ABSTRACT
This work assessed the gastronomic tourism potentials of Owerri Metropolis in Imo State as a marketable tourism tool. Six research questions were raised and answered in line with the objective of the study. A hypothesis was formulated and tested at the 0.05 level of significance. The study area included the three LGA; Owerri Municipal, Owerri North and Owerri West with the population of 631, 281 and a sample size of 400 respondents drawn across the 35 community clusters of the three (3) LGAs. Survey research design was adopted for the study. Data collected were analyzed using mean scores derived from 4-point scale and the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 26.0. A mean of 2.5 and above were regarded as positive in decision making. The findings showed mean range 2.9 -3.4 for the research questions, which indicate that: numerous unique cuisines exist and numerous selling outlets such as restaurants and food events/festivals also exist. It also showed that there is high patronage of local cuisines by tourists. The overall mean score for the perception of the impact of tourist activities by the local community was greater than 2.5 which showed that it is favourable. Perception of influence of government’s policies on gastronomy activities was positive as the overall mean was greater than 2.5. There is a significant positive relationship between the availability of gastronomy tourism potential in Owerri Metropolis and successful tourism marketing, as the p – value was less than 0.05 ie. Pobtained (0.0001) < 0.05. Based on the findings it was recommended that; there should be creation of awareness of the value of the area’s gastronomic heritage in order to boast the cultural pride, strategies should be set by the government on residents’ participation in the maintenance of the gastronomic heritage of Owerri, the tourism businesses in Owerri should feature gastronomic activities in their facilities, the government should include gastronomy in their tourism product. advanced and comprehensive studies on the individual value of the gastronomic potentials of Owerri, comprehensive studies of the tourism market of Owerri, improvement of tourism related amenities and facilities in Owerri, strategies for marketing Owerri tourism using local cuisines such; as making the food festivals national events through adverts and invites, sales of agricultural products from the area at reduced prices during food festivals, organizing classes for preparation of the local cuisines, amongst others should be employed and the development of a unique gastronomy tourism product with Owerri cuisine.
TABLE OF
CONTENTS
Title Page i
Declaration ii
Certification iii
Dedication iv
Acknowledgments v
Table of Contents vi
List of Tables ix List of Figures x
Abstract xi
CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION 1
1.1 Background
of the Study 1
1.2 Statement
of Problem 8
1.3 Research
Objective/ Purpose of the Study 10
1.4 Research
Questions 11
1.5 Hypothesis 11
1.6 Significance
of the Study 11
1.7 Scope
of the Study 13
CHAPTER 2: LITERATURE REVIEW 14
2.1 Conceptual
Framework 14
2.1.1 Tourism 14
2.1.2 Types
of tourism 17
2.1.3 Tourism
potential 22
2.1.3.1 Typology
of tourism attraction 23
2.1.3.2 Assessment
of tourism potential of a destination 25
2.1.4 Gastronomy
tourism 27
2.1.4.1 The
evolution of gastronomy tourism 29
2.1.4.2 Features
of gastronomic tourism 30
2.1.4.2.1 Gastronomic tourism as a resource 31
2.1.4.2.2 Gastronomic tourism as a product 33
2.1.5 Owerri
tourism industry (strengths and weaknesses) 34
2.1.5.1 Strengths 35
2.1.5.2 Weaknesses
36
2.1.6 Culinary
culture of the Owerri people 37
2.2 Theoretical
Framework 39
2.2.1 Motivation
theories 40
2.2.1.1 Maslow’s
theory of needs 40
2.2.1.2 The
push and pull theory of motivation. 42
2.2.2 Branding
theories 44
2.2.2.1 Brand
identity theory 45
2.2.3 Social
exchange theory 46
2.2.4 Sustainability
theory 47
2.3 Review
of Empirical Literature 50
2.4 Summary
of Literature Review 57
CHAPTER 3: METHODOLOGY 61
3.1 Research
Design 61
