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i TITLE PAGE AN ETHNOGRAPHIC STUDY OF KEY INFRASTRUCTURES AND THEIR CONTRIBUTION TO TOUR-CENTERS IN OWERRI, IMO STATE BY NWOKOCHA, CHUKWUEMEKA VINCENT PG/MA/16/81176 A PROJECT REPORT SUBMITTED TO THE DEPARTMENT OF ARCHAEOLOGY AND TOURISM, FACULTY OF ARTS, UNIVERSITY OF NIGERIA, NSUKKA IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE AWARD OF MASTER OF ARTS DEGREE IN ARCHAEOLOGY AND TOURISM (TOURISM OPTION) SUPERVISOR: PROF E.E. OKAFOR NOVEMBER, 2018 ii APPROVAL PAGE AN ETHNOGRAPHIC STUDY OF KEY INFRASTRUCTURES AND THEIR CONTRIBUTIONS TO TDEVELOPMENT OF TOURIST CENTERS IN SOUTH EAST NIGERIA: A CASE STUDY OF OWERRI, IMO STATE. BY NWOKOCHA, CHUKWUEMEKA, VINCENT PG/MA/16/81176 THIS PROJECT HAS BEEN APPROVED FOR THE DEPARTMENT OF ARCHAEOLOGY AND TOURISM, UNIVERSITY OF NIGERIA, NSUKKA. BY __________________________ ______________________ SUPERVISOR INTERNAL EXAMINER ___________________ _______________________ EXTERNAL EXAMINER HEAD OF DEPARTMENT ______________________________ DEAN OF THE FACULTY iii CERTIFICATION MR. Nwokocha, Chukwuemeka Vincent, a Post-graduate student in the department of Archaeology/Tourism with registration number, PG/MA/16/81176, has satisfactorily completed the requirements for courses and the research work for the Master of Arts degree in Archaeology and Tourism.. The work embodied in this project report is original and has not been submitted in part or in full for any other diploma or degree of this or any other university. __________________________ __________________ DR. B.N. IBEANU PROF. E.E. OKAFOR (HEAD OF DEPARTMENT) (SUPERVISOR) ________________________________ EXTERNAL EXAMINER iv DEDICATION In loving memory of my Dad, Late Sir, Patrick Akujiobi, Nwokocha. v ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS To God be the glory for his love, strength, faithfulness and benevolence. I wish to express my gratitude to my supervisor, Prof E.E. Okafor my supervisor for his advice and guidance throughout the period of this work. I also wish to thank all my Lecturers, Prof A.I Okpoko, Prof P.U. Okpoko, Dr. P.I Eze-Uzomaka, Prof A.M. Ibeanu and Prof P.U.C Dieke. I also thank DR. E.E. Okonkwo for his contributions towards the success of this work. Finally, to my late dad, Sir, P. A, Nwokocha, may his gentle soul continue to rest in God’s bosom. Nwokocha, Chukwuemeka V. November, 2018. vi Preface This research work identifies the Key Infrastructures required for tourism growth and development in Owerri, Imo State, examines their state of development and maintenance with a view to determining the role they can play in tourism development and management. It must be noted that a good number of hospitality industries abound in Owerri, and these can be harnessed to promote tourism while encouraging societal growth and foreign investment. For easy apprehension, the work is divided into five chapters. Chapter one discusses the preliminary issues in research, namely: statement of the problem, the research questions, the objectives, the methodology, the significance and the limitations of the study. Chapter two deals with the literature review. This includes the theoretical and the empirical literature as well as the theoretical orientation. The background information is discussed under the chapter three while the data is presented and analyzed under the chapter four. Finally, the last chapter deals with the summary, recommendations and conclusion vii LIST OF FIGURES FIGURE 1: MAP OF SOUTH EASTERN NIGERIA SHOWING THE STUDY AREA 31 FIGURE 2: MAP SHOWING ROADS, HOTELS AND RIVERS IN OWERRI 40 viii LIST OF PLATES Plate 1: Showing Oru Festival - - - - - - - - 35 Plate 2: Showing Mbari Cultural Art Center - - - - - - - 36 Plate 3: Showing Concord Hotel Owerri - - - - - - - 37 Plate 4: Showing Asumpta Catedral - - - - - - - - 39 Plate 5: Showing Ihop Recreation Park - - - - - - - 40 Plate 6: Showing Libra Motor Terminal in Owerri - - - - - - 45 ix TABLE OF CONTENTS Title Page - - - - - - - - - - - i Approval Page - - - - - - - - - - - ii Certification Page - - - - - - - - - - iii Dedication - - - - - - - - - - - iv Acknowledgements - - - - - - - - - - v Preface - - - - - - - - - - - - vi List of figures - - - - - - - - - - - vii List of Plates - - - - - - - - - - - - viii Table of Contents - - - - - - - - - - ix CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION - - - - - - - 1 1.1 Statement of the Problem - - - - - - - - - 4 1.2 Research Objectives - - - - - - - - - - 6 1.3 Research Questions - - - - - - - - - - 6 1.4 Research Methodology - - - - - - - - - 7 1.5 Significance of the Study- - - - - - - - - - 8 1.6 Limitations of the Study - - - - - - - - - - 9 1.7 Clarification of Concepts - - - - - - - - - 10 1.7.1 Ethnography - - - - - - - - - - 10 1.72 Key Infrastructures- - - - - - - - - - 11 1.7.2 