ABSTRACT
The study examined the creative tourism panacea on economic sustainability in Abia State. The specific objectives of the study include ; to determine the Akwette cloth weaving in ukwa west L.G.A being able to provide job opportunity to the youths of the community; to determine the contribution of Akwette cloth weaving to the community at large in terms of co-operate image; To determine Revenue generated from Akwette cloth weaving in ukwa west L.G.A to the government per annum; to examined Challenges faced in the industry towards creative tourism and to determine how can creative tourism be developed and promoted as a panacea on economic sustainability in the study area, survey research design was adopted. The researcher adopted primary data in getting the required information through the use of structured questionnaire. The population of the study was made up of all the registered tourist attractions in Umuahia, Abia State which was 119 and the sample size of the study has 92 after adopting proportional allocation formula. In analysis the data, simple descriptive statistics such as frequencies, percentage, mean and standard deviation were used. The result of the Analysis revealed that (i) Akwette cloth weaving in Ukwa West L.G.A been helpful to Abia State in provision of employment, contribution to civilization, attractions of foreign investors, economic development, attention from the government. (ii) Improvement of the culture of the community, improvement local product like bag, it is used in weaving clothes for traditional event, improvement the traditions of the community, Improvement of infrastructure in the area are evidence of contribution of Akwette cloth weaving to the community at large in terms of co-operate image in Abia State. (iii) Akwette cloth weaving in Ukwa West L.G.A served as a source of income to community from the sales of Akwete weavers, sales of the Akwete bags, shoe and clothes at trade fair festac, annual allocations from the government. (iv) The challenges facing creative tourism in Abia State include; dimension of creativity remains vague, Mismatch existence between the perceptions of local stakeholders and the needs of tourists, lack of transformations, Creative tourism lack attention from the government, there has been relatively little research on the experience of creativity of both visitor and resident. (v) Creative tourism be developed and promoted as a panacea for Economic Sustainability for tourism destination in Nigeria by Creativity influences of art and culture, Creative tourism as a form of cultural tourism that Contributes towards sustainability of a country's revenue, it is used in weaving clothes for traditional event. The mean value gotten from the analysis of the objectives includes; for objective one is 3.70,for objective two is 3.44,for objective three 3.40,for objective four 3.72,for objective five is 3.80.The Researcher also made recommendations based on the research Objectives.
TABLE
OF CONTENT
Title page i
Declaration ii
Approval page iii
Certification iv
Dedication v
Acknowledgment vi
Table of Content vii
List of Tables viii
Abstract ix
CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION
1.1.
Background of the study 1
1.2.
Statement Of The Problem 5
1.3.
Objectives Of The Study 7
1.4.
Research Objectives 7
1.5.
Significance Of The Study 8
1.6.
Scope Of The Study 9
CHAPTER TWO: LITERATURE REVIEW
2.1.
Conceptual Framework 10
2.1.1.
Creative Tourism 10
2.1.2.
Advantages Of Creative Tourism 11
2.1.3.
The Experience Economy 13
2.1.4.
Shift From Tangible to Intangible Tourism 14
2.1.5.
Shift From High Culture To Everyday Culture 15
2.1.6.
Desire For More Active, Engaging Experiences 16
2.1.7.
The Need For Places To Make Themselves More Distinctive 16
2.1.8.
Forms of Creative Tourism 17
2.1.9.
Creative Tourism Activity 17
2.1.10.
Creative Backdrops 22
2.1.11.
Benefits Of Creative Tourism 24
2.1.12. The Blueprint For Developing
Creative Tourism In A Destination 24
2.1.13.
The Role Of Non-Governmental Organizations In Creative Tourism 28
2.1.14.
Sustainability Of Creative Tourism To Economic Growth 32
2.2.
Theoretical Framework 33
2.2.1.
World City Theory 33
2.2.2.
Creative Tourism Development Model 35
2.2.3.
The Model Of Sustainable Creative Tourism 38
2.2.4.
Culture-based Creativity Theory 38
2.2.5 Cultural
and Creative Industries Theory 39
2.3.
Review Of Related Empirical Study 40
2.4.
Summary Of Reviewed Literature 44
CHAPTER THREE: RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
3.0.
Introduction 46
3.1.
Research Design 46
3.2.
Area Of The Study 46
3.3.
Population For The Study 46
3.4.
Sample/Sampling Techniques 47
3.5.
Instrument For Data Collection 49
3.6.
Validation Of The Instrument 49
3.7.
Reliability Of The Instrument 50
3.8.
Methods Of Data Collection 50
3.9.