3.2 Area
of the Study 61
3.3 Population
for the study 62
3.4 Sample
Size 63
3.5 Sampling
Techniques 63
3.6 Instruments
of Data Collection 64
3.7 Methods
for Data Collection 65
3.8 Validation
of Instruments 65
3.9 Test
of Reliability of Study Instrument 65
3.10 Method
of Data Analysis 66
3.11 Test of Hypothesis 66
CHAPTER 4: RESULTS AND DISCUSSION 67
4.1 Results 67
4.1.1 Analysis
of the availability of gastronomy potential in Owerri 67
4.1.2 Test
of hypothesis 74
4.1.3 The
major findings of the study 76
4.2 Discussion 77
CHAPTER 5: SUMMARY, CONCLUSION AND
RECOMMENDATIONS 82
5.1 Summary 82
5.2 Conclusion 83
5.3 Recommendations 84
References 86
Appendices 95
LIST OF TABLES
PAGE
4.1: Availability
of unique indigenous cuisines in Owerri 68
4.2: Availability
of local Restaurants in Owerri 69
4.3 Availability
of unique food festivals 70
4.4: Level
of patronage of indigenous local cuisines by tourists 71
4.5: Perception
of the socio-economic influence of tourist patronage on the
host community. 72
4.6: Influence
of Government’s policies on local restaurants and pubs 73
4.7a Relationship
between gastronomy potentials and tourism
marketing (Chi – square tests) 74
4.7b: Relationship
between gastronomy potentials and tourism marketing
(symmetric
measures of association) 75
LIST OF FIGURES
PAGE
2.1: Types of tourism 18
2.2: Types,
categories and forms of tourism 21
2.3: Maslow’s
five - level hierarchy of needs 42
2.4: Push-pull factors of tourism 43
CHAPTER
1
INTRODUCTION
1.1 BACKGROUND
OF THE STUDY
Tourism when properly planned and managed, impacts
the economy of the host countries so much that it could be a major source of
income of a country. This importance is such that tourism has been designated
as a possible tool for poverty eradication and a developmental strategy in less
developed countries. For this reason, tourism has been tagged out as a priority
sector in 90% of least developed countries (Enhanced Integrated Framework,
2012).
Different types of Tourism may be developed
depending on available environmental resources. Environmental in this context,
can be natural or cultural features. Natural features refer to destination
physical characteristics that were in existence before people ever lived there
(Ducarme and Couvet,
2020). They are not man-made but are derived from aquatic, terrestial,
climatic and biological processes. They include landscapes, waterbodies, soils, climate, vegetation and
animal life that present scenic view interest. Plants, rocks, sand, soil, sea
and streams are all natural (Pidwirny, 2006); while, cultural environmental features are set
of beliefs, practices, customs and behaviours that are found to be common to
everyone that is living within a certain population or society (Spencer-Oatey and Franklin, 2012). Natural and cultural features vary from region to region
and often influence the way of life of the inhabitants of a region. These
variations present a basis on which a tourism product may be formulated.
Culture plays an important role in the type of
food that is consumed in a society. Ethnic behaviours plus the religious
beliefs of cultural groups, determine to a large extent the choices of foods
consumed in a region (Almerico, 2014). Ethnic behaviours and religious beliefs
are the basic factors of culture, so food is an element of a region’s culture.
Food is central for survival, in fact, it is the third most important substance
for life after air and water. It is the major source of energy and
nutrition. Food is often a motivator for
a destination choice, it is believed that people travel to find food (Karim
& Chi, 2010). The quality of food that a tourist can access while on his
trip makes his trip experience more exciting. Studies have estimated that one
third of tourists’ expenditures is spent on food, making food an important
aspect of every travel (Rifai, 2012). Thus, travels/trips no matter the reason
or reasons for it, has food as one of its basic attractions. But when food is
at the center of any trip or travel, it is referred to as food tourism.
The World Tourism Organization, WTO (2013), gave
the definition of food tourism as, a trip to a gastronomic region, for
recreational or entertainment purposes, which include visits to primary and
secondary producers of food, gastronomic festivals, food fairs, events,
farmers' markets, cooking shows and demonstrations, tastings of quality food
products or any tourism activity related to food. Core Food tourism is often
interchangeable referred to as Gastronomy tourism and
includes culinary, tasting, gourmet or restaurant tourism. It is a growing
travel trend and passion (Williams et al., 2014). It entails the careful and thematic curating of
gastronomic experiences built on the local culture, local products, local
retail and packaged in such a way that it constitutes the main motivation for
tourists to travel to a particular destination (Guzel and Apaydin, 2016). Gastronomy tourism is rooted in a destinations’ culture,
it is a blend of culture and the agro-environmental features which translates
into the available food of a locality. It is the celebration of the
authenticity of a region, the celebration of its culinary heritage which has
evolved into a well packaged tourism product. It involves using the available
technology to tell a story about people and places (UNWTO, 2018). Food tourism
aims to showcase a people and the richness of a place and serves as both a
conservation tool and a revenue generator. Gastronomy tourism may also be
viewed, as a learning experience of the culture of a region through its
cuisines (Mari-Aizega, 2012). The local food becomes a tool to understanding
the culture of the people and a central part of the tourism experience.
According to Hall and Sharples (2003), food
tourists are all travellers involved in food related activities; this includes
tourists who have little or no interest in food activities, to those with
moderate interest and to those with keen interest whose only motivation for
travel is food. Generally, the motivation for food tourism varies. This
motivation may be physical, cultural, social or prestige. Physical motivation is based on the need to
eat to sustain life with little or no interest in food culture. Cultural
motivation is based on interest in local food as a means to learn the culture
of a people, this leads to visits to local restaurants and food festivals. The
socially motivated tourists have keen interest and take active part in food
related activities, while the prestige motivated tourist makes prestige for
himself out of sharing the experiences in the region or the environments he is
in (Canizares and Lopez- Guzman, 2011). According to Deveci et al.
(2013), core food tourists’ main source of motivation for tourism is to visit
local or regional areas, food producers, restaurants, food festivals and
special sites with the purpose of tasting special dishes or watching production
stages of foods. It follows that, while every tourist may be referred to as a
food tourist because every human engages in food related activity to sustain
life no matter where he finds himself, so, consciously or unconsciously every
traveler gets involved in food tourism. But the main food tourists are
travelers whose motivation for tourism is social, cultural or prestige.
Food or Gastronomy tourism is characterized by
local produce, respect for traditional knowledge, cultural identity and
heritage protection, organic farming and agritourism. These features give
definition to its benefits. The benefits of food tourism are embedded in its
touristic purpose, which includes; to sustain human life and health with best
nutrition possible, while enjoying life and eating. Gastronomy tourism benefits
the tourist health-wise as it ensures great relaxation time and appreciation of
the local cuisines, while having an enlightening conversation with others in a
serene natural and beautiful environment. This not only takes off stress
associated with the tourists’ routine life, but it also ensures that local
foods which are deemed healthy because they are organic, are eaten in a less
polluted environment (Sasatelli and Davolio, 2010).
Gastronomy tourism sees to it that food and
beverages produced in hygienic environments are prepared to be consumed in a
way that will appeal to the tourist palate and visual fantasies. This gives
pleasurable experiences to the tourists in the form of sense stimulations that
comes from smell, taste, texture and the physical appearance of food and drinks
coupled with its intake. The meeting with service staff and other guests, as
well as the décor of the restaurant, farm shop or physical set-up of the food
event also result in a great sense of pleasure (Gustafsson et al., 2014).
Gastronomy tourism facilitates deep
understanding of cross-cultural regional lifestyles and a distinctive grasp of
a community’s perception of the world. It brings about greater understanding of
the locals’ perception of life, the tourist becomes able to see the world
through the eye of the locals. This facilitates social bonding between the
tourist and the locals of the host community (Mak et al., 2012). This social bonding places the tourist in a
social stratum and massages his ego as not everyone undertakes in this form of
tourism. It also allows for peaceful co-existence which is much needed in our
today world.
Gastronomy tourism benefits are not limited only
to the tourists but also to the host communities. Gastronomy tourism may serve
as developmental tool for rural areas (Dougherty & Green, 2011). It may be
used to bring development to a rural region that would have otherwise remained
undeveloped. According to Owen (2012), development connotes the capacity of
economic, political and social systems to provide circumstances for well-being
on a sustainable, long-term basis. The terms of economic, political and social
sustainability are all contained in gastronomy tourism. Economy in the sense
that, there is sales of local artisans’ products to the tourists, which creates
employment and economic empowerment. The willful involvement of the locals,
tourism agents, the governments and all stakeholders of tourism, supplies the
social and political terms; while, sustainability is ensured because produce is
native of the locality/region. Continuous patronage of the gastronomy product
ensures that more landscapes are cultivated and preserved. This flow of sales
of local artisan productions, secures employment and keep rural communities
alive, by bringing in capital from outside into the local community. A constant
flow of income from outside into a region, is a vital requisite for the
continued existence of a rural community undergoing economic transition
(Hjalager, 2010). When such flow is sustained through more investments in
tourism and its related activities, struggling communities gradually
metamorphose into developed communities.
Local communities can also strengthen themselves and feel
proud of their culture through Gastronomy tourism. This is made possible
as gastronomic
tours are increasingly being combined with other cultural activities available
in the locality such as visiting of cultural heritage sites, hiking, dances etc
(Moira et
al., 2015).
These cultural activities, increase the attractiveness of the tourism
product to tourists and boosts a destination’s market value. The culminative
effect as the locality’s cultural heritage gains more market value, is the restoration of pride in
its cultural heritage. The locals begin to see the need to employ tourism as a mirror showcasing the
community to the world (Onyeabor and Balogun, 2012). This will in turn, help to
preserve and promote authenticity in local communities.
The awareness of the benefits derivable from gastronomy
tourism has been on the increase. This growing awareness has imparted this
segment of tourism considerably such that “it has become one of the most dynamic and
creative segments of tourism” (UNWTO Affiliate Members Programme, 2012). A survey by World Tourism Organization (2012), gave
patronage of gastronomic tourism products as: gastronomic events (79%),
gastronomic routes (62%), cooking courses and workshops (62%), visits to local
markets and producers (53%), affirmation of gastronomy as strategic element in
destination brand and image (88%); the statistics clearly showed high patronage
of this segment of tourism. This increase in patronage is also evidenced in the
2013 “American Culinary Traveler Report,” published by Mandala Research,
showing that the percentage of U.S. leisure travelers who travel to learn about
and enjoy unique dining experiences grew from 40% to 51% between 2006 and 2013. This increase in
interest in the gastronomy and local cuisines has not only impacted the tourism
income, it has also provided social and developmental contributions to the
local community (Sahin, 2015).
People’s interests in the quality of food,
health and nutrition concerns, access to extensive information on foods and
beverages as regarding different cuisines have impacted on the expectations and
the buying behaviour of tourists (Björk and Kauppinen‐Räisänen, 2016). Tourists seem to associate quality with
authenticity which also correlates with healthy standards, as more organic is
deemed healthier. And the advent of information system via the internet has
placed such information especially of regions, right in the palm of tourists.
Gnanapala (2015), noted that the perceptions, expectations and experiences of
visitors are functions of the management and marketing of inherent potentials
of tourism destinations. The viability of gastronomy tourism business among
other factors is seriously affected by the availability of the tourism
potentials and level of development of tourism facilities and sites (Onyeabor
and Balogun, 2012). The inherent
potentials are harnessed, packaged and presented to the tourists in an
appealing manner to stimulate interest. Studies in the development of tourism
have shown that “gastronomy” has an important role in the marketing of
touristic destinations (Gonca, 2015). Therefore, assessing the gastronomic
tourism potential of a locality as its marketing tool may be one of the most
powerful support tools that may facilitate the development of a new alternative
tourism which ultimately may give rise to rural areas development.
It is noted that, a well patronized gastronomic
locality is often one with a thriving food community having not only a variety
of restaurants and an inviting atmosphere, but also good investment and support
in city planning, community development, tourism and marketing (Doohyun et
al., 2014). The cruse of the matter is the unique cuisine. It is on this
that the success of the development of gastronomy tourism is hinged especially
if the region already has a form of tourism running. Cuisine uniqueness is as a
result of variations in different societies, of cuisine structure, preparation
and cooking of food, equipment and kitchenware. These factors impact the
cuisine’s culture of a locality, and it is responsible for great diversity in
gastronomy even within similar societies. A locality’s cuisine/food culture is
closely tied to the lifestyles of the locals and accounts for their uniqueness.
