The Distribution of Hospitality Services in Uyo Urban, Nigeria Eneyo, Violet Bassey Department of Geography and Environmental Science, University of Calabar, Nigeria DOI: https://doi.org/10.33281/JTHS20129.2017.2.10 Abstract This paper examines the distribution of hospitality services in Uyo Urban, Nigeria. GIS method was the primary tool used for data collection. A global positioning system (GPS) Garmin 60 model was used in tracking the location of 102 hospitality services in the study area. One hypothesis was stated and tested using the nearest neighbour analysis. The finding shows evidence of clustering of the various hospitality services. The tested hypothesis further indicated that hospitality services clustered in areas that guarantee a sustainable level of patronage to maximize profit. Thus, the hospitality services clustered in selected streets in the metropolis while limited numbers were found outside the city’s central area. Keywords: distribution, hospitality service, tourism support services, spatial, facilities Introduction Around the globe, some experts like Eja & Eneyo (2018), Ajake (2015), Effiom & Obong (2013), Akpabio (2007), and Eneyo, Bassey & Ekpenyong (2017), have postulated that the primary factor that influences the distribution of hospitality services in an urban area is the pressing need of such service. They further assumed that other public services such as the provision of street lights, transportation services, and recreational facilities has contributed to the comfort level of most visitors and tourists. In a metropolitan city, spatial distribution constraints are critical when dealing with service delivery. For most of the hospitality services such as lodging- accommodation, food and beverage, travel agency, entertainment industry and timeshare especially in cosmopolitan cities and towns, physical proximity is necessary (Ajake, 2015; Akpabio, 2007 and Butler, 1980). In any case, the spatial distribution of other services influences the distribution of hospitality services at international and national levels. Many countries such as France, United States, China, Spain, Italy, Turkey amongst others rely on the dynamic features of the tourism sector as the primary reason behind the spatial distribution of hospitality services as well as infrastructural growth which contributes to the promotion of hospitality services (WTTC, 2011). In Akwa Ibom State, Nigeria, the development of such tourism resources as the raffia craft gallery, slave route and relics, golf resort, Ikwo Journal of Tourism and Heritage Studies 137 © 2018: V.B. Eneyo & M.O. Ekong Vol. 7, No. 2, 2018 138 Journal of Tourism and Heritage Studies river bridge, Ibom hall, Ibeno beach, Wonderland Amusement park, Itu bridge, Ibom Plaza and Godswill Akpabio international stadium influence the emergence of hospitality services namely hotels, eateries, communication and transport services which tourists need. Furthermore, the availability of tourism attractions has also helped improve tourists’ arrivals which at the same time has encouraged the rapid development and patronage of hospitality services in the area. These include Tropicana, Galilee resort, Bannys Resort, Amazon Resort, Wonderland Resort, Sheergrace Event centre, Discovery Resort and Amazing Grace Event centre among others which provide tourists with friendly services during their short or long stay in the host community. The presence of the Ibom Tropicana entertainment centre, Amazing grace event centre, Amazon Resort, Wonderland Resort, Sheergrace Event centre, Discovery Resort located in Uyo provided essential facilities for both entertainment, relaxation and recreation purposes. Apart from the numerous infrastructural services provided by hospitality services, they also provide employment opportunities and at the same time revenue to the state and local government through taxation. However, despite the tremendous values associated with hospitality services, a casual look at the distribution of hospitality services in Uyo Urban reveals that many of them are along major roads and streets in the city. During the reconnaissance survey, it was observed that some areas seem to be overserved with hospitality services while others are underserved or not even served at all. Also, during the preliminary research, it was observed that hospitality services are closely knitted on an average of about 1km to 2km in selected streets in Uyo Urban such as Ewet Housing Estate, Udo Udoma Avenue and Nsikak Eduok Avenue. However, due to the nature of hospitality services as a contemporary phenomenon, there has been little effort to explain its spatial pattern and distribution in Uyo Urban, Nigeria. Hence, the urgent need to map and examine the distribution of hospitality services in the city. The pull concept explains the motivation to travel to and utilize the attractions and facilities in destinations other than where the travellers reside. These pull factors generally cannot be experienced in the home environment as, for example, the sun and sand that cannot be found in Northern Europe during winter. Push factors in the context of this research help to explain why people choose to take a vacation to a particular destination. Pull factors help to explain why most hospitality service delivery centres choose a particular destination. (Wright 1998; Baud-Bovy, 2002).In the context of this study, hospitality services are distributed at certain areas because they want to satisfy a need or want (push factors), and when for The Distribution of Hospitality Services in Uyo Urban 139 example local authorities have established good hospitality services and facilities then tourists want to use them (pull factors). Tourists have different needs and expectations and as a result, they also have different motivations for travelling or for choosing destinations. It is vital for proprietors of hospitality services to collect information about customers, but it is equally important to know why people are not travelling or taking advantage of hospitality services in specific locations in Uyo Urban. The tourist is attracted by a destination’s attributes resulting from publicity or promotion or any other means, which gives the tourist a perceived image of the particular destination. It is evident that pull motivations play an essential role in shaping the tourist travel motivations and boost the desire of the individual to have an experience at the particular destination as indicated by Dann (1981). He argued that pull factors of the resort such as sunshine, relaxed tempo, and friendly natives both respond to and reinforce push factor motivation. McGee et al. (1996) confirmed that pull motivations are those that are inspired by a destination’s attractiveness such as beaches, recreation facilities, cultural attractions, entertainment, natural scenery, shopping and parks which stimulate and reinforce intrinsic push motivations. The pull concept indicates that individuals from each country might travel for the same reasons but reasons for choosing a particular hospitality service destination and the level of importance attached to it might differ among them due to the varying nature of each service destination. Furthermore, several types of research have suggested linking activities between travellers and destinations (Gunn, 2002; Mansfield, 1992). Additionally, You et al. (2000) combine travel infrastructures with environmental quality and safety as significant dimensions of destination attributes. Naturally, one should reinforce pull motives and be more destination specific when including these dimensions as destination attributes. It is therefore essential to have a look into what forms part of a tourist destination, as perceived by the traveller to have a better understanding of things that undermine the choice of a particular destination. Mill and Morrison (1998), describe the destination product as predominantly “a bundle” of services and experiences which is convergent to Buhali’s (2000) definition that see tourist destination as an amalgam of tourist products, services and public goods consumed under the same brand name, thus offering the consumer an integrated experience. An attempt by Crouch & Ritchie (2000) comprehensively summarized the various factors that together contribute to a tourist destination experience. They highlighted that the 140 Journal of Tourism and Heritage Studies service infrastructure and destination environment are important categories in building the tourist destination experience. Methodology Data for this study were obtained from nominal and cyclical type of data. The variables were measured in the discrete domain. The types of data include the number of hospitality service - nominal scale or discrete data and the location of the hospitality service - a cyclical type of data. The study also made use of the entire population of the hospitality service in Uyo Urban of Akwa Ibom State. One hundred and two (102) hospitality services were identified and used for this study. The complete enumeration was adopted because the researcher was interested in the distributional pattern of hospitality services. Hence, there was no need for using a sample. GIS method was used for the collection of data. A global positioning system (GPS) Garmin 60 model was used in tracking the location of hospitality service in the study area. The data obtained were recorded in the field forms and reviewed thereafter. The determinant of the distance of the 102 hospitality services from the road and locations of