Conscientisation Strategies for Effective Management of Tourist Attractions Towards Development of Communities in Imo State, Nigeria

Abstract

This study exposed the conscientisation strategies for effective management of tourist attractions towards development of communities in Imo State, Nigeria. Two research questions guided this study. The descriptive survey research design was adopted. Multi-stage sampling procedure was used to select 1513 indigenes of the host communities with tourist attractions. Questionnaire on Conscientisation Strategies for Effective Management of Tourist Attractions towards Development of Communities (QCSEMTADC) (r = 0.81) was the instrument used for data collection. Completed and retrieved 1500 copies of questionnaire were analyzed using mean score statistics. Results showed that in the communities of Imo State, dwellers are not adequately conscientised on tourist attractions and its management. The finding also revealed that conscientisation strategies that can be used for effective management of tourist attractions are village meeting, popular participation, awareness campaign, community education, and mass media programmes. The study therefore recommended that community members should be adequately conscientised and given proper education on the potentialities of tourist attractions and its management through village meeting, popular participation, awareness campaign, community education, and mass media programmes.