EXPLORING THE POTENTIAL OF LANDSCAPE FOR THE PROMOTION OF TOURISM IN NIGER STATE, NIGERIA

Abstract

Tourism has been established as one of the fastest growing sectors in the world economy at large. It is said to be an effective way to revitalize any economy. According to the United Nation World Tourism Organization (UNWTO), it is estimated that by 2020 there will be 1.6million internal tourist arrivals worldwide, as it represents 30% of the world’s export of services. This is to say that tourism has tremendous capacity for generating growth in destination area. However tourism in Nigeria is still down the ladder for the growth of the economy and development, for many reasons Nigeria is identified as one of the developing countries whose export is dominated by few commodities or mono-cultural economic qualities. The sector no doubt needs researchers that would place or reposition the nation on the world map. The aim of this study is to explore the potential of landscapes for tourism in Nigeria economy. This paper examines landscapes and tourism and cover some specific landscape features in Nigeria. The research instrument adopted was through observation schedule. Nigeria is blessed with abundance of natural features including land forms that could be explored and used to promote the tourism sector in the country. As a way forward for Nigeria, more research should be carried out on the need for diversification of the Nation’s economy and one of the areas that could be checked in tourism, it is very crucial because in conclusion if Nigeria gets tourism right then it would become a tremendous upward shift for employment rate as the tourism sector would be a massive employer of labor.