Ecotourism and Community Development in Baturiya Wetland Game Reserve Nigeria
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Date
2014-09
Authors
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Kampala International University, College of Economics and Management Sciences .
Abstract
The study aimed at evaluating the factors that harness ecotourism and community development
in the study area. The specific objectives included; To determine the socio-demographic
characteristics of respondents in terms of age, gender, level of education. To establish the level
of ecotourism contributions in and around Baturiya wetland game reserve: To identify the level
of community development in and around Baturiya wetland game reserve: and To establ ish
significant relationship between contributions of ecotourism and community development in
and around Baturiya wetland game reserve. The research tools used was questionnaire and
interview guide which was developed from internet, scrutinized and amended with some
additional questions related to the study, Sampling procedure used was stratified simple
random sampling, also collection of data from a sample of 109 and interview guides was
carried out from respondents which were purposively selected from the study area, The
demographic of the respondents were summarized using frequencies and percentage
distributions. Data were presented in form of tables and frequencies, percentages, means,
standard deviation and ranks were used. The data were also analyzed. The means and standard
deviations is used to illustrate the means responses, meanwhile Ecotourism and its
contributions in and Around Baturiya Wetland Game Reserve, the researcher used correlation
and regression analysis for testing hypothesis at 0.05 level of significance, by which the results
reveal that, there is a positive significant relationship between social contributions of
ecotourism and community development (r ยท= 0.719). Since (sig. = 0.000 < 0.05), the result
therefore leads to rejection of the hypothesis. RegressiOn analysis on the Ecotourism and
Community Development in and Around Baturiya Wetland Game Reserve was done. The
results show that (F = 94.2.85, sig. = 0.000) the result leads to rejection of hypotheses. The level
of ecotourism and its contributions in game reserve is high. This means that ecotourism has
contributed to the livelihood of the residents in and around Baