ABSTRACT
This work was carried out to ascertain the Challenges and Prospects of Developing Abadaba Lake into a tourism Site. A Lake located between the serene villages of Okwuohia, Odenkume and Umuezegwu in Obowo Local Government Area of Imo sate, Nigeria. The study Objectives were to identify the tourism potentials of Abadaba Lake, to determine efforts made in the past to develop Abadaba Lake for tourism, to ascertain the challenges and prospects of developing the Lake, to find out how the Lake can be developed, determine the perception of the Local Communities and their attitudes towards the Lake and its development. The methodology was survey design, the population for the study consist of 380, sample for the study consist of 280 respondents made up of tourism officials of Imo State Tourism Board, selected members of the traditional council and some other indigenes’ of the Local Communities and staff of the Imo State ministry of culture and Tourism. Data for this research was generated using quantitative techniques, simple frequency, percentage were used to analyze the data generated for the research. The findings of this research revealed that change of government executives, safety/security challenge, lack of fund, lack of government interest etc as the challenges of developing Abadaba Lake, The study revealed also that, tourism development of Abadaba Lake will bring about, Infrastructural development, Revenue Generation, Generation of employment, Protection and improvement of the environmental qualities and Promotion of local businesses around the destination, Improvement of the standard of living (that is the prospects). The study revealed also that the Local Communities likes and welcomes the Tourism Development of Abadaba Lake and others. It was recommended that for Abadaba Lake to be developed there should be adequate tourist facilities such as good road network, creating of awareness, embracing of information technology etc. The government, private sectors and other stakeholders should collaborate with each other by providing all the raw materials needed for the development of this potential tourist site to meet the current tourism demand.
TABLE
OF CONTENT
Title page i
Declaration ii
Certification iii
Dedication iv
Acknowledgement v
Table of content vi-
vii
List of tables and Plates
viii
Abstract ix
CHAPTER
ONE
INTRODUCTION
1.1 Background of the Study 1
1.2 Statement
of the Problem 2
1.3 Objectives of the Study 3
1.4 Research Question 3
1.5 Significance of the Study 4
1.6 Scope of the Study 4
1.7
Limitation of The Study 4
1.8
Definition of Terms 5
CHAPTER TWO
Literature Review
2 .1
Conceptual Framework 7
2.1.1
Tourism 7
2.1.2
Development 8
2.1.3
Tourism Development 8
2.1.4
Development, Procedures, and Control 9
2.1.5
Challenges of Tourism 13
2.1.6
Prospects of Tourism Development 15
2.1.7
Historical Perspective 18
2.1.8
Wetland Ecosystem 21
2.1.9 Tourism Potential 23
2.1.10
Tourism Development and Fresh Water Ecosystem 25
2.2. Theoretical Framework 26
2.2.1. Modernization Theory 26
2.2.2.
Dependency Theory 31
2.2.3.
Environmental Theories 31
2.2.4.
Sustainability Theories 34
2.3.
Empirical Review 34
2.3.1.
Tourism Development 35
2.3.2. Problems and Prospects of Tourism
Development 35
2.4.
Theoretical Orientation 36
CHAPTER THREE
3.0. Materials and Methods 38
3.1. Research
Design 38
3.2. Study
Area 38
3.3. Population for the Study 39
3.4. Sample and Sampling Technique 39
3.5. Instrument Used For Data Collection 39
3.6. Techniques for Data Collection 40
3.7. Validation
of Instrument 40
3.8 Data Analysis Technique 40
CHAPTER FOUR
RESULT AND
DISCUSSION
4.1 Data Presentation and Analysis 41
4.2 Presentation of photographs and Analysis
of tourism potentials
Identified at the lake 42
4.3
Discussion of Findings 48
CHAPTER FIVE
SUMMARY,
CONCLUSION, AND RECOMMENDATION
5.1. Summary 52
5.1.1 Restatement
of the Problem 52
5.1.2 Description of Procedures Used 53
5.1.3 Summary
of Findings 53
5.2 Conclusion 54
5.3 Recommendations 54
5.4 Contribution
to Knowledge 54
LISTS OF TABLES
AND PLATES
Table.4.1 Demographic Characteristic of
Respondent 41
Plate 1
Pictorial view of Abadaba
Lake 41
Plate 2 Hotel and Bar 43
Plate 3 Access leading to
Abadaba Lake 43
Table 4.2 Identified Tourism Potentials and Readiness Status 44
Table 4.3 Stakeholder that made
the effort 45
Table 4.4 Challenges of developing Abadaba Lake 46
Table 4.5 Prospect of developing Abadaba Lake for
Tourism 47
Table 4.6 Actions needed to develop Abadaba Lake 48
Chapter one
INTRODUCTION
1.1.