Such uniqueness can be harnessed as a marketing tool for a locality and many
regions of the countries of the world have begun employing this as a marketing
tool for their region. Many other regions are engaging in series of studies to
discover where such potentials exist and how to maximize their benefits. Our
country, Nigeria, has not been left out in this quest.
The Nigeria Tourism Master Plan set up in 1992,
elaborated and proposed enhancements that must be carried out to transform the
tourist sites/attractions to visitor-ready status, create value in the market,
become an alternative income generator and a major employer of labour (Ajao,
2012; Uduma-Olugu and Onukwube, 2012; Esu, 2013). A direct implementation of
this, is the introduction of Gastronomic tours. An example is the 2018 Guaranty
Trust Bank (GTBank) Food and Drink Fair which held for three days in Lagos.
Another example is the maiden edition of “Nigerian Flavours”, Nigeria’s premier
gastronomy and music festival organized by Ministry of Information and Culture,
in collaboration with the Nigerian Tourism Development Corporation (NTDC),
National Institute of Hospitality and Tourism (NIHOTOUR) and the Nigerian
Television Authority (NTA) in line with the objectives of the “Tour Nigeria”,
held in Abuja in the month of march 2018. These events exemplify Gastronomic
tourism at international levels contrary to prior times that we had food
festivals like new yam eating festivals of the igbos which often only attracted
indigenous men and women and few friends of the indigenes as invites. Of this venture, states in Nigeria are expected
and encouraged to emulate, as an opportunity to promote indigenous food for
rural tourism or search out for inherent tourism potential which can be
harnessed as an alternative income generator.
1.2 STATEMENT OF PROBLEM
Imo State is amongst Nigerian states with igbo
ethnicity. It has its capital in Owerri. Owerri is noted for its highlife
activities hence it is often referred to as the entertainment capital of
Nigeria (Oloowokere, 2017). These activities are as a result of very numerous
higher institutions, hotels, Centres for relaxation, Casinos and Production
Studios. And these have in the past ensured a steady inflow of income to Imo
state economy. But the present economic meltdown has so impacted the
destination such that there is low inflow of income from its main tourism
market; which is based on physical attractions other than food. Owerri tourism
product seems more vulnerable to other competing states with similar tourism
products. Rural development, competitiveness, differentiation as well as
preservation of local identity and culture have become pertinent issues which
this destination must contend with in order to favourably compete against its
tourism competitors. This has necessitated the need to look out for tourism
potentials which can be harnessed for Owerri to compete favourably with regional
tourism and for economic diversification. While, a variety of tourist
attraction may be explored in tourism promotion and development of a
destination, the use of local cuisines appears more promising. This is because researches in
recent years have reported increasing number of tourists stating that “tasting
local food of a destination consists a much part of their experiences, that it is
impossible to know the destination culture without tasting the local food” (Yun
et al., 2011). This reiterates the possibility of the use of local
cuisines as a tourist attraction tool.
Owerri metropolis, of which the capital is a
part of, is amongst the prominent regions of Imo state distinguished by a
distinct variant of the Igbo language and cultural heritage (the local cuisine
is one of these cultural heritages). It cuts across three major local
government areas (Owerri North, Owerri West and Owerri Municipal) and consists of
numerous communities with common ancestral heritage (Amadi and Agena, 2015).
