ABSTRACT
This work presents the strategies for mitigating tourism marketing challenges in Ebonyi State. Tourism marketing has been found to be at the very heart of tourism growth and development. On the strength of this finding, many economics have continued to strategize and re-strategize in this direction. This research work adopted both qualitative and quantitative research method to carry out the findings because of the theme of the research work. Six (6) villages which include Ndibe, Unwana, Nkpoghoro, Amangbala, Amachi, and Mbgom in which 12 key informants (opinion leaders/custodians of culture) and 60 ordinary residents were selected through a multi-stage stratified random sampling technique. The instrument for data was questionnaire through personal interview and observation. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics using frequencies and percentage and the results presented in a tabular form. It is found that high cost of transportation, obscurity of location, and government policy are the major challenges for marketing tourism in the study area. The study therefore recommends that management of the tourism destinations in Ebonyi state could use any form of marketing strategy regardless of the destinations in Ebonyi state could use any form of marketing strategy regardless of the demographic profile of the tourists. As more youth are motivated more by factors such as excitement, fun, sightseeing, the management of tourism destinations must improve on tourist infrastructures and recreational facilities that enhance fun and excitement in youths.
TABLE
OF CONTENTS
Title page i
Declaration ii
Certification iii
Dedication iv
Acknowledgement v
Table of content vi
List of tables ix
Abstract x
CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
1.1 Background
of the Study 1
1.2 Statement of Problem 5
1.3 Objective
of the Study 6
1.4 Research Questions 6
1.5 Significance of the Study 7
1.6 Scope
of the Study 7
1.7
Limitation of the Study 8
CHAPTER
TWO
LITERATURE
REVIEW
2.1
Conceptual Framework 9
2.1.1
The Concept of Tourism 9
2.1.2
Tourism Industry 10
2.1.3
Tourism Development 11
2.1.4
Background of Tourism Development in Nigeria 12
2.1.5 Tourism Marketing 14
2.1.5.1
Marketing for Tourism 15
2.1.5.2
Features of Tourism Marketing 16
2.1.5.3
Market Segmentation in Tourism 18
2.1.6 Challenges of Tourism Marketing
in Nigeria 21
2.1.7
Tourist Attractions in Ebonyi State 25
2.1.8
Strategies for Development and Sustenance of Tourism Marketing in
Nigeria 27
2.2
Theoretical Framework 29
2.3
Empirical Review 31
2.4
Summary of Literature Review 35
CHAPTER
THREE
RESEARCH
METHODOLOGY
3.1 Research
Design 37
3.2 Area of the
Study 37
3.3 Population of
the Study 39
3.4 Sample size
and Sampling Techniques 39
3.5 Instrument for
Data Collection 40
3.5.1
Data Sources 40
3.6 Validation of
the Instrument 40
3.7 Data Analysis
Techniques 40
CHAPTER
FOUR
DATA
PRESENTATION AND ANALYSIS
4.1
Demographic Profile of the Respondents 41
4.2
Respondents Patronage to tourism destination 42
4.3
Challenges of Tourism Marketing 45
4.4
Factors that Influence Tourism Marketing 46
4.5
Strategies for Marketing Tourism 47
4.6
Discussion of Results 48
CHAPTER FIVE
SUMMARY OF FINDINGS, CONCLUSION AND
RECOMMENDATION
5.1 Summary of Findings 49
5.2 Conclusion 49
5.3 Recommendation 50
REFERENCES 51
APPENDIX 60
LIST OF TABLES
Table
4.1.1 Distribution of the respondents by Sex 41
Table
4.1.2 Distribution of the respondents by Age 41
Table
4.2.1 Respondents Patronage to tourism destination 42
Table
4.2.2: Respondents last visit to a tourist destination 43
Table
4.2.3: Respondents Patronage to tourism destination 43
Table
4.3 Challenges faced by tourist in patronizing tourism destination 45
Table
4.4 Factors that motivate tourist patronage
46
Table
4.5 Strategies for marketing tourism 47
CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
1.1 Background of the Study
Tourism is a dynamic and competitive
industry that requires the ability to adapt constantly to customer’s changing
needs and desires, as a customer’s satisfaction, safety and enjoyment are particularly
the focus of tourism businesses.
Tourism ranks among the world’s
fastest growing industries and major sources of foreign exchange for many
developing and developed countries (United Nations World Tourism Organizations,
2010; Madzara, 2011; World Tourism and Tourism Council, 2012; Barry, 2012; United
Nations Development Programme, 2012; United Nations World Tourism Organizations,
2015). Tourism is considered as an export industry since foreign tourists who
travel abroad purchase goods and services with money from their home countries
(United Nations Conference on Trade and Development, 2010). Tourism services
are covered under Tourism and Travel-Related Services, which include hotels and
restaurants, travel agencies and tour operators, tour guides and other services
(United Nations Conference on Trade and Development, 2010). Many services
linked closely to tourism are classified under different sectors such as
business, financial and recreation services (United Nations Conference on Trade
and Development, 2010). According to the United Nations World Tourism Organizations
(UNWTO) (2012), “one of the most crucial aspects of international tourism is
the cross-border movement of consumers”. This permits even unskilled workers in
remote areas to become services exporters, for instance, by selling craft
items, performing in cultural shows, or working in a tourism lodge (United Nations
World Tourism Organizations, 2012). Tourism can develop in poor and marginal
areas with other opportunities and diversification options. It can bring
non-material benefits such as pride to local culture and adds value to the
surrounding natural environment in the eyes of local communities (Ijeomah,
2007; United Nations World Tourism Organizations, 2002; Wang, Zhong, Zhang and
Zhou, 2014). Tourism is a promising source of income for developing countries
because it provides an effective transfer of income from developed to
developing economies. According to United Nations World Tourism Organizations (2014;
2015), developing counties destinations have grown faster in recent years than
destinations in developed countries. By 2030, arrivals in countries with
emerging economies are expected to account for 57% of the expected 1.8 billion
worldwide (United Nations World Tourism Organizations, 2015).
In many developing countries, tourism
is an important source of domestic earning. Cambodia, for example, derives 18
per cent of its Gross Domestic Product (GDP) from travel and tourism, with the
sector employing 14 per cent of the country’s labour force (WEF, 2011). In
Malaysia, using a value-chain analysis, the Tourism Planning Research Group
(TPRG) has found that economic benefits received by local people account, on
average, for 34 per cent of total income generated by tourism (TPRG, 2009).
This relatively high income generating capacity of tourism for the local
economy reflects why various countries strive to involve locals in tourism
business operations (Onyeabor and Alimba, 2015b; Onyeabor, Nwahia and Okereke,
2015; Onyeabor and Nwahia, 2015; Onyeabor, 2016a). Tourism has been identified
as a priority sector for development in 90 per cent of Least Developed
Countries (LDCs) and found to becoming a significant industry for many LDCs,
with a direct link to poverty eradication (Enhanced Integrated Framework, EIF,
2012; Francis, 2012). Notably, tourism has enabled developing countries such as
Botswana, Cape Verde and Maldives to transition out of the LDC category (Orga,
2010).
Against this background, the
management of wildlife, wild mass areas and other attractions for tourism have
become a global business as many nations, states, communities and private
sectors are eager to get their own share of tourism benefits (United Nations World
Tourism Organizations, 2002; Buchsbaum, 2004; Drumm and Moore, 2005; Ezebilo,
Mattsson and Afolami, 2010; Aref, Hussein and Awees, 2015). The viability of
tourism business among other factors is seriously affected by the availability
of tourism potentials and level of development of tourism facilities and sites
(Chami and Semboja, 2005; Mugunda, 2009; Nwahia, Omonona, Onyeabor and Balogun,
2012; Doohyun et al., 2014). The perceptions, expectations and experiences of
visitors are also functions of the management and marketing of inherent
potentials of ecological sites (Bhatia, 2001; Chami and Semboja, 2005; Ijeoma,
2007). Nations and communities have been popularized, which were before
unknown, due to tourism when age-old abandoned or less valued local cultures
and ecological resources were revisited and managed for the attractions of
tourists who crave for unique experiences (Ijeoma, 2007; Onyeabor and Alimba,
2015a). Nigeria’s tourism industry has been estimated to worth in excess of one
trillion naira with a revenue yield close to 200 billion naira and employment
for about 5 million people (Federation of Tourism Associations of Nigeria,
2011).
The application of the basic
principles of marketing is the same irrespective of whether one is marketing
tangible or intangible goods for commercial (profit) or non – commercial
(social) organizations. The marketing of services which is something called
marketing of professional services cuts across the hospitality and tourism
industry etc. According to Chigozie (2007), marketing must not be seen narrowly
as the task of finding clever ways to set a hostel’s products or services.
