Contribution of Faith-based Activities to Tourism Development in two Religious Sites in Southwest Nigeria

Faith-based activities are dynamic rituals that can bring about spiritual satisfaction. The perceived efficacy of these activities greatly influences the number of faith participants visiting religious centres. Although these activities are primarily practiced as religious obligations, they have helped to precipitate travel and the rise of tourism service industries. These include accommodation, transportation, food, drinks, souvenirs, spiritual objects (anointing oil, ritual mantels, handkerchief, cross emblem, rosary tesbihu (prayer beads), praying mat, and candles) and the likes, which enhance tourism expenditure and income. This study examines the contribution to tourism development of faith-based activities, in two religious centres in south-western Nigeria. Ethnographic methodologies were adopted for the study, supplemented by focus group discussions, direct observation, and in-depth interviews. The data collected were analysed thematically using descriptive analysis. Research results show that economic, social and spiritual benefits can be derived from faith-based activities. These have strong implications on religious tourism development in the study area and the country at large. The study recommends that concerted effort by relevant stakeholders should be made to harness the potential of these faith-based tourism activities and utilise them optimally to boost tourism development in the region and the country. The outcomes of this study can be replicated in other growing economies across the globe where faith-based activities promote increasing interest and visitation

Ethnographic and communication components of Chinua Achebe’s Things Fall Apart

“Things Fall Apart” is a multifaceted work, which traverses many subject areas, as it narrates the sudden encounter between a hitherto closed Igbo society and the colonists, and the inevitable culture shock it engendered. It portrays the actual and ideal African society as one with undiluted or unadulterated cultural values prior to western impact. Indeed, the narrative began with pre-colonial times and navigated through the point when the missionaries and colonial masters came and ‘polluted’ the African society, destroying the very things that make us who we are and mark us out at the international scene. The work has been aptly described as an ethnographic masterpiece. Another area covered by Achebe, and which forms a significant part of this paper is traditional communication, which has long been part of the life of the African people. This was lucidly captured, as far back as the 1950s, in various parts of the novel. This work looks at the ethnographic contents of ‘Things Fall Apart’, with a view to understanding those inherent values that make us Africans. It further examines the communication components of the book; the essence of which is to showcase the traditional modes of communication and how they served the needs of an African society prior to colonization. The work uses an exploratory research method to study the subject matter so as to highlight its very relevance in today’s African society

Preservation and conservation of Cross River Monoliths for tourism development

Heritage and conservation have gained currency in academic and professional discourses on tourism and resource preservation across the globe. Today, many developed and some developing economies regard heritage as a very significant component of tourism. Literary documents on studies conducted in Gambia, Kenya, Sierra Leone, Tanzania and UK are cases in point. In southeastern Nigeria, there are numerous unique heritage sites that can be harnessed for tourism development. Although they showcase universally accepted cultural expressions, the majority of them are poorly managed and preserved. They also lack necessary facilities that can keep tourists for an extended period. This explains why Nigeria fails to attract visitation to her heritage sites. The study adopted a descriptive design and used interviews, direct observation, focus group discussion and literary sources to examine the state of Cross River monoliths in Nigeria; their preservation and conservation practices, and how these can be harnessed for tourism development. Research results revealed that heritage sites have a lot of potentials to boost the economy if the tourism value is harnessed. The study recommends, amongst others, the combination of traditional and modern conservation mechanisms for the preservation and conservation of monoliths. It also advocates that the management plans for the monolith sites should seek to balance the interest of conservation with those of local communities living in the area