Background
of the Study
Tourism
is one of the worlds’ fastest growing industries, as well as the major source
of foreign exchange earnings and employment generation for many developed and
developing countries. The demand for tourism worldwide continues to exceed
expectations, showing resilience against extraneous factors
(www.Wikiversity.Org/Tourism/Introduction. Accessed on, 4th April, 2015).
Tourism is an economic development and any economic development requires
careful planning if it is to be successful. This means that planning is a
pre-requisite for development.
According
to WTTC reports (2003), tourism sector has been the world fastest growing
economic sector since the past 30 years. South Africa, Kenya, Tanzania and some
European countries are already reaping the benefits accruing from tourism. This
high-labor intensive industry has the capacity to facilitate sustainable
national development. This development enhances foreign exchange earnings,
creates sustainable job, encourages the growth of tourism-based enterprises,
promotes peace among countries, promotes infrastructural development,
accelerates rural-urban integration, promotes even the development of other
sectors and fosters socio-cultural transformation (Johan, 2003). Tourism has
proved its capacity to animate and help develop places, which may seem unlikely
attractive like rural areas. Indeed, it
is believed that tourism can change polarities, distance, and rural areas
becoming thus appealing and highly frequented central places within the tourism
system. The natural environment of a given destination is the major pull
(leading motivating) factor for tourists visit and the major concentration
during planning and, development of a destination site.
Abadaba
Lake in Obowo local government area of Imo state is one of the nature’s gifts
to Imo state, which has remained undeveloped and underutilized because of
neglect by the state government. This magnificent lake is capable of
contributing to the country, state and local communities economically and
otherwise if sustainably developed. The beauty of the lake can hold any tourist
back on his first visit, but there is no facilities there to keep any visitor
back, as the magnificent lake has remained a project on paper.
(www.nigeria.gounna.com accessed on, 4 April 2015). However, in spite of the
enormous tourism potentials in Nigeria, tourism contributions to economic
development in the country, leaves much to be desired (Anon Global journal of
social sciences; Tourism and Economic development in Nigeria 2003 2(1)).This is
as a result of poor planning and development and lack of government interest in
tourism development or neglect.
Tourism
development in this work centers on the positive transformation of tourism
potentials of Abadaba Lake into a tourism product. Hence, tourism development
is defined as, the provision of infrastructure and superstructure. These
infrastructures (roads, communication system, water supply etc) and
superstructures (hotels, motels, guesthouses etc) must be adequate and
maintained for tourism to develop (Okoli, 2001). Since tourism has the capacity
to generate development in rural areas. This research work explores the
“prospects and challenges of developing Abadaba Lake into a tourism
destination”, considering its location in Obowo local government area of Imo
state. In addition, the nature of government in Nigeria, which do not consider
tourism as its major or preferred source of revenue generation.
1.2.
Statement
of The Problem
There
are places of interest in Imo state, which has the capacity of boosting tourism
activities in the state, but have not been properly harnessed. This neglect has
resulted in poor economic sensation for the communities and government at
large. The communities where these tourist attractions are located feel
isolated and neglected in the society. The question of what should be done to
harness these potentials to enable the state and country at large make fortune
from tourism. There is also a serious advocate for diversification of our
economy through tourism, due to the latest reports on oil prices in the
international market and the global recession crisis (Soludo, 2009).
