ASSESSMENT OF ECOTOURISM POTENTIALS ON THE JOS PLATEAU STATE, NIGERIA

Date

2021-02-23

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DEPARTMENT OF GEOGRAPHY FACULTY OF ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES NASARAWA STATE UNIVERSITY, KEFFI

Abstract

This study appraises the ecotourism potentials in Jos Plateau State, Nigeria. This survey was conducted using a structured questionnaire, oral interviews, focus group discussions (FGDs) and secondary information obtained from administrative records of ecotourism institutions. Data obtained were analysed using descriptive statistics and presented in the form of tables and a graph. Result revealed that Plateau State is endowed with potential packaged in many tourism centres, such as Pandam Wildlife Park, Jos Wildlife Park, Jos National Museum and Zoo, Wase Wildlife Park, Assop Falls, Naraguta Tourist Village, Rayfield Resort, Pai River Game Reserve and Amurun Bird Sanctuary, and these are stocked with different tourism products. Some of the products include viewing game, wilderness tourism, bird watching, fishing, and recreational and cultural tourism. The results shows preferred eco-destinations of tourists 41% of the respondents preferred visiting game reserves, 27% of the respondents preferred visiting natural sceneries 14% of the respondents agree that they prefer sporting destinations while the remaining 8% of the sampled population preferred visiting socio-cultural destinations. Also 41% of the tourists responded that environmental degradation such as damage of landscape and damage of rare plants is the major negative impact of ecotourism development on the Jos Plateau, 27% of the tourists believed that water, noise and air pollution is a major negative impact of ecotourism development in the study area. 23% of the respondents also agree that global warming occurs as a negative impact of ecotourism development on the Jos Plateau while the remaining 9% believe that ecotourism development in Plateau state is responsible for traffic congestion and overcrowding in the study area. These tourism potentials, if properly and fully harnessed, could make Plateau State and the various tourism centres financially independent.

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Citation

A DISSERTATION SUBMITTED TO THE SCHOOL OF POSTGRADUATE STUDIES, NASARAWA STATE UNIVERSITY, KEFFI IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE AWARD OF MASTER OF SCIENCE IN ENVIRONMENTAL RESOURCE MANAGEMENT