Tourism is a short term movement of people to destinations outside their residential areas primarily for leisure, recreation, sports or business transactions. There is domestic and International Tourism. Domestic is the movement within one’s state or country while International involves movement from one’s country to another. Modern tourist industry in the western world started in the 19th Century with the wake of industrial revolution that increased the ranks of middle classes in Europe and United States and this led to the increase in number of people found themselves with both the money and the time to travel.
World celebration of Tourism Day was proposed in 1972 in the Island of Sardinia, Italy by Elder Ignatius Amaduwa Atigbi and one of the important factors of this celebration is that member states will use the opportunity of the day’s celebration to assess the development made during the previous years and project a plan for the coming year. The proclamation will enable interchange of ideas and views and generate movement of the tourist market from the developed to the developing nations who need the facilities of the tourist market to develop their economy.
Ecotourism is often more than just an organised tour of natural sites. It is a purposeful travel to natural areas to understand the culture and natural history of the environment, taking care not to alter the integrity of the ecosystem while producing economic opportunities that make the conservation of natural resources beneficial to local people.
Tourism is therefore not yet fully developed in Africa as it is in the developed countries of the world. Realising that the wonders of wild nature are part of the wealth of Africa and of mankind which the world cannot choose to ignore, some parts of Africa have become popular tourist centres; such is the case with East Africa of (Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda), North West Africa, South and North Africa. East Africa scores high because it has a lot of sunlight throughout the year and this arouse interests in the people from colder lands especially during winter season.
In East Africa, tourism is best developed in Kenya where the number of tourists increased from 6,000 in 1952 to 328,000 in 1972 and it is estimated that one lion is worth 7,000 US Dollars per year in income from tourism and an elephant herd is valued at 610,000 US Dollars annually*.
In Tanzania and Uganda the inflow is lesser. For example, L. Nakudu National park is noted for birds such as flamingo. Malindi and Watamu Marine National parks are noted for their beautiful coral reefs where over 200 species of fish can be seen in the clear waters. Serengeti National park and Ngorongoro crater in Tanzania while Uganda, Kabelega and Ruwenzori National parks offer numerous tourist attractions. Earnings from ecotourism in Kenya and Tanzania dwarf that of coffee.
In West Africa, it is not yet significant although some countries like Gambia, Ivory Coast, Senegal and Nigeria are trying to build more and improve the existing tourist industries. In Ivory Coast, Senegal and Gambia, the attractions are their beaches for swimming, water skiing, surf riding and sailing.
In South Africa, Ethosa National Park of Namibia with some 50,000 big mammals roaming in the wilderness of South Western Africa s worthy of mention as tourist industry. North Africa is not also left out in tourist industries especially Algeria and Egypt for their National park with abundant wildlife and Museums where the oldest pyramid constructed in the world was kept.
In America, foreign exchange earnings from ecotourism in Santa Rosa National Park of Costa Rica and other parks surpasses bananas which the country is noted for. Central America country is noted for its abundant diversity of amphibians and reptilian life. In South America, Guyana is noted to be a small South American Country that has some of the continent’s finest untouched wilderness. Hawaii’s coral reefs are estimated to generate 360 million US Dollars each year from nature-based tourism.
In North America, Kluane National Park and Delani National Park of Canada with towering mountains of 19,524 foot (about 6 km) and 20, 320 foot respectively are delight to watch. In Alaska, Arctic National Wildlife Refuge that is next door to Kluane offers abundant tourist attractions.
West Indies that is closer to Europe and North America also offer tourist industries to visitors and it is more favoured by its closeness to the domain of the bulk of the world visitors and the sunshine environment similar to that of Africa.
In oceanic (Australia), Papua New Guinea is known as the Island paradise of birds. The place and its associated Islands have more than 700 species of birds about 100 fewer than in all of North African others tourist industries are Chukchi sea, water around Hawaii, Red sea, Barrier reef, waters off South Australia, Coral reefs off Great New Guinea (Island), a Fjord in New Zealand, Antarctica.
Some factors facilitating tourism are good accommodation, Hotels and Motels of International Standard such as Motels at Yankari National Park and Oguta Lake in Nigeria. Easy means of communications and transportation such as Telephone and air-ports like that of Tanzania Kilimajaro International Airport between Arusha and Moshi Airports.
Another factor is the establishment of effective publicity. For example, the Kenya Tourist Development Corporation (KTDC) set up by Kenyan government and which has offices in London, Frankfort (West Germany), Stockholm (Sweden), Zurich (Switzerland), Paris and New York. Kenyan government spends a lot of money every year in publicizing the industry, thereby attracting more visitors. Just recently too, Nigerian government established her National Tourism Development Corporation through Decree No 81 of 1992.