Methods Of Data Analysis 50
CHAPTER FOUR: DATA PRESENTATION,
ANALYSIS AND DISCUSSION OF RESULTS
4.1 Data
Presentation 52
4.1.2
Distribution Of Questionnaire And Response Rate 52
4.1.3 Distribution
of respondent based on Sex 52
4.1.4 Distribution
of respondents according to educational qualification 53
4.1.5 Question
1 53
4.1.6 Question
2 55
4.1.7 Question
3 56
4.1.8 Question
4 58
4.1.9 Question
5 60
4.1.10 Major
Findings 61
CHAPTER FIVE: SUMMARY, CONCLUSION AND
RECOMMENDATIONS
5.1.
Summary 63
5.1.1.
Restatement Of The Problem 64
5.1.2.
Description Of Methods Used 65
5.1.3.
Major Findings 65
5.2.
Conclusion 66
5.3.
Recommendations 67
5.4.
Contribution To Knowledge 69
5.5.
Suggestion For Further Studies 69
REFERENCES 70
APPENDIX 74
LIST OF TABLE
Table 2.1.9. A typology of Creative Tourism Experiences 18
Table 3.1. Population Distribution Table 47
Table 4.1. Distribution of questionnaire and
response rate 52
Table 4.1.2. Distribution of respondents based on sex 52
Table 4.1.3. Distribution of respondents according to
education qualification 52
Table 4.1.4. Mean response on Question 1 53
Table 4.1.5. Mean response on Question 2 55
Table 4.1.6. Mean response on Question 3 57
Table 4.1.7. Mean response on Question 4 58
Table 4.1.8. Mean response on Question 5 60
CHAPTER
ONE
INTRODUCTION
1.1
Background
to the Study
Creative tourism is a
type of tourism that helps tourists to develop their creative potentials
through their active participation in creative & cultural activities at the
tourism destinations they visit.
Creativity appears to
have become positioned as a panacea for a wide range of problems. The
development of creative cities (Landry, 2000), creative clusters (Mommaas,
2009), creative industries (O’Connor, 2010) and the creative field (Scott,
2010) can serve to attract the creative class (Florida, 2002) and hopefully
rescue the economy, as well as knitting communities together and revitalising
local culture.
The
researcher have identify the following problem within the case study among
which are; That Akwette cloth weaving in
Ukwa west L.G.A have recently have a downside in marketing and this is as a
result that the management has decided to reduce the quality of its production
from the original, Notwithstanding the above issue, the production company has
been able to give employment to the youths of the community, but are limited to
the brand of production they produce, the researcher also seek it explore and
find out if Akwette cloth weaving in ukwa west L.G.A has been able to serve as
a panacea to the economic sustainability of the state Abia
However,
there is also a sceptical tone emerging in many recent studies of creativity
(e.g. Peck, 2005), which is now also being repeated in the field of tourism
(Long and Morpeth, forthcoming). The rapid rise, dissemination and subsequent
critique of creative development strategies mirror the development of cultural
tourism in the 1980s and 1990s (Richards, 1996, 2001). In fact „creative
tourism‟ is often seen as a form of, or an extension of cultural tourism.
The
issue of economic sustainability and Practice of tourism considers many
different facets of the creative tourism phenomenon, and examines the ways in
which it has been developed in various places. Creative tourism has been faced
with challenges in the aspect of creative tourism development and, despite the
emergent critical thoughts on the subject, they tend to emphasise the positive
aspects. Does this suggest that creative tourism is just one more aspect of the
creativity hype, or can creative experiences act as an effective alternative to
more “traditional” tourism development strategies? In this sense, it is
important to understand the concept of creative tourism better in order to
provide an effective assessment of its theoretical position and practical
importance.
The
long-term success of the tourism industry depends upon the acceptance and
support of the host community. Therefore, to ensure that creative tourism is
able to be maintained, it is essential to ensure the sustainability of both the
natural and cultural environments of the destination. creative tourism
increases demand for accommodation and food and beverage outlets, and therefore
improve viability for new and established hotels, motels, guest houses, farm
stays, etc. Provide additional revenue to local retail businesses and other
services (e.g. medical, banking, car hire, cottage industries, souvenir shops,
tourist attractions), it increases the market for local products, thereby
sustaining traditional customs and practices, Use local labor and expertise,
Provide a source of funding for the protection and maintenance of natural
attractions and symbols of cultural heritage, Providing funding and volunteers
for field work associated with wildlife research and archaeological studies.
Create a heightened community awareness of the value of local culture and the
natural environment (Murphy 1985),
According
to (Peter 2011). Creative tourism is a concept that only formally defined a
decade ago, but in the intervening years it has seen a significant growth
worldwide. The range of presentations at this conference on different creative
tourism programmes from all corners of the globe is a clear indication of how
widespread it now is.
In
this work the researcher will try and set out some of the reasons for
this growth, the different forms of creative tourism that have developed and
the challenges that remain for those involved in this new sector of tourism. My
basic argument is that the growth of creative tourism has been driven by both
production and consumption related forces, and that the maximum benefit can be
derived by creatively combining the efforts of both producers and consumers to
develop it as a panacea for economic sustainability to the people of Abia State
that both engage and transform participants and host communities alike.
The
term „creative tourism‟ was coined by Richards and Raymond (2000). The idea for
more creative forms of tourism originated in a European project – EUROTEX –
which aimed to stimulate craft production through tourism (Richards, 2005).
Although
the idea of developing creative experiences was not in itself new, creative
tourism was quickly taken up and made more concrete through the development of
courses and workshops (e.g. Creative tourism New Zealand), conferences and
seminars (Barcelona 2005, 2010, Santa Fe, 2008) and a range of publications
(Richards and Wilson 2006,2007; Wurzburger et al. 2008; Richards, 2011).
The
creative tourism idea seemed to catch on not only because of the evolution of
tourist demand but also because it fitted a range of contemporary policy agendas.
Creativity has indeed been broadly applied in several fields, most notably in
the creative and cultural industries. The Green Paper on Cultural and Creative
industries (European Commission, 2010) was a major source of legitimation of
demands for more studies of and intervention in the creative field.
In
recent years the recognition of the economic potential of culture (e.g. KEA,
2006) as well as creativity (e.g. UN, 2008; 2010) seemed to position creativity
as a development tool and as a potential solution to a range of economic and
social problems (the need for innovation, new approaches to learning,
developing social capital and community cohesion, etc.). With the advent of the
global financial crisis, the need for creativity seems have climbed even higher
up many political agendas. This is also clear in the field of tourism, with the
recent renaming of the Indonesian Ministry for Culture and Tourism as the
Ministry for Tourism and Creative Economy and the development of creative
tourism networks in places as far afield as Barcelona, Santa Fe and Thailand
(see below).
Creative
tourism appears therefore as a key development option for various reasons and
can serve distinctive objectives. Firstly, it responds to the need for tourism
to re-invent itself as well as to the need for destinations to do something
different in a saturated market. It can also meet the desire of tourists for
more fulfilling and meaningful experiences (see also the concept of
'experiential tourism' – Prentice, Richard and Andersen, Vivien 2001: 2005;
Smith 2006). On another level, there is a growing raft of small creative
enterprises, looking for new markets to develop. Creativity is becoming an
increasingly popular career option (McRobbie, 2010) and the new creatives need
markets to target. The popularity of creative practices such as music, dance
and photography is also increasing (e.g. Cultural Alliance, 2010). Altogether,
these trends explain and to a certain extent legitimate the popularity of
creative development strategies among policy makers.
At
the same time, many cities are struggling to become more creative, and to
present themselves as creative destinations – not only as places where
co-creation is possible, but also for attracting creative and educated people
(the „creative class”, Florida, 2002). Attracting the creative class as
visitors may eventually also persuade them to live in these cities, which in
turn will contribute to their creative atmosphere, adding in turn to creative
production and tourism attractiveness. The end result has been more than a
decade of expanding creative tourism production and consumption, to the point
where it has become an established niche in the global tourism market.
Some
of the most developed examples of creative tourism activities are provided by
creative networks aimed at linking tourists and locals. As well as the Creative
tourism Barcelona programme (which is described in more detail in the current
issue by Caroline Couret), Creative Paris (http://www.creativeparis.info/en/)
has recently been established, offering a range of creative experiences for
visitors including visual, performing and culinary arts, fashion and design,
writing and philosophy and gardening. In Austria, a range of creative
experiences throughout the country have been brought together by Creative
tourism Austria (http://www.kreativreisen.at/en/home.html), which provides
links to various „creative hotspots‟ around the country. Creative tourism
Austria also has a model based more on developing relationships with commercial
partners, including hotels and spas.
Creative
Tourist.com has been established by the Manchester Museums Consortium, and acts
more as an information board for people wanting to experience the creative
scene in Manchester (http://www.creativetourist.com). As the website itself
explains, it is: „A Manchester Facebooky, Twittery, Guardian-ish, Book-marky,
Arts-cum-Culture-cum-Shopping & Foodie Guide Type Thing‟. These
developments underline the increasing intertwining of creativity, tourism, new
media and networks in the contemporary network society (Castells, 1996).
