ABSTRACT
One of Nigeria's most well-known cultural celebrations, the Osun Osogbo Festival, takes place every year in Osun State, Western Nigeria. The festival has attracted thousands of tourists from all over the world and has attracted international prominence, making it a major tourist draw in Nigeria. A variety of cultural activities, including music, dancing, painting, and traditional performances are part of the festival, which honours the Yoruba goddess Osun.
This research project seeks to examine the Osun Osogbo Festival's influence on Nigeria's tourism. Specifically, the study will explore the festival’s impact on the local economy, its role in promoting cultural heritage and tourism, and the challenges and opportunities that exist for the sustainable development of the festival through the locals’ and tourists’ perspectives. The project will also seek to identify the best practices and strategies that can be adopted to enhance the festival’s tourism potential and contribute to the socio-economic development of the region.
CHAPTER 1
INTRODUCTION
- Background and Context
Festivals are globally essential for their social, cultural, and economic functions, and they are increasingly being pushed and developed as tourism attractions. They are also regarded as instruments for destination image creation and place marketing and are prized for their potential to energize cities, resorts, and destinations (Andersson and Getz, 2008, p. 200). Festivals and special events have a vital part in the life of communities since they provide vital recreational and spending outlets for residents and visitors, as well as improve the image of local communities (Getz, 1993; Gursoy et al, 2004). Western Nigeria is noted for its rich cultural variety, vibrant traditions, and historical significance, and it is home to a slew of events that draw both domestic and foreign visitors. These festivals, distinguished by complex rituals, music, dance, and bright displays of traditional arts and crafts, add to the region’s distinct cultural identity.
Festivals, which are an important factor in the diversification of the tourism product, are the events that are held to celebrate, commemorate, or share the unique values of the society at specific time intervals (Giritlioğlu et al., 2015: 308). Although the goals of festivals differ, festivals generally provide participants with a unique, authentic, threshold experience and can attract tourists to the place where they are realized (Derrett, 2009: 108; Gelder and Robinson, 2011: 135).
The significance of the idea of a festival has led to the discovery of a tourist category named "Festival Tourism" (Quinn, 2006: 288). According to Dwyer, Mellor, Mistilis, and Mules (2000), it is not sufficient to evaluate the festivals based solely on their economic contributions. Festivals also create out-of-season demand, revitalize the destination, and ensure that the branding of the destination is preferred and made to give a positive image and identity to the local people and to increase the destination's tourism revenues. Evaluation of the benefits and drawbacks of festivals to locations in general is crucial to their success. In terms of sustainability and efficiency management, it is important to know how the social-cultural and environmental impacts are perceived by the local community as well as the economic contributions it provides to maximize the benefits of the festivals and to minimize the unwanted negative aspects (Small et al., 5 2005).
Many social factors in society have the ability to materialize as a result of festival hosting. Social effects on the host society alter the way of life, values, interpersonal relationships, and sense of self (Hall, 2003, p.38). The potential festival outcomes that the locals may positively view include the chances for interaction with other members of the community, entertainment and leisure options, and a heightened sense of identity and pride. Festivals can, however, also have a lot of unfavorable repercussions. Negative social effects that have frustrated locals during the festival include traffic congestion, crowding, road closures, vandalism, and disrespectful behavior (Delamere et al., 2001, p. 13). It has captured in several studies on the growth of tourism in a region, and in particular, the local populace has a significant influence in determining whether an activity is accepted or rejected based on perception and attitude (Delamere, 1999; Small: 2007). In order to better plan and manage future festivals, many authors have conducted studies to assess the effects of the information that will be obtained in relation to securing and maintaining community support for the event (Schlenker and Edwards, 2003, p.585; Allen et al., 2005, p.29; Bowdin et al., 2006, p.71). It has been found that the degree of local support for festivals has a direct correlation with the success and sustainability of certain festivals. It is important to consider how festivals and the locals who host them feel about them, as Delamere (2001) notes. Thus, a balance between social and economic development can be achieved, reducing the negative effects of festivals on locals' daily lives. Both the individual and the societal spheres must simultaneously suggest remedies for their detrimental effects. Festivals are therefore classified as a type of cultural tourism. Cross River State is an emerging tourism destination in Nigeria. It is endowed with a few cultural festivals. These include: Marina Water and sports, New Yam Festivals (hold annually in ten local government areas of the state), Wrestling Festivals (take place in seven local government areas of the state), Obudu Mountain Race ( holds once a year ), Boat Regatta (takes place in four local government areas), Ekpe Festival ( masquerade dance which is common among the Efiks and Quo people of the state), Laboku International festival and Christmas Festival ( holds once a year).
