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Tourist characteristics and demand for tourism destination products in nigeria, tropical africa
Official concern for tourism development in Nigeria started after the colonial period in 1975,
following the establishment of Nigeria's Tourism Board (NTB). But because of political
instability and lack of commitment by successive governments tourism has been neglected
in the country (Ojo, 1985; Chokor, 1993). It was only recently in 1990 that a national tourism
policy was formulated and adopted to guide tourism developments in Nigeria. However,
several programmes for tourism development have within the past four decades (1960 - 1999),
been pursued by various states and the Federal Governments of Nigeria. These were mostly
in the areas of wildlife conservation, museum and archaeological site preservation, and hotel
and physical site development in areas of outstanding natural beauty or unique quality.
Several constraints, however, have hindered these and other efforts to develop tourism in
Nigeria. Prominent amongst which are limited supply and poor quality of tourism infrastructures,
facilities and amenities. The nature of attractions that are highly dispersed over large areas
particularly constitute serious transportation problem to tourists patronage. Additionally, poor
transport linkage within tourists sites, low income earning of residents and poor ‘image’ of
the country as unsafe, and disturbed by political, ethnic, and religious crises and frequent
military coups are all important constraints to tourism (Awaritefe, 2000). Consequently, though
blessed with abundant and highly unique tourism resources, earnings from tourism have been
low, about 3 percent of foreign travel in Africa (between 1998 and 2003) and insignificant
(less than $.137 billion) when compared to $10 billion for other Third World African countries,
majority of which are with less tourism resource endowment (WTO, 2001). There has been
very few tourists’ arrival to Nigeria since 1972, the majority of whom are travellers on business,
official missions or visit friends/relations, mostly from Western Europe, America, South-East
Asia, and neighbouring West African countries. Domestic tourism participation has also been
low in Nigeria. An increasing number of educated and high income Nigerians and students
provides an important source of the domestic tourists that visit the tourism destinations,
especially the national parks, historic sites and cultural centers (Awaritefe, 1993, 2003).
However, with the inception of a new democratic government in 1999, the Federal and several
state governments have indicated keen interest to develop the tourism industry in the first
decades of this millennium (Federal Government of Nigeria, 2002). The country is thus
presented with challenges associated with growing public and private sector desires to develop
the tourism industry. It is in the context of this scenario, the dilemma of a country with
abundant tourism resources, yet experiencing low gains that this study aims to provide greater
understanding of the nature of factors that determine tourism product demand. This step is
important so that desired tourist markets and products can be articulated and realised in
subsequent tourism destination development or rejuvenation programmes in Nigeria.
Tourism Today - Fall 2007 - Full Paper
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