OYO STATE GOVERNMENT OF NIGERIA:

MINISTRY OF TOURISM & CULTURE/

OYO STATE TOURISM BOARD

ON THE CELEBRATION OF THE WORLD TOURISM DAY 2014 AT THE

CULTURAL CENTRE, MOKOLA HILL, IBADAN, NIGERIA.

September 27, 2014

Authored by: GGM

Chief Of Operations, Hospitality Legend Limited info@hospitalitylegend.com, hospitalitylegend@gmail.com

2348023600704

THEME: TOURISM & COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT

Tourism’s contribution to Sustainable Development Goals

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THEME: TOURISM & COMMUNITY

DEVELOPMENT

Tourism’s contribution to Sustainable Development Goals

INTRODUCTION:

Tourism the world over have been one of the most misconceived phenomenon from

time immemorial even when it was considered one of the oldest industry the world over.

This misconception is far more pronounced in the developing and underdevelpoed

nations and especially in Africa and to a large extent Nigeria in the west of Africa.

The misconception of the industry have always stemmed from the fact that most

people/governments, look at Tourism as a revenue spinner only rather than as a

developmental tool for the emancipation of the relevant communities and creating a

sustainable system for the lberation of the inhabitants of the destinations in any

economy. All principal efforts have been geared towards realising the financial gains

rather than exploiting the development capability inherent therein. This misconception

have been traced more to the definition where people see the pecuniary benefit of

tourism more than the development benefit. The mistake had long crept into the

governments which only discusses about tourism when reviewing their sources of

foreign capital inflow/income through foreign exchange which should not be solely so.

Simply put, Tourism has been described ‘’as the movement of people(Tourist) albeit

temporarily from one part of a country (local) or across country (international) to another

for the purpose of leisure, education, health, industry, adventure etc with the sole

intension of returning to their homes within a limited period of time’’ This movement is

temporary and therefore it presuposes that the Tourist has the plans to stay and spend

temporarily else it becomes migration. True as this may, looking at the financial aspect,

it is expected to serve as a Socio-economc aparatus for the development of both the

destination and the community wherein the attractions are situated vis –a –vis the socio-

economic liberation of the residents; but has this been the case? No and this must have

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been the basis upon which the United Nations (UN) chose the topic for discussion at

this year’s world Tourism day 2014.

TOURISM & TOURISM DEVELOPMENT WITH IMPACT

Tourism has always been seen as an end in itself and this has necessitated the rapid

development of Mass Tourism on the large scale level and at governmental level. This

rapid development almost usually overwhelm local communities and the environment

thereby having far-raching negative socio-ecological and economic impacts. Moreover,

tourism can contribute to the exacerbation of the already existing socio-economic

division and inequity by widening the gap between the beneficiaries of tourism and

those who are already marginalised by the current forms of development (J.S.Akama

1990).

Tourism and Tourism development should therefore not be seen as an end in itself, but

should be viewed as one of several alternative development strategies that can assist

local communities in overcoming their socio-economic and developmental weaknesses,

preserving their strengths and enhancing their developmental opportunities. If this is

the case, then I can safely deduce that the perception of the United Nations in chosing

this year’s theme is most probably out of the realisation that Tourism though very potent

in resolving the socio-economic lacuna in which the local communities find themselves,

have not really achieved this and hence the objective can safely be deduced to be

changing the focus to ‘’the initiation of alternative tourism strategies that put the

interests of local communities at the centre of the tourism development process

that is highly likely to enhance an equitable distribution of tourism revenues,

avoid leakages, impact the environmental and soci-economic development of the

destinations as well as contribute to sustainable local community development

and cross-cultural understanding’’. Should this be the objectives of the United

Nations in chosing this year’s theme, then, there is urgent need to rethink the process

and manner in which Tourism is being developmed in Nigeria and come up with

alternative develpment strategies which which put the local communities and individuals

at the centre of tourism development initiatives henceforth. In this regard, the principal

objectives of the alternative tourism strategy should include:

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a. Enhancement of equitable distribution of the tourism revenues;

b. Increasing local participation in tourism decision-making processes;

c. Reduction of the high leakage rates and increase of the multiplier effects of tourism;

d. Minimization of the social and environmental impacts of tourism.

e. Conscious effort at developing destination communities.

Before we go further into this, let us evaluate current efforts at Tourism and impact on

comunity development:

TOURISM & COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT TILL 2014:

Over the last 40 years, the state (Federal, State & Local Governments) has mainly

promoted the development of large-scale tourism projects such as beach resorts, high-

rise hotels, lodges and restaurants in Nigeria and the country’s other tourism centres.

Most of the large tourism projects have been initiated with the assistance of foreign

private and multinational capital investment which have tended to preclude local

participation in tourism project design, management and ownership of the tourism

resources and facilities (J.S.Akama 1990). This has actually made Tourism and

Tourism development an elitist issue rather a development and empowerment issue in

Nigeria. In fact, it has gone to the extent of alienating the local community through

unfriendly policies imported from the sponsors home region. Many times, it has made

the local community to be at the receiving end of the negative impacts of such

development.

In understanding this aspect very well, the table below will define the benfits that are

expected to be accruable to the destination community and will attempt to score the

level of participation of the community in the Tourism development intervention:

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TOURISM

DEVELOPMENT

BENEFITS

EXPECTED LEVEL OF

BENEFIT

ACTUAL LEVEL OF

BENEFIT

Employment generation

80% to include high level

manpower needs of the

intervention

20% in total and majority at

the shop floor level of

cleaners, Janitors, guides,

security, Drivers etc. Most

hih level positions are

occupied by expatriates

from sponsors home

country

Income Generation

Equittable with the local

community

Lopsided as most inputs

are imported based on

specifications and revenue

is paid all inclusive at the

poit of reservation from

country or point of

departure. This include

payment for transportation,

tour guide and even value

added sometimes. Rather

than stay with the local

populace, they are in coded

hotels.

Cross Cultural

Understanding

Guests are expected to

mingle, live and dine with

local populace who could

earn little income from them

Virtually nothing. Tourists

are guided towards the

attractions only and are

sometimes warned of the

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consequenses of mingling

with the local populace

using security as bait. It is

difficult to relate with a

Tourist who is living behind

barrier walls without any

contact with the local.

Movements are guided in

airconditioned buses with

security attachez to ward

off community members

considered as intruders.

Contact is only through the

glass doors of the Bus to

destinations.

Physico-environmental

Development

Expected to improve on the

physical and environmental

facilities within the society

including infrastructural

development

The only visible feature is

the imposing edifice within

which Tourists are held

while accessibility to such

may not necessarily be

improved upon or are

already within areas with

good access. The

environment is usually

isolated from the general

areas where it could have

impact on the environment

or already environmentally

friendly areas. In fact, the

local community struggles

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to get in or around.

Socio-economic

empowerment

Expected to source for

inputs from the local

community including labour

and material resources

Minimally as most inputs

are inported and subject to

specifications which can

only be met by sponsors

home or unrban

parameters. Only hawkers

and petty trsders may

sometimes benefit hence it

does not engemder

sustainability.

Destination Marketing

Expected to project

information and believe in

the host community to the

extent that Tourists are

willing to visit

Most Marketing efforts are

directed towards the

projection of the Tourist

attractions only with brief

description of the route to

the attraction. Many

atimes, the locality is

mentioned obscurredly and

without notice. Community

is not even aware of the

intended visit of the

Tourists nor made

concerned with the visit.

INFERENCE:

The inference from the above table is that ‘’ both the community and ordinary man

within the Tourist destination has not benefitted immensely from the value chain of

Tourism as it ought to be’’. If this is the situation in Nigeria today, then the basis of this

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topic should be how to put in place, Policies and institutional mechanisms that

encourage local participation in the design, implementation and management of tourism

projects and local use of the tourism resources that can assist local communities in

overcoming their socio-economic and developmental weaknesses, preserving their

strengths and enhancing their developmental opportunities.

TOURISM TODAY IN NIGERIA:

Tourismand Tourism development in Nigeria today has the following characteristics:

a. Government monopolised and regulated

b. Government collaborated with foreign multinationals to the exclusion of other

statkeholders

c. Tourism is undertaken along ‘’unorganised seasonal mass- movements for festivals

and other events celebration

d. Marketing and Public relations are done at the National and International level to the

exclusion of the local community

e. Revenue collection is mostly all inclusive and paid at source thereby enhancing

revenue leakages into foreign

hands without trickling down meaningfully to the local community

f. Employment in communities for the purpose of Tourism is very temporary and usually

in low skilled and unskilled areas of the employment strata

g. Tourism activities are usually abrupt and tend to disorganise community life and

relations thereby breeding mistrust among residents and community leaderships.

h. Current Tourism interventions by governments in Nigeria tends to take away the

ownership of attractions and other appertuberances away from the local community.

They end up becoming over-regulated and alienated the community.

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With the above characteristics, It can therefore be argued that the local people have

been disenfranchised in the commodification process and marketing of local tourism

resources. The local people are, usually not involved nor are they represented in the

commodification process of transforming and packaging existing nature based and

cultural attractions into tourism products that are presented and sold to prospective

tourists. This lack of involvement and representation of local communities in the

commodification process and tourism product development raises serious and

fundamental questions, particularly pertaining to the authenticity of cultural tourism

products, and equitable distribution of the revenues that accrue from the tourism

industry. A number of cultural activities and sites can be developed and managed by the

local people where tourists can visit at a stipulated amount of fees; thus generating

much-sought-after income for the local people (J. S Akama 1990).

Having gone through this evaluation about Tourism development in Nigeria today and

the attendant likely impact as enunciated in the table above, it can also be safely

claimed that Tourism development as currently practised in Nigeria do not take into

cognisance the problems of the community which include poverty, unemployment, poor

living conditions, youth restiveness, inadequate infrastructural development and in fact

has brought a host of other vices such as prostitution, drug and drug trafficking,

increase in the cost of commodities, increased crime rate and harrasements.

