ABSTRACT
The study evaluate the role of entertainment on the performance of tourism centres in Port Harcourt. The specific objectives of the study include to; find out the extent tourism entertainment has influenced tourism centres, identify the contribution of entertainment on performance of tourism centres, ascertain the forms of entertainment that facilitate performance, identify the major challenges of entertainment as a facilitator to performance in tourism centres in the study area. The researcher adopted primary data in getting the required information through the use of close ended questionnaire. The population of the study comprises 482 management, staff and tourists of selected tourism centres in Port Harcourt, Rivers State. The sample size of the study has 196 of management and staff, and infinite population of tourists, after adopting Taro Yamane’s formula for management and staff and proportion method for tourists. In analysis the data, simple descriptive statistics such as frequencies, percentage and mean were used. The findings revealed that (i)boost in sales, increase customers or tourists experience, increase customers or tourists visit, improve tourism centres profile, development of event/administrative skill are the extent tourism entertainment has influence tourism centres in Port Harcourt, Rivers State. (ii) promote growth of tourism centres, extends tourists length of stay, generate more income to tourism centres, increase the influx of tourists to tourism centres, job creation are the contributions of entertainment on the performance of tourism centres in Port Harcourt, Rivers State. (iii) Movies/TV Shows, video games, sporting and recreational activities, comedy clubs, concerts/magic shows are forms of entertainment that facilitate performance in Port Harcourt, Rivers State. (iv) Infrastructure issues, taxation, unavailability of facilities required for entertainment, poor management of entertaining facilities, lack of government commitment are the major challenges of entertainment as a facilitator to performance in tourism centres in Port Harcourt, Rivers State. The study concluded that entertainment is regarded as an important motivator while making holiday decision, organizations not only offer entertainment opportunities to tourists but also constitute business platforms for many related industries as well as local communities. Thus entertainment has a major role to play in the performance of tourism centres in Port Harcourt, Rivers State. The study recommends that tourism centres should diffuse into different entertainment programs in other to include shows which are synonymous to the taste of tourists from other regions, Government should encourage entertainment in tourism centres through empowerment programs, the right facilities necessary for entertainment should be provided in tourism centres, reduction of taxes by the government to enable tourism centres provide the right forms of entertainment as to facilitate performance. The study also recommends that future research carried out in this field should not be limited to Port Harcourt, Rivers State alone but should include other areas of study. Financial constraint, inadequate timing and attitude of respondents were listed as limitations of this study.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Title page
i
Approval
ii
Certification iii
Dedication
iv
Acknowledgement v
Table of contents
vi
List of table xi
Abstract
xii
CHAPTER 1
INTRODUCTION
1.1 Background of the
Study 1
1.2 Statement
of Problem 4
1.3 Objective
of the Study 5
1.4 Research Questions 5
1.5 Significance of the
Study 6
1.6 Scope of the Study 7
CHAPTER 2
REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE
2.1 Conceptual
Framework 11
2.1.1 Entertainment in the tourism context 11
2.1.2 Concept of tourism 13
2.1.3 The linkage between entertainment and tourism 15
2.1.4 The relevance of entertainment in tourism 16
2.1.5 Entertainment in the push-pull factor 18
Framework of Tourism 18
2.1.6 Entertainment as a motivator for repeat
visitation/loyalty 19
2.1.7 Typology of tourism entertainment 23
2.1.8 Problem and prospects of tourism in Nigeria 23
2.2
Theoretical Literature 25
2.2.1 Goeldner et al, visitor attractions theory 25
2.2.2 Modernization Theory 26
2.3 Review of Related Empirical Studies 27
CHAPTER 3
RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
3.1 Research
Design 36
3.2 Area of
the Study 36
3.3 Population
for the Study 36
3.4 Sampling
and Sample Technique 36
3.4.1 Sampling
technique 36
3.4.2 Determination
of sample size 37
3.5
Instruments for Data Collection 37
3.6 Validation
of the Instrument 38
3.7
Reliability of the Instrument 38
3.8 Method of
Data Collection 38
3.9 Data Analysis Technique 39
CHAPTER FOUR
RESULT AND DISCUSSION
4.1 Presentation of Analysis 40
4.2 Major Findings 50
4.3 Discussion of
Findings
51
CHAPTER FIVE
SUMMARY, CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATION
5.1 Summary 53
5.2 Limitation
of the study 54
5.3 Conclusion 56
5.4 Recommendations 56
5.5
Contribution to knowledge 56
5.5 Suggestion
for Further Studies 58
References 59
LIST OF
TABLES
4.1: Distribution of respondents
according to Sex, and qualification 39
Table 4.2: Extent
tourism entertainment has influenced tourism centres 39
Table 4.3:
Contribution of entertainment on performance of tourism centres 44
Table 4.4: Forms
of entertainment that facilitate tourism 46
Table 4.5: Major
Challenges of entertainment as a facilitator to performance in tourism centres. 48
CHAPTER 1
INTRODUCTION
1.1 Background of the study
The dynamic nature of the
world today has made many business environment to become sophisticated day by
day and as such gives both employers and employees no room of relaxation. The
quest to become successful in everyone’s ventures has been short changed to
working like a dog which in return has been attributed as one of the co-factors
that causes hypertension, early death, mental instability, broken homes, low
productivity among others (Okafor, 2018). The need to balance off the
sophisticated day by day engagements of individuals brought into existence the
importance of tourism and site seeing.