The communities boast of unique cultural heritages with little variations. Each
of the communities has its own unique traditional food system which is sourced
locally and form part of the food culture obtainable in the locality. The foods
are desired and accepted by tradition, custom and habit as appropriate by the
Rural (Onimawo, 2010). The indigenous people are used to these foods and they
know how to cultivate, prepare and enjoy them. Owerri is known for its unique
soup “Ofe Owerri”. Despite these unique cuisines, Owerri is yet to discover,
harness and develop a tourism product based on this heritage, which might give
him vantage position over its tourism competitors. There is scarcity of
research studies in the assessment of Owerri’s cuisines as a possible
gastronomic potential which could be its marketing tool. Therefore, this study
seeks to identify the cultural food heritage and rich local cuisines available
in Owerri which could be used as tool in tourism promotion, a means to increase
destination competitiveness, boost tourism yield and contribute to more
sustainable forms of economic development. It seeks to determine the possible
use of local food as a tool or strategy to attract and retain tourists in
Owerri or promotion of culture through local food consumption. Neglect of such
study may see Owerri, Imo State lagging behind its tourism competitors,
reduction in the highlife status of Owerri, the economic situation may remain
in comatose and the inflow of tourists may be reduced to zero level.
1.3 RESEARCH OBJECTIVE/ PURPOSE OF THE STUDY
The main objective of this study is to assess
the gastronomic tourism potential in Owerri, Imo State as a marketable tool.
Specifically, the work
seeks to:
i.
To determine if numerous unique indigenous
cuisines are available in Owerri.
ii. To determine if there
are numerous local restaurants in Owerri.
iii. To ascertain the availability
of food festivals in Owerri.
iv. To determine the level
of patronage of local cuisines by tourists.
v. To examine the influence
of the patronage on the host communities.
vi. To determine if
Government policies are favourable to gastronomic activities
1.4 RESEARCH QUESTIONS
The following research
questions will guide the study.
i.
How many are the various unique indigenous
cuisines available in Owerri?
ii. How many local
restaurants does Owerri have?
iii. How many unique food
festivals does Owerri have?
iv. What is the level of
patronage of indigenous local cuisines by tourists?
v. How does the patronage
of local cuisines by tourists influence the host community?
vi. How do Government
policies influence local restaurants and pubs?
1.5 HYPOTHESES
Ho: There is no
relationship between the gastronomy potentials and tourism marketing of the
host communities.
H1: There is a relationship
between the gastronomic potentials and tourism marketing of the host
communities.
1.6 SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY
Society:
The importance of every
study is a measure of its societal relevance. The relevance of this study is
based on the ability of a society to retain its cultural identity and
authenticity while seeking self-sufficiency. If a society loses its identity in
the search for economic emancipation, it becomes a disaster because it will not
only endanger itself but the world as a whole, as, this will lead to identity
crisis. It becomes important for a society to possess the capacity to use what
is within its confine, as a means to obtain what is needed from the outside
without losing respect or dignity. This implies an ability to declare with
pride “this is who we are, and this is our story”. The discovery of
availability of gastronomic potential will create awareness of gastronomic
tourism to the host communities. The awareness of their unique cuisines will
restore pride of the host communities to its rich cultural heritage.
Host
communities:
The findings and recommendations of this study
if applied, will help host communities interact better with the outside world
using their homemade produce which will showcase the cooking methods, taste and
flavor of the local dishes. It will bring about economic prosperity to the host
communities as the local dishes become a tool in attracting the outside world.
The identification of gastronomy tourism potential will help in the development
of rural tourism in Owerri, Imo State, thereby, making Imo State tourism more
attractive and endearing, which will ultimately stimulate local and national
economic development.
Restaurant
operators:
The awareness of Owerri unique cuisines will
boast the public image of local restaurants where these unique cuisines are
served. It will place such restaurants on a "special level". This
will bring about increased patronage by tourists resulting in more profits for
the restaurant operators.
Tourists:
For the tourists,
especially the "foodies", the awareness of such potential will create
an avenue for a better and additional option for a more fulfilling tour, it
will increase the intensity of the memories built in the travel. It will create
an opportunity to learn new cultures through sampling of unique cuisines.
Generally, it will create an avenue for tourists to eat authentic foods of
Owerri.
Researchers:
This study will also expose and bring to limelight
this untapped area of tourism and will provide a framework on which subsequent
studies would be made in this field, moreso, as studies are scarce or
non-existent in this area.
1.7 SCOPE OF THE STUDY
This study will cover the three Local Government
Areas of Owerri, Imo State (Owerri North, Owerri West and Owerri Municipal),
focusing on the Cuisines in a wide range of restaurants within major
communities in each LGA.
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