Tour centers- - - - - - - - - - - 13 CHAPTER TWO: LITERATURE REVIEW - - - - - - 15 2.1 Theoretical Literature - - - - - - - - - 15 2.1.1 Systems Theory - - - - - - - - - - 15 2.1.2. The Theory of Planned Behavior - - - - - - - 16 x 2.2 Empirical Literature - - - - - - - - - 17 2.2.1 The Relationship between Tourism and Infrastructures - - - - 17 2.2.2 Infrastructure Contribution to Tourism development - - - - - 21 2.3 Theoretical Orientation - - - - - - - - - 24 CHAPTER THREE: BACKGROUND INFORMATION - - - - 29 3.1 Geographical Location - - - - - - - - - - 30 3.2 Climate and Vegetation - - - - - - - - - - 31 3.3 Brief Historical Background - - - - - - - - - 32 3.4 Government and administrative Structures - - - - - - 32 3.5 Socio-Cultural Activities - - - - - - - - - 34 3.6 Socio-Economic Activities - - - - - - - - 35 CHAPTER FOUR: DATA PRESENTATION AND ANALYSIS - - - 41 4.1 Key Infrastructures in Owerri - - - - - - - - 42 4.1.1 Road Transport Infrastructure/Services Providers in Owerri - - - - 42 4.1.2 Water - - - - - - - - - - - 45 4.1.3 Communication Networks - - - - - - - - 47 4.1.4 Electricity - - - - - - - - - - 48 4.1.5 Hospitality Infrastructures - - - - - - - - 49 4.2 The State of Infrastructures and Tour Centres in Owerri - - - - - 49 4.3 Data Analysis - - - - - - - - - - 50 4.3.1 The State of Infrastructures and Tour-Centers in Owerri - - - - 50 4.3.2 Maintenance Practices, Measures for the maintenance of Road infrastructures and Tour Centers - - - - - - - - - 52 4.3.3 Problems Facing Infrastructure and Tourism centers in Owerri - - - 53 4.3.3.4 Ways of Mitigating these Problems - - - - - - - 54 xi CHAPTER FIVE: SUMMARY, RECOMMENDATIONS AND CONCLUSION - 55 5.1 Summary - - - - - - - - - - - - 55 5.2 Conclusion - - - - - - - - - - - 56 5.4 Suggestions for Further research - - - - - - - - 57 LIST OF INFORMANTS - - - - - - - - 59 REFERENCES - - - - - - - - - - 60 1 CHAPTER ONE INTRODUCTION According to the oxford English dictionary, Tourism is travel for pleasure or business, and can also be said to be the theory and practice of touring, the business of attracting, accommodating and entertaining tourists, and the business of operating tours. According to (Dieke, 2006 in Okpoko, 2006:54), The ‘tourist’ is a person who travels away from home, stays at least one night and does not engage in any paid employment in the destination visited. According to the world economic forum, tourism has been recognized as a delicate sector in the service industry having high prospect of generating economic growth and development (WEF, 2007). Acknowledging these facts, many developing and developed countries today rely on tourism as an option for sustainable development of their nations. Tourism industry has now grown to be the world’s largest industries and one of its fastest growing economic sectors. The sustained demand for travel & tourism, together with its ability to generate high levels of employment continues to prove the importance and value of the sector as a tool for economic development and job creation. Tourism however needs infrastructures and superstructures for its circle to be complete and its resources completely harnessed. Infrastructure is defined as the provision of public safety, transportation services, medical systems, financial systems, education systems, and other services involved in the population’s, as well as in tourists’ demand (Ritchie and Crouch, 2005). Tourism infrastructure is the basis of tourism development and utilization of existing destination resources. Tourism infrastructure includes a large number of services, necessary to meet the needs of tourists and increase satisfaction during their stay at the destination (Jovanovic and Ilic, 2 2016:1). As a component of the regional tourism product, tourism infrastructure is of special importance for long-term tourism growth and the general progress of tourist destinations in providing the required services to tourists. Tourism infrastructure can also be regarded as the physical elements that are designed and erected to cater for visitor. Tourism infrastructure includes ancillary and complementary facilities, equipment, systems, processes, and resources necessary for the functioning of every tourist destination. This primarily includes roads, railways, airports, and the like, which make a tourist destination accessible for tourists. In addition, infrastructure also includes health care systems, and public services. Building on infrastructure, superstructure includes building facilities, which exist only because of tourism activities. Their main purpose is accommodation and meeting the needs and desires of tourists, in the form of hotels, campsites, restaurants, sports facilities, and the like (Popesku, 2011 in Jovanovic and Ilic, 2016:1). The importance of tourism infrastructure is reflected in the fact that