures that, in the case of another potential tourist attack in South-West, would be beneficial in reducing the damage on the tourism industry.

1.4 Questions For Research

The inquiries that need to be answered include.

1. How do terrorist attacks impact the South-West’s level of tourism?

2. Does the South-West’s hospitality and tourism industry suffer more from the intensity or frequency of terrorist attacks?

3. In the event of another potential tourist attack in the South-West, what government policies and procedures put in place in the wake of a terrorist attack are beneficial in lessening the effects on the tourism industry?

1.5 Study Limitations:

Due to the researcher’s need to balance this work with other responsibilities as a student, the time frame allotted for its completion is a significant restriction. Again, the costs associated with a study like this are high and cannot be readily covered by students; for this reason, the scope of the work, the distribution of the questionnaire, the quantity of travel, and the number of interviews all went into its completion.

Lack of sufficient data has prevented us from compiling adequate data or statistics on rural industrialization. This type of study would be significantly impacted if the government approved the free availability of sufficient data for students in this regard.

LACK OF RESEARCH SKILLS: Some of these skills, like using a database, are highly procedural, whilst others need critical thinking. The goal of the research work remains unsuccessful when pupils lack the necessary research abilities.

Privacy Issues;

The majority of information intended for public consumption is occasionally marked as secret, which limits our capacity to obtain all the information or data required for the proper completion of the subject matter. May the government kindly make all the necessary arrangements to ensure that the information required for extensive research projects is available.

However, the work was able to go past all of these constraints in order to produce reliable results despite the aforementioned problems encountered during the study time.