Regional tourism development in south-eastern Nigeria: Issues and challenges

Tourism is an important economic sector in many countries, especially in the Western world. Reason for this is usually because these countries have long histories of tourism development. Whilst many countries in the emerging economies have accepted tourism development, and formulated tourism policies, some scholars are concerned that research focused on issues and challenges of tourism development are almost non-existent. This paper asks: What are the issues and challenges facing tourism development in emerging economies? It begins to address this question through a case study conducted in South-eastern Nigeria with 134 interviewees. Respondents comprise traditional rulers, men, women, youth and chief priests of sacred groves and shrines. Results show that top-down approach, lack of trust, lack of collaboration, poor tourism facilities, the influence of Christianity/modernization and low level of awareness about tourism are some of the issues and challenges that we must address if we should consider regional tourism development in the area.