Onyekwere (2016) opined
that tourism is defined in terms of particular activities, selected by choice,
and undertaken outside the home environment. Tourism involves overnight stay
away from home”. In 1991, the United
Nations World Tourism Organisation declared that “Tourism comprises the
activities of persons travelling to and staying in places outside of their
usual environment for not less than 24 hours and not more than one consecutive
year for leisure, business or other purposes”. At this stage, one could
differentiate between domestic and international tourism (Yuksel, 2004). Individuals has now become tourists and thus
voluntarily leave their normal surroundings, where they reside, to visit
another environment. These individuals will usually engage in different
activities, regardless of how close or how far this environment (destination)
is (Hall, 2008).
However, today’s, tourism
has become a multinational business of global importance. This of course is due
to today’s Worldwide Web, a new era in social interaction and culture solely
built around organizational performance, triggered the high rate of patronage
recorded in recent time (Moradkhani, 2014). Tourism is one of the most
profitable and lucrative industries, which contributes to the economic growth
of Nigeria. Thus in 2020, the contribution of travel and tourism to GDP (% of
GDP) for Nigeria was 5.2% (Okafor, 2016). It is generally acknowledged, that
Nigerian economic growth and industrial performance occurred after
establishment of the petroleum and automobile industries followed by a
comprehensive program for tourism centers. Nigeria as a blessed nation has a
lot of tourism centers too numerous to mention of which the focus point of this
research include some selected tourism centers in Rivers State.
Continuous performance is the
objective of any organization because only through performance, organizations
are able to grow and progress. Knowing the determinants of organizational
performance is important especially in the context of the current economic
crises because it enable the identification of those factors that should be
treated with an increased interest in other to improve the organizational
performance of tourism centers (Lebas 2012). This research offers the base to
identify measures that can lead to an improvement in organizational performance
of tourism centers through entertainment.
According to Swanson (2011)
organizational performance is the valued productive output of system in the
form of goods and services. Performance is the way employee perform their work
(Rowold 2013).
Organizational performance basically
can be defined as the outcome that indicate or reflect the organization
efficiencies or inefficiencies in term of corporate image, competencies and
financial performance (Khandekar and Sharma, 2016).
Organizational performance is the
outcome and combination of strategies, ongoing activities and processes applied
in organization which is reflected through employee's motivation, social
responsibilities, customer satisfaction, financial returns, leadership and
uniqueness in the market (Al Rubaiee, Alzubi Hanandeh, and Al Ali, 2015).
Hence, Organizational performance is
a vital element of a tourism destination and is also one of the main factors
determining the valued productive output of tourism centers in the form of
goods and services to tourist or visitors. Literature suggests that
organizations are more willing to improve performance on tourism centers this
days ( Bosshart & Macconi, 1998). Loi (2016) indicates that organizations
not only offer entertainment opportunities to tourists but also constitute
business platforms for many related industries as well as local communities;
for instance, the Bollywood Film Fair Award 2010 held in Mauritius. In the
tourism field, from the consumer’s perspective, it is estimated that
organizational performance in tourism centers constitute a significant element
of the tourism experience providing a series of potential benefits, i.e.
improvement of destination attractiveness, business opportunities for local
business, enhancing destination competitiveness, and tourists’ loyalty. At this
regard, a study conducted by Nallathiga (2006) highlights the importance of
improved organizational performance for tourists visiting Mumbai, India. Hence,
entertainment is regarded as an important motivator while making holiday
decision Yuksel & Yuksel (2001). The importance of entertainment in tourism
has also been highlighted by the destination competitiveness model suggested by
Dwyer (2004). Along the same line, Ritchie and Crouch (2000) propose
entertainment as one of the destination’s core resources and attractions.
Despite the growing importance of entertainment and organizational performance
in tourism centers, very few studies have explored this topic such as Luo and
Lam (2017) who researched on entertainment tourism, Adeboye (2012) who also
researched on the impact of entertainment on tourism, Gowreesunkar and
sotiriadis (2015) researched on entertainment of leisure tourists in island
destinations: evidence from the island of Mauritus, Lebas M.J. (2015)
researched on organizational performance management, Cameron K. (2011)
researched on measuring organizational performance, Andriotis (2015) researched
on nature of organizational performance. None has so far studied the role of
entertainment on the performance of tourism centers in rivers state. It is
against this backdrop that this research intends to examine the role of
entertainment on the performance of tourism centers in Port Harcourt, rivers
state.