Another important factor is the proper management of tourist industries. So that priority is not given only to the facilities such as good roads, communication and transportation at the expense of wildlife that constitutes the bulk of tourist industries. Taking a cue from the method applied by the Namibian Government in the running of Ethosa National Park where both tourism and wildlife are managed concurrently.
Further to this, there is need to take measures capable of preserving forest resources which measures include, mass campaign against indiscriminate forest destruction, Replanting of trees and grasses immediately they have been utilised for economic purposes, specific legislation on the minimum height of tress to be felled, the use of forest guards and declaration of certain forest area as Government Reservation Areas where gaming and felling of trees are strictly prohibited.
BENEFITS OF TOURISM
i. It provides foreign Exchange Earnings. Tourism provides East Africa and developed countries with a considerable foreign exchange. Kenya gets almost as much foreign exchange from Tourism as she gets from coffee. Kenya earned as much as 41.1 million Kenya pounds from Tourism in the 90’s;
ii. It provides employments to the people in various ways, hotel waiters, scouts, guides, game keepers, rangers, game wardens, forest guards and transporters. Also, wildlife researchers who count and monitor them;
iii. It encourages improvement of facilities e.g. Hotels, good roads and other social infrastructures. It also contributes to environmental and social improvements.
iv. It helps to utilize areas of low and unreliable rainfall which are not attractive to farmers; and
v. It helps in conserving wildlife. In Rwanda, ecotourism promotes the saving of the mountain gorilla population as it provides the local people with a source of income that is alternative to poaching.
v. Ecotourism is also important because visitors learn why the different trees and plants they see are worth protecting. They leave with an enduring appreciation for the forest and its wildlife.
PROBLEMS ASSOCIATED WITH TOURISM
Not only might the growth of tourism be a threat to the environment, it may contribute to other problems such as pollution.
It helps or necessitates the easy spread of diseases like AIDS and other venereal diseases.
It brings about a change in lifestyle that may be detrimental to social behaviour.
Overdependence of a country on tourist industry for foreign exchange earnings as the outbreak of an epidemic, war or any other natural disaster can abruptly ruin the industry.
It brings about breakdown in the traditional values and ways of life of the people around the tourist centres.
NIGERIAN SITUATION
Nigeria made it first entry into International Tourism Exchange (ITE) in 1997 at Berlin, Germany although it has participated as observer in two previous events.
Nigeria’s National Tourism Development Corporation (NTDC) came into being with the establishment of a National Trade and Tourism Policy and the promulgation of Decree 10 81 of 1992 by the Federal government.
The Decree re-organised the defunct Nigerian Tourism Board into the NTDC. The Corporation is charged with the following responsibilities.
i. To encourage people living in Nigeria to take their holidays therein and people from abroad to visit Nigeria;
ii. To encourage the provision and improvement of tourism amenities and facilities in Nigeria;
iii. To provide advisory and information services to state and Local governments;
iv. To promote and undertake research in the field of tourism in the state and Local Government Areas;
v. To render technical advice to states and Local Governments in the field of tourism; and
vi. To register, classify and grade all hospitality and tourism enterprises, travel agencies and tour operators in such manners as may be prescribed.
There are four zones of the corporation throughout the federation. Calabar Zone Controls - seven states, Kano Zone - Seven Zones, Lagos State– 9 zones and Bauchi Zone controlling seven states of Adamawa, Bauchi, Benue, Bornu, Plateau, Taraba and Yobe.
Important tourist attractions in Nigeria include National parks such as Yankari, Chad Basin, Okwango Park, Kanji, Lake, Borgu, Zurguma, Hadejia/Nguru Wetlands and Bula Tura Oasis, Chingumi- Duguma, Kwiambana, Alawa, Orle river, Kwale, Ologbo and Upper Ogun.
Natural features include Shere Hills, Kura falls on the Jos Plateau, Olumo Rock in Ogun State, Idanre hills and Ikogosi Warm spring in Ondo State, Erinjiyan water fall in Osun State, Wikki Cave and Warm Spring in Bauchi State, Oguta Lake in Imo State, Oshun shrine in Osogbo, Lekki peninsula for (beach and aquatic life such as turtle, crocodiles, alligators and numerous species of birds and beautiful butterflies.
Museums in Ife (Oni’s palace and Obafemi Awolowo University), Jos, Osogbo, Akure, Lagos, Yankari, Benin, Umuhaia, Esie-Iludun (Kwara State).
Unfortunately, these have not been attracting very many visitors for the following reasons.
i. Government has not been active over the development of tourist facilities. For example the 48km road from the main entrance of Yankari to Wikki cave is not pliable due to its deplorable condition. The situation gets worse during wet season notwithstanding the speed limit imposed on the 40km road.