With the above therefore, there has to be a change in the development strategy for

Tourism to have the desired impact on the host community and the goal should be ‘’the

Socio-economic empowerment of the ocal community through the provision of

sustainable commoditisation of tourism products. By this, we mean support and

provision of a permanent and continuous development of Tourist destinations and

localisation of the tourism products for global acceptance on a continuous basis to the

extent that it provides source of sustenance to the community vis-a-vis the

empowerment of the people rather than benefiting the government or the large scale

multinationals or operators to the detriment of the common people.

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ROLE OF GOVERNMENT –THE PARADIGM SHIFT

Having realised the need for a shift the modus operandi of Tourism Development to the

benefit of the community, the role of the government should be reviewed and limited to

the following:

1. Change in policies and institutional mechanisms that encourages local

participation and enforcement of rules.

2. Guidance of the local community in taking the best advantage of tourism

programs and in working through effective business plans for the

commoditisation of the tourism products

3. Formulation of standard environmental and health policies that are necessary for

the survival and sustenance of the tourism adventure and the

enforcement/monitoring of compliance levels. This should also include the

establishment of standard templates for impact assessements for any Tourism

dvelopment projects.

4. The regulation of the practice and procedure for the operations of tourism

interventions to the extent that it results into the benefit/development of the local

community and provide means of sustenance for the local populace.

5. Coordination of all the stakeholders in the Tourism value chain to enhance

effective mutual understanding and co-existence.

6. Promotion of all tourism interventions to include the effective marketing of the

local community vis-a-vis the attractions in each destination. This should be both

at the loacl and international levels

7. Serve as a major stakeholder especially in the ares of conflicts, troubleshootin

and arbitration.

8. Develop major and necessary infrastructure that will enhance the maximum

advantage of every Tourist destination and encourage Tourist’s visits

9. Protect where necessary the weak parties in the value chain to avoid exploitation

and revenue leakages. This could be by setting up monitoring panels that will

discourage illegal exploitation by stronger parties.

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10. Effective taxation: The government should limit itself to the recovery of the

infrastructural expenses through taxes and levies on the Tourism commodities

including consumption taxes

TOURISM AND THE COMMUNITY-SUSTAINABILITY IMPACT

For Tourism to engender sustenable community development and create wealth or

allow for equittable distribution of the revenues for the local community, the following

may be useful advises as way forward if implemented effectively:

a) Government in collaboration with the community should research into and

identify all tourism related activities, products and attractions in particular

destinations.

b) The government in collaboration with the coommunity, can develop integrated

tourism projects that incorporate the hospitable local culture, historical

monuments, festivals, arts and crafts. This should be designed and implemented

through community consensus rather than the usual central planning. This will

enhance the opportunity for compulsory and spontaneous encounters between

the local people and the Tourists thereby opening the Touriss to the original

culture and mode of life of the people first hand.

c) Tourism products should be collated and group into common areas for the ease

of the Tourist choice of patronage rather than the current situation where tourism

products are in scattered areas of the destination making tours cumbersome to

undertake. This could mean that related articles that deals with arts and crafts,

carvings and pottery, fashion and batiks could be sequenced to be in one

particular area of the destination or to be available at a particular period of the

tourism calendar so as to become assessible for Tourists decisions.

d) All the members of the community or the comminuties involved in a particular

tourism product or adventure should be identified, registered and group into

homogenous bands so also, people in the community with related skills in

particular areas of tourism products, should be grouped together, registered and

charged with good performance frame of reference for the production of tourism

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products that will be beneficial to the Tourist and centrally marketed by the

government.

e) Destinations should be touristically demarcated to ease Tourist movement and to

ensure that one visit will enable the Tourist to to particular areas to see, feel,

touch, and possibly buy related products

f) The government should educate and sensitize the local community their role in

the Tourism adventure. This will also include education on how to take ownership

of the development of the attractions in their areas of demarcation. There may

also be the need for education and training for the local community on hw to

exploit/take advantage of the potentials of the tourist products in their localities

g) The government should empower the local populace to exploit: This means

allowing them to display directly, sell and collect revenue directly.

h) Government should ensure that Tour operators deal directly with the community

developers to the extent that Tourists have no choice but to stay, interact and

spend their money for the people rather than the usual all inclusive packages.

This will surely enhance equitable distribution of the Tourism revenue and

engender sustainability and empowerment.

i) Government should promote via the state organs the need for the tourism

products and patronise each of such destinations for the purpose of

sustainability.

j) Government should develop infrastructures necessary for the accessibility of

eash attractions in the destinations but the management of the attractions should

be in the hands of the community locals who shall be charged with the

maintenance of the infrastructures.

k) Government should also come up with enabling policies that will deliberately

direct Tourists to the destinations and by extension the attractions and products

With the above well formulated and implemented, Tourism will have far reaching and

sustanable impact on the community and the populace. The desire is important but the

will is more critical in achieving these laudable objectives of the United Nations.

Thank you.

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Mr. Victor Olanrewaju Kayode is the Chief of Operation of Hospitality Legend Limited, an

Hospitality and Tourism Consulting company. 2348023600704, info@hospitalitylegend.com, hospitalitylegend@gmail.com