1.2 Statement of problem
Nowadays one of the biggest challenges for managers in the
tourism centers is to provide and sustain performance in tourism centers.
Customer requirements for quality products and service in the tourism industry
has become increasingly evident to professionals (Lam and Zhang, 1999; Yen and
Su, 2004).
Most tourism centers do not provide entertainment due to lack
of entertainment facilities, low knowledge of customers preference, lack of
amenities and infracstructures, little or no encouragement from the government
interms of government empowerment on productivity of infracstructures that will
affect tourism centers, such as production of good roads to make transportation
and accessibility of tourism centers easy to the tourist and staff of the
tourism centers.
Most tourism centers do not have the type of entertainment
that might be required by most tourist, this thereby will reduce the patronage
of tourist to such tourism centers.
Collection of increamental taxes from tourism centers by the
government have greatly affected organisational performance in most tourism
centers, yet government have perennially turned a blind eye to their
responsibility of investing such tax collectibles on requisite socio-economic
infrastructure.
Corona virus was of serious effect to organisational
performance through entertainment in tourism centers as this restricted people
travel, gathering, communication and even surface tourism in the destination.
It is perceived that if the identified problems challenging
entertainment and organisational performance in tourism centers are not taking
care of, the tourism centers in the state will experience less economic and
tourism development and will not experience enough tourist visits as it will if
organisational performance through entertainment in tourism centers is
effective.
Despite the identified problems
challenging entertainment and organizational performance in tourism centers, it
is deduced that there are very few studies which have explored this topic. It
is against this premises that this research aimed at ascertaining the role of
entertainment on the performance of tourism centers in Port Harcourt, rivers
state.
1.3 Objective of the study
The
main objective of the study is to evaluate the role of entertainment on the performance of
tourism centers
in Port Harcourt. Specifically, the study intends to:
1. Find out the extent
tourism entertainment has influence tourism centers in port harcourt, rivers
state.
2. Identify the contribution
of entertainment on performance of tourism centers in Port Harcourt, Rivers
State.
3. Ascertain the forms of
entertainment that facilitate performance in Port Harcourt, Rivers state.
4. Identify the major
challenges of entertainment as a facilitator to performance in tourism centers
in Port Harcourt, Rivers State.
1.4 Research questions
1. what extent has tourism
entertainment influence tourism centers in port harcourt, rivers state?
2. What is the contribution
of entertainment on performance of tourism centers in Port Harcourt, Rivers
State?
3. What are the forms of entertainment
that facilitate performance in Port Harcourt, Rivers State?
4. What are the major
challenges of entertainment as a facilitator to
performance in tourism centers in Port Harcourt, Rivers State?
1.5 Significance of the study
The study will contribute
immensely in aiding the government, tourist, Management of tourism centers,
students, researchers and the academia generally to acertain the role of
entertainment on the performance of tourism centers in Port Harcourt, Rivers
State, to enhance productivity and promote tourism development.
To the government the
study will bring more revenue through entertainment, it will equally help the
government to develop ways to enhance performance of tourism in the state
through entertainment. The researcher intends to send this work to Rivers State
ministry of culture and tourism, and Rivers State tourism board, so as to make
this research work assessible to the government of Rivers State.
To the tourist this will
provide an insight and understanding on the importance of visiting tourism
centers specially during off work hours, holidays or vacations. Through this
study tourist will be enlightened on the types of entertainment that can be
seen in tourism centers in Port Harcourt. The study will be made available to
tourists through the internet.
To the management of
tourism centers this study will provide an insight and knowledge on the need to
adopt the use of entertainment technique on promoting the performance of
tourism centers, and the forms of entertainment that can be adopted in other to
develop tourism centers and satisfy customers or tourists. The study will be
made available to the management of tourism centers through the internet and
through conducting seminars and workshops.
To the students this study
will serve as consulting materials for further researches on this topic and
this can be achieved through online publication of this study and by shelving
it at MOUAU main library and CAFST library.
To the researchers and the
academia generally, this study will add to already existing literatures on
entertainment with respect to performance of tourism centers, the study will
provide more information on how entertainment influences performance of tourism
centers to researchers who will want to delve into such a study or similar
studies. Researchers can have access to this study through the internet, as it
will be uploaded to research sites such as Google scholars.
1.6 Scope of the study
The scope of this research
work is to determine the role of entertainment on the performance of tourism
centres in port harcourt. Literature will be based on the objective of the
study, theories related to the study as well as review of related literatures.
This work will be carried out in Rivers State, Nigeria, Port Harcourt to be
precise. Selected tourism centres in Port Harcourt will be used for the study,
the management and employees of tourism centers and tourists view will be
sought on how entertainment will increase the performance of tourism centres in
Port Harcourt.
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