No electricity, no telephone, clear evidence of security lapses (lack of thorough checking of the vehicles), no facility for keeping of pets at the gate, inadequate trucks and poor maintenance of the existing ones. This is because as at 2nd October 1997, the two trucks for viewing animals in the park have broken down and the visitors that came without jeep left without seeing any animal save the guinea fowls that are prominent along the road.
The Dressing room facility for the visitors after swimming at the Wikki warm spring water is in a poor state due to littering of the sand place with human excreta and the odour in each room can be likened to a stench from an open grave and any visitor who goes in for dressing is affording the risk of falling victim of dilapidated asbestos roof. The pool is infested with tsetse flies showing lack of proper maintenance of such naturally clean water that inhabits harmless Nile and monitor lizards. No clinic or at least first Aid service.
ii. Poverty of most Nigerians. An average Nigerian prefer spending his or her nettle little amount of money on other things to tourism. This attitude of insensitivity to tourism is further encouraged by high level of illiteracy.
iii. Lack of adequate publicity of the tourist centres in the outside world.
iv. Problem of competition with other areas of Africa and far distance of Nigeria from Europe and North America which are the homes of most tourists. Tourists can get all the sunshine they need during winter from West Indies which is closer to Europe.
To buttress the non-attractiveness of Nigeria’s tourist centres to visitors, Yankari visitors’ inflow charts from 1985-1996 shows a manifest decrease from 20,000 visitors in 1985 to 8,000 visitors in 1996. The fall in visitors’ inflow which started in 1986 up to the last recorded inflow in 1996 is attributable to all the above mentioned reasons. The fortune may continue to dwindle if no urgent attention is taken to salvage one of the nation’s treasures
THE WAY OUT
i. Government should encourage publicity of Nigeria tourist industries not only through NTDC but also through other government and Non-governmental Organizations such as National Orientation Agency, Nigerian Television Authority, Association of Tourism Practitioners in Nigeria. Also registration and opening of offices of NTDC in other continents is equally important.
ii. Government and its Agencies should make development of tourist facilities unqualified priority in the scheme of things. Government Agencies such as Federal Environmental Protection Agency, Petroleum Trust Found, National Parks Board; National Conservation Fund, Important Birds Area Project, International Union on Conservation of Nature and host of others should assist in developing these facilities that are either lacking or deteriorated in our tourist industries or centres.
iii. Decree No 81 of 1992 should be reviewed to include the following among other responsibilities of NTDC.
a. To join in the crusade on the conservation of flora and Fauna of Nigeria;
b. To advise the Federal, State and Local governments on the declaration of more unreserved areas with abundant wildlife as Reserves or sanctuaries for prospective tourist centres; and
c. To conduct research on available forests and other forms of animal habitats with a view to discovering rare species and other tourist attractions for more tourist industries.
iv. The government should develop and properly designate the existing numerous proposed game reserves as National Parks so as to proliferate the number of the already available tourist centres in the country.
v. Government should assist the state and Local governments financially and technically in the declaration and management of tourist attractions, wild and aquatic life in their respective territories.
* LIST OF TOURIST CENTRES IN NIGERIA
1. PLATEAU STATE
Riyom Rock, Wase Rock, Rim River Formation, Kerang Volcanic Hill, Kurra Falls, Jos Wildlife Safari Park, Pandam Game Reserve, Jos Zoological garden shere Hills, Mado tourist village, Transport museum, Botanical Garden, Jos Museum, Jos Amusement park.
2. TARABA STATE
Gashaka – Gumti National Park, Serti
3. KANO STATE
Kamuku National Park – Nguru
4. CROSS-RIVER STATE
Cross River National Park.
Birds Sanctuary at Tinapa Business and Leisure Resort.
Drills’Home.
5. BORNO STATE
Chad Basin National Park- Maiduguri
6. OYO STATE
University of Ibadan Zoological Garden, Agodi Zoological Garden, Old Oyo National Park, Museum at Old Oyo, Trans Amusement Park, Aboke Hill, Alaafin’s Palace, Asabari Hill,
7. OSUN STATE
Osun Shrine and River, Museums at Osogbo, Ile-Ife and Obafemi Awolowo Natural History Museums’ O.A.U. Biological Garden, Ikogosi Water Falls,
8. KWARA STATE
Museum at Esie- Iludun,
9. BAUCHI STATE
Yankari National Park, Wikki cave and warm spring water, Lame Burra Game reserve
10 LAGOS STATE
Beaches, Lekki Peninsula, Museum,
11. ONDO STATE
Erinjiyan Waterfalls, Museum at Akure, Idanre Hill,
12. OGUN STATE
Olumo Rock, Ogun River,
13. EDO STATE
Okomu National Park, Arakhuam
Museum
14. NIGER STATE
Kainji Lake National Park – New Bussa
Park of Borgu
* The list is not conclusive
Sikiru O. Adewoye Esq,
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