The Cross-River State Christmas Festival is the most well-known and advanced of all these celebrations. One of the products that the Cross-River State Christmas festival offers is the Calabar Carnival. The Cross-River State Carnival Commission (CRCC) is in charge of the festival's planning, management, and marketing. The Cross-River State Law, Number 4 of 2006 (www.visitcrossriverstate.com) created the Cross-River State Carnival Commission. The State Government is the primary supporter of the cultural carnival, with the local private sector businesses contributing very little. The government invests a substantial sum of money in organizing the carnival. The event should serve as a spark for the state's development, according to the government.
1.2 RATIONALE FOR THE STUDY
Despite the rising awareness of festivals as tourist development accelerators, there is a lack of extensive empirical research on the influence of festivals on tourism in Western Nigeria. Existing research has mostly concentrated on the economic elements of festivals and their contributions to local economies, ignoring the varied viewpoints of residents and tourists. As a result, there is an urgent need to conduct an analytical study that investigates the multiple influences of festivals on tourism, considering the perspectives of both the host community and the tourists.
1.3 RESEARCH OBJECTIVES
The primary objective of this study is to analyze the impact of festivals on tourism in Western Nigeria from the perspectives of both locals and tourists. The specific research objectives are as follows:
1. To identify and document the many festivals in Western Nigeria, as well as their historical, cultural, and religious importance.
2. To understand the motives and expectations of visitors visiting Western Nigeria, especially to attend festivals.
3. To examine the economic impact of festivals on local communities, including money generation, job creation, and entrepreneurial opportunities.
4. To explore the social and cultural repercussions of festivals on the host community, including changes in social dynamics, cultural heritage preservation, and community pride.
5. Evaluate local and visitor perspectives of festival sustainability and management in Western Nigeria.
1.5 SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY
The following are the significance of this study:
1. The outcome of this research will create awareness to both the general public and tourist (both local and international) on the impact of festivals on tourism in Western Nigeria from the perspectives of both locals and tourists.
2. This research will be a contribution to the body of literature in the analyze the impact of festivals on tourism in Western Nigeria from the perspectives of both locals and tourists, thereby constituting the empirical literature for future research in the subject area.
1.6 SCOPE OF THE STUDY
The study covers on the impact of festivals on tourism in Western Nigeria with focus on the perspectives of locals and tourists from the year 2000 to 2022
1.7 DEFINITION OF TERMS
TOURIST: A tourist is a person who travels to a place for pleasure. Tourism is the business of providing amenities to tourists or the activity of traveling for pleasure. Below are some examples of how they are used. tourist: In the summer, the city is filled with tourists from all around the globe
FESTIVAL: A festival is an extraordinary event celebrated by a community and centering on some characteristic aspect or aspects of that community and its religion or cultures. It is often marked as a local or national holiday, mela, or eid
TOURISM: Tourism is travel for pleasure or business, and the commercial activity of providing and supporting such travel.
CULTURE: Culture is an umbrella term which encompasses the social behavior, institutions, and norms found in human societies, as well as the knowledge, beliefs, arts, laws, customs, capabilities, and habits of the individuals in these groups. Culture is often originated from or attributed to a specific region or location
TOURIST ATTRACTION: A tourist attraction is a place of interest that tourists visit, typically for its inherent or an exhibited natural or cultural value, historical significance, natural or built beauty, offering leisure and amusement.
1.8 ORGANIZATION OF THE STUDY
The rest of this research study is structured as follows: The second chapter is a literature survey, providing an overview of existing studies on festivals, tourism, and their interrelation. The study methodology is described in full in Chapter 3, including data gathering methods, sample methodologies, and data analysis procedures. Chapter 4 contains the study’s findings and analyses. Finally, Chapter 5 explores the consequences of the findings, makes suggestions, and offers a conclusion summarizing the important findings and indicates future research areas.
1.9 SUMMARY
Overall, the goal of this research project is to shed light on the influence of festivals on tourism in Western Nigeria by giving a comprehensive knowledge of the cultural, economic, and social elements of festival tourism. This study intends to contribute to sustainable tourism development by investigating the viewpoints of residents and visitors, as well as to support the preservation and appreciation of Western Nigeria’s rich cultural legacy.