1.2
Statement of the Problem
Creative
tourism has only begun to be recognized and many of the creative tourism
initiatives currently operating around the world are still at an early stage in
their development. A growing number of tourists at major sites and in small
communities have raised questions about the sustainability of this form of
tourism. Historic city centres have started to suffer from a “vicious circle”
of cultural tourism development in which famous sites attract large number of
tourists thus degrading the quality of experience and driving “serious”
cultural tourists away (Russo and Paolo 2002). In the search for their
uniqueness through cultural tourism, many places have followed similar
strategies, which have resulted in making those places feel and look the same
(Richards and Wilson, 2006). Consequently, several places have started to
search for the new forms of articulation between culture and tourism to help to
strengthen rather than water down local culture.
One
of the major challenges facing the modern world is poverty. In Nigeria, high
level of poverty remains a major impediment in the effort to achieve the
millennium development goals. Consequently, the need to harness community-based
tourism (CREATIVE TOURISM) as an additional source of income generation and job
creation becomes imperative. Creative tourism occurs when decisions about
tourism activities and development are driven by the host community. It is also
used to describe series of activities that encourage and support a wide range
of socio-economic development goals.
The
researcher have identify the following problem within the case study among
which are; That Akwette cloth weaving in
Ukwa west L.G.A have recently have a downside in marketing and this is as a
result that the management has decided to reduce the quality of its production
from the original, Notwithstanding the above issue, the production company has
been able to give employment to the youths of the community, but are limited to
the brand of production the produce, The
researcher also seek it explore and find out if Akwette cloth weaving in ukwa
west L.G.A has been able to serve as a panacea to the economic sustainability
of the state Abia.
1.3
Objectives of the Study
The main objective of the study is
aims at determining the contribution of creative tourism to economic
sustainability to the people of Abia State
The specific
objectives of the study are:
1. To
determine the relationship between creative tourism and economic sustainability
in the study area.
2. To
explore the weakness and challenges of creative tourism within the community
Ukwa west L.G.A.
3. To
evaluate Akwette cloth weaving industry in Ukwa west L.G.A and its progression.
4. To
determine the revenue generated from Akwette cloth weaving in Ukwa west L.G.A
to the government per annum?
5. Finally
to make possible suggestion and recommendation to the industry based on
the findings of this research.
1.4
Research Questions
The following questions guided the
study
1. Has
Akwette cloth weaving in ukwa west L.G.A been able to provide job opportunity
to the youths of the community?
2. What
is the contribution of Akwette cloth weaving to the community at large in terms
of co-operate image
3. What
is the revenue generated from Akwette cloth weaving in Ukwa west L.G.A to the
government per annum?
4. What
are the challenges faced in the industry towards creative tourism?
5. How
can creative tourism be developed and promoted as a panacea for Economic
Sustainability?
1.5 Significance of the Study
This research work will be
significant to the state tourism destinations, the host community, tourist and
scholars.
The
findings of the study will educate the state tourism destinations on how
creative tourism can be developed and promoted as a panacea for generating
revenue from Akwette cloth weaving in ukwa west L.G.A to the government per
annum for Economic Sustainability of the state.
Tourist
is the reason for tourism destinations and as such their satisfaction is a
priority to tourism destinations. The findings of this work will enhance
tourist to have access to Cultural materials which are believed to serve as
agents of socialization and improves their knowledge on the tourism
destinations.
The
host community of the tourism destinations will benefit from this research
because the harnessing of creative tourism will help in bringing development
and civilization to their community, and that will in creating room for more
job employment opportunities for their people, Provide additional revenue to
local retail businesses and other services (e.g. medical, banking, car hire,
cottage industries, souvenir shops, tourist attractions). Increase the market
for local products, thereby sustaining traditional customs and practices. Use
local labor and expertise, provide a source of funding for the protection and
maintenance of natural attractions and symbols of cultural heritage. Providing
funding and volunteers for field work associated with wildlife research and
archaeological studies. Create a heightened community awareness of the value of
local culture and the natural environment.
The study will educate students of
this noble institution and other institutions on Creative tourism a panacea for
economic sustainability in Abia state.
Finally, the study will serve as a
reference material to researchers who would want to research more
on a similar topic in future.
1.6
Scope of the Study
The scope of this work covers the Creative
tourism a panacea
on economic sustainability
in Abia State. The geographical scope is Abia Metropolis while the unit scope
is economic sustainability of some of the tourist attractions in Abia
metropolis
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