According to him many people confuse marketing with some of its sub – functions
such as advertising and selling. Marketing is not the art of selling what you
make but knowing what to make, it is the art of identifying and understanding
customer needs and creating solution that deliver satisfaction to the
customers, profit to hostel, fast food, restaurant operators and tourism
business etc. Hospitality and tourism industry is the sector that the Federal,
States and Local Governments pays a lot of attention to, by a successive
government in Nigeria. Various governments seem to recognize the potentials of
hospitality and tourism industry to boost the economy and corporate image of
the country in a variety of ways. Based on this, marketing in hospitality and
tourism world critically look at the dynamic of the environment encompasses in
business, physical (geographical) and governmental policies environment,
(Adeyemo, 2005). The philosophy of marketing in the hospitality and tourism
industry is customer oriented. Their services are defined from the customers’
point of view. Hospitality means to be hospitable, Akwa Ibom State people in
Nigeria by nature are hospitable and accommodating. This quality should be
exhibited in our hospitality and tourism industry, (Nwidum, 2007).
According to recent statistics,
tourism provides about 10% of the world’s income and employs almost one tenth
of the world’s workforce. All considered, tourism’s actual and potential
economic impact is outstanding. Many people emphasize the positive aspects of
tourism as a source of foreign exchange, a way to balance foreign trade, an
“industry without chimney” — in short, manna from heaven. But there are also a
number of other positive and negative sides of tourism’s economic boom for
local communities, which not always considered by advocates of tourism
perspectives (Mirbabayev and Shagazatova, 2011).
1.2 Statement of Problem
Tourism marketing has been found to
be at the very heart of tourism growth and development. On the strength of this
finding, many economics have continued to strategies and re-strategize in this direction.
Unless potential tourists are made to know about the presence of and
availability of tourist attractions, products and services, all things being
equal they would never know. Ebonyi State is reputed as one of the states that
have rare tourist attractions/products. The state is relatively peaceful. The
researcher is worried that not much is being done to bring these tourist
attractions and products to the knowledge of would-be consumers, vacationers,
holiday makers and excursionists. It was in the light of this that this study
is carried out to determine the tourism marketing challenges and develop
strategies to mitigate the challenges.
1.3 Objective of the Study
The main objective of the study is to
determine the strategies for mitigating tourism marketing challenges in Ebonyi
State.
The specific objectives are to:
i.
Determine
factors that influence tourism marketing in Ebonyi State
ii.
Determine
tourism marketing challenges in Ebonyi State.
iii.
Determine
strategies for marketing tourism in Ebonyi
State
1.4 Research Questions
The following research questions were
formulated for the study.
i.
What are the factors that influence
tourism marketing in Ebonyi State?
ii.
What are the tourism marketing challenges
in Ebonyi State?
iii.
What strategies could be used in marketing tourism in Ebonyi State?
1.5 Significance of the Study
This
study will help in providing necessary information needed for the development
and sustainability of tourism industry especially in the area of tourism
marketing in Nigeria. It will be of benefit to the investors, the government
and academic environment. Therefore, for the:
1.
Investors:
the study will help in providing information on the development in the tourism
industry and as well as provide the necessary guideline that will enable them
invest in the industry
2.
Government:
the study will provide information regarding the best way to mitigate the
challenges facing tourism marketing and also ways to improve the industry in
Ebony State and Nigeria in general.
3.
Academic
environment: this research work will be of immense
benefit to researchers in the field of tourism marketing and also it may
triggers off further research in the field of hospitality and tourism
management and may be reviewed by tutors, students and prospective researchers
in similar topic.
1.6 Scope of the Study
This
work centred on the strategies for mitigating tourism marketing challenges in
Ebonyi State.
1.6 Limitation of the Study
Some
difficulties were noticed in getting information listed in the project.
(a) Financial Constraints:
The cost involved in research project is very high considering the state of the
economy. The little amount of pocket money to me by my parents is not
sufficient enough to carry out a research project extensively.
(b) Time Constraints:
The most important using to note is the time limitation combining lectures,
assignment and also coupled with term paper makes getting materials for the
research project difficult.
(c) Unavailability of Textbooks and
Journals: The information gathered in writing research project
must come from several textbooks and journal, but most of these textbooks were
hard to find and the ones found were outdated editions.
(d) Lack of research skill: Being
the first time I’m writing a research project, I lack the skill required to go
about a research project.
(e) Lack of data storage and retrieval
budgets: Getting access to computers connected to the internal
is a big problem for me considering the type of school environment. Most data
that should be gotten from the computer are not there because of the lack of
it.
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