More
so, the effect of Obama’s plan for alternative energy sources to oil which may
likely affect Nigeria’s vision 2020, Nigeria’s attitude towards tourism
development does not appear to have evidently changed. Instead, the country’s
tourism remains a “dark” industry to the western world and the nation (Ohakim,
2009).
1.3
Objectives of the Study
The
major objective of this study is to identify the challenges and prospects of
developing Abadaba Lake for tourism.
The
study addresses some specific objectives, which are as follows:
1.
To identify the tourism
potentials of Abadaba Lake ecosystem.
2.
To determine efforts made
(actions taken) previously to develop Abadaba Lake into tourism destination.
3.
To ascertain the
militating factors (challenges) in developing Abadaba lake for tourism.
4.
To identify the prospects
of developing Abadaba Lake into a tourism destination.
5.
To find out how the Lake
can be developed into tourism destination.
1.4 Research Question
This
study attempted to answer the following questions:
1. What
are the tourism potentials of Abadaba Lake?
2. What
are the efforts made (actions take) in the past to develop Abadaba Lake for
tourism?
3. What
are the militating factors or challenges of developing Abadaba Lake for
tourism?
4. What
are the prospects of developing Abadaba Lake into a tourism destination?
5.
How can the Lake be
developed into tourism destination?
1.5
Significance Of The Study
The
findings of this study will provide a data base line, which can serve as
reference point for future activities at the project site. It can provide
stakeholders in the tourism industry with information on which to base their
operations. Developers will have data upon which to base their decision
regarding investment in the tourism sector.
In
addition, this study may attract the interest of the state government to
develop Abadaba Lake. In the process of developing this Lake, it will bring
about infrastructural development of the place where it is located. When the
lake is developed, it will enhance tourists’ flow, which will lead to
generation of income to both the host community and the government, generation
employment to the local people etc. This means that the Host communities, local
government, state and federal government will all benefit from this study.
1.6
Scope of the Study
This
study will review some relevant literature, which will center on conceptual
framework, theoretical framework, empirical literature and theoretical
orientation. The study tends to identify the tourism potentials of Abadaba
Lake, challenges and prospects for its development, the past efforts made
towards its development, and suggestion of action to be taken in order to
actualize this goal.
1.7
Limitation
of the Study
1.
Scarcity of textbooks and
journals; this research was narrowed to few textbooks because there were not
many books in the library.
2.
Unwillingness of
respondents to complete the questionnaire used for the study.
1.8
Definition of Terms
Tourism:
the movement of people from their place of residence to a place outside their
home for leisure, business and other purposes that are not associated with
salary earnings, for not less than 24
hours and not more than 12 months.
Leisure: leisure
could be defined as one’s free time. That is, when one is not occupied with
work, which can be used to embark on tourism and other activities. People visit
tourism destinations when they are on leisure.
Destination:
destination in this work refers to a given area or site that is endowed with
tourism potentials which attracts people to visit the place.
Potentials:
potentials in this work refer to those characteristics or features of a
destination, which has the capability of attracting visitors to visit the place
as tourists.
Tourists:
those people who travel out from their usual place of residence to other places
to undertake tourism activities at the place visited.
Tourism Activities:
those things the destination offers to tourists to entertain them during their
stay at the site. In addition, those things tourist themselves do at the site.
Prospects of Tourism:
in this work, prospects refer to the likely effects, impacts or benefit of
tourism development and or activities the area of interest (Abadaba Lake).
Also, those natural and man-made features that will enhance or permit tourism
development of the Lake.
Tourism Development:
to modernize or get ready the tourism characteristics or features of a
destination in order to enhance tourism activities at the site.
Tourist Flow:
the way or rate at which tourists visits or frequents a destination due to its
attractions.
Challenges of Tourism
Development: refers to those things or factors
that militates tourism development or makes it difficult
Login To Comment