CULTURAL TOURISM AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT: A STUDY OF ORODO COMMUNITY IN IMO STATE

CULTURAL TOURISM AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT: A STUDY OF ORODO COMMUNITY IN IMO STATE

This research proposal is aimed to determine just how much cultural tourism affects community development.

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CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

• Background of the Study

Cultural tourism has a long history, and with its roots in the grand tour is arguably the original form of tourism. Richards (2007) suggests that cultural tourism covers the consumption not just of the cultural products of the past, but also of contemporary culture or the “way of life” of a people or region.

Despite the different views of different people, on cultural tourism they all correspond broadly to perceiving culture as a whole way of life; to engaging with specific ethnic or indigenous groups: to experience the artistic and intellectual activities of society; to visiting specific heritage attractions or arts venues.

The world tourism organization, for example, asserted that cultural tourism accounted for 37% of global tourism and forecast that it would grow at a rate of 15% per year. Such figures are often quoted in studies of the cultural tourism market (Bywater, 1993), but are rarely backed up with empirical research. There is a general perception that cultural tourism is good tourism that attracts high spending visitors and does little damage to the environment or local culture while contributing a great deal to the economy and support of culture. Other commentators, however, have suggested that cultural tourism may do more harm than good, allowing the cultural tourist to penetrate sensitive cultural environments as the advance guard of the mass tourist. Recent research on cultural tourism in the Netherlands has tended to suggest that tourists are not particularly interested in culture than they were in the past (Dahles 1998).

Community development is about community building such as, where the process is as important as the results it is to improve a geographic community in some manner, and the improvement could come in form of higher income, better public health, fewer incidences of war or crime, better appearance, more jobs, better transportation, and electricity, etc. the nature of community development projects varies hugely from situation to situation around the globe.

Cultural preservation can be very compatible with sustainable development if both goals are kept in mind while programs and policies are designed. For example, preserving the culture, as well as supporting the welfare of the plants and animals around them, seems natural to most indigenous people, the complexity multiplies when there are numerous goals and objectives, but culture and development need not be regarded as incompatible if leaders are willing to be vocal about the importance of environmental sustainability.

More and more, the international community is discussing broad global issues and themes. They encouraged, that the latest UN15-year vision document sustainable development goals, involved considerably more input from ordinary folks than the previous iterations, yet political leaders must continue to be engaged.

Some scholars in Nigeria are presently emphasizing the non-economic interests of culture and tourism. And to highlight the non-economic view of culture and tourism, there is a need to stress the long-term benefits (even to the economy) of interest in enduring values (Alagoa 1988). Planning for economic benefits” Akagia (1988) explains, “need not lead to planning solely for immediate economic gains over long-term cultural interests”. This view corroborates UNESCO’s mission of integrating cultural tourism in the general plans for national development (UNESCO 1945).

Tourism destinations owe much of their attraction to culture, which can transform conventional tourism into creative tourism providing more authentic and genuine experiences. However if poorly managed, tourism can also cause negative impacts on culture and heritage, thus, inherently damaging the long term sustainability of both tourism and the cultural sector.

In the long term, no one culture can successfully exist without contact with other cultures and other cultural influences drawn from diverse histories and the complexities of constant global change. Tourism has a critical role to play in facilitating and shaping intercultural dialogue (Viard 2000). At a basic level, it provides direct encounters between people from different cultures.

1.2 Statement of the Problem

Cultural tourism in Nigeria is one of the very complex and rich aspect of our life, which is not receiving the attachment it deserves. Tourism has always been seen as a veritable tool for development and an effective driver of economic growth in destination areas as its significance has been recognized in most countries although managing cultural resources has been a problem in the countries.

There are abundant cultural resources in the above-mentioned community but the ability to manage the resources well is very weak. In the sense that the various resources are not being harnessed to foster development in the host community

Different limitations are hindering the development of Orodo community, for example, electricity, good major roads, pipe-borne water, health facilities and schools, the following limitations range from the part of the government either state or local level to the community members and how they preserve their various cultural heritage and values.

1.3 Conceptual Framework

In the course of this study, a conceptual framework was formulated for proper clarification.

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Sources of the variables for the dimensions to cultural tourism: the various dimensions of cultural tourism are cultural festivals and rituals cited from Janos Csapo (2012). The Role and Importance of Cultural Tourism in Modern Tourism Industry, Strategies for Tourism Industry-Micro and Macro Perspectives, Dr. Murat Kasimoglu (Ed.), ISBN:978-953-51-0566-4, inTech, Available from:http://www.intechopen.com/books/strategies-for-tourism-industry-micro-and-macro-perspectives/the-role-and-importance-of-cultural-tourism-in-modern-tourism-industry.

Source of the variables for the measures to community development: International Year of Sustainable Tourism for development, UNWTO,2017,/P.1/3

1.4 Purpose of the study

The purpose of this study is to research how far cultural tourism affects community development, other specific purposes are;

1. To examine the relationship between cultural festivals and job creation.
2. To determine the relationship between cultural festivals and infrastructural facilities.
3. To investigate the relationship between cultural festivals and social interaction.
4. To inquire about the relationship between rituals and job creation.
5. To ascertain the relationship between rituals and infrastructural facilities.
6. To examine the relationship between rituals and social interaction.

1.5 Research Questions

1. What is the relationship between cultural festivals and job creation?
2. What is the connection between cultural festivals and infrastructural facilities?
3. What is the correlation between cultural festivals and Social interaction?
4. What is the correspondence between rituals and Job creation?
5. What is the link between rituals and infrastructural facilities?
6. What is the alliance between rituals and social interaction?

1.6 Research Hypothesis

There is six (6) important null hypothesis that was formulated and will be worked on in this study.

H₁: There is no significant relationship between cultural festivals and job creation.

H₂: There is no notable link between cultural festivals and infrastructural facilities

H₃: There is no remarkable alliance between the cultural festival and social interaction

H₄: There is no outstanding correlation between rituals and job creation

H₅: There is no significant association between rituals and infrastructural facilities

H₆: There is no prominent interrelation between rituals and social interaction.

1.7 Significance of the Study

The result of this study will enable both individuals and governmental bodies to see the need to enhance and preserve the cultural heritage and values is not just the Orodo community but Nigeria at large. To the various tourism organization, this research will provide and evaluate the various rich culture which well harnessed will attract potential guest that will help grow the GDP of the country. The research will also help provide scholars with a well detailed and tested result which will be of help to their future research.

1.8 Scope of the Study

This looks at the totality domains which the researcher wants to cover

The content scope: the content scope of this study focuses on the cultural tourism and community development to the entire inhabitants.

Geographical scope: the research will be carried out strictly in the Orodo community in Imo state.

Unit of scope: this study will be carried out at the macro level. The questionnaires would be distributed to the inhabitants of the Orodo community in Imo state.

1.9 Limitations of the Study

The research work will be limited within Orodo community in Mbaitoli Local Government Area of Imo state,

A non-challant attitude of respondent: most of the respondent wasn’t giving much attention to the researcher.

Language barrier: most of the respondents only understand Igbo, which made communication difficult for the researcher.

1.10   Operational Definitions of Terms Used

Community: a small-large social unit (a group) of lulling things that has something in common, such as norms, religion, values or identity. They often share a sense of place that is situated in a given geographical area.

Community development: involve organizing people and groups for social or political action to improve various aspects of living, both economic, social, and environmental development is paramount.

Cultural festivals: they are events ordinarily celebrated by a community and centering on some characteristics aspect of the community and its religion or cultures.

Culture: is the total of knowledge, attitudes and habitual behavior patterns shared and transmitted by members of a society.

Development: is a process of social change, not merely a set of policies and programs instituted for some specific results.

Infrastructural growth: it is seen as an increment process of the wide range of economic and social facilities that help in creating and enabling environment for economic growth and quality life.

Job creation: is the notion that jobs are created in response to some sort of event or situation

Rituals: it is a religion of solemn ceremony consisting of a series of actions performed according to a prescribed order.

Social interaction: A social exchange between two or more individuals.

1.11    Organization of the study

In the course of carrying out this research five (5) chapters where formulated. The first chapter introduces the research, establishes a statement of the problem, and then the objectives of the study. It also includes the research question, significance of the study, organization of the study, scope and limitation of the study and definition of terms. The second chapter reviews existing literature, the research theoretical framework.

The third chapter deals with the methods adopted for this research, while the fourth presents the data and evaluation of research questions and discussion of findings. The fifth and final chapter summaries the findings, conclusion, and recommendation.