IMPACT OF TOURISM ON LIVELIHOOD OF COMMUNITIES ADJOINING ECODESTINATIONS IN PLATEAU STATE, NIGERIA

Resumo

The purpose of this study is to analyse various prevailing impacts of different tourism sites and activities on communities adjoining eco-destinations in Plateau State, Nigeria. The study was designed to collect data on impacts of tourism using structured questionnaire, field observations and interviews. A total of 410 questionnaires were administered at random to household heads from ten selected communities bordering five surveyed ecotourism centres. Data obtained were analyzed using Chi square and descriptive statistics. Results showed that tourism has different impacts based on differences in products, management strategies, activities created, location, occupation, ownership and closeness to the parkland, and level of households’ involvement. Increased land hunger (74.55%) is the most reported negative impacts of Jos Wildlife Park on Kabon community. In Dong household respondents complain of blocked access road to Jos town (96.00%). Among the positive impacts indicated by Pandam household respondents are employment (95.56%), fishing (84.44%), preservation of culture (68.89%), increase in population (51.11%), supply of fish to the community market (48.89%), proliferation of private enterprises (42.22%) and biodiversity conservation (24.44%). All Pandam respondents implicated reduced land for farming, destruction of crops by animals, consumption of livestock by wild animals and fuel wood scarcity as negative impacts. In Namu community, 14.29% of the respondents reported fishing and limited land for agriculture as respective positive and negative impacts from the Pandam game reserve while only 2.86% of the respondents mentioned destruction of crops by wild animals as negative impact. Aningo and Kayarda respondents recorded values of 23.33% and 20.00% for fishing as a beneficial impact. Naraguta leather industries impacted all respondents positively in the areas of private enterprises proliferation, training in leather works, income generation, preservation of culture and an increase in animal skin utilization in the market. No negative impact was indicated from Assop falls management by household respondents. Gwut household respondents indicated fishing, available water for washing and sport swimming as positive impacts from Rayfield resort. Value addition recorded 13 (56.52%) while 15.00% complained of hoodlums lurking in the uncompleted buildings to carryout illegal activities. A Chi-square test of impact among the communities showed significant difference (p<0.05). A Chi square test of effects of management institution on kinds of households’ impacts was significant (P < 0.05).This paper presents baseline information concerning the impacts of tourism on households. These baseline information will be very vital in assessing differences in impacts introduced as a result of climate change. These prevailing impacts from different types of tourism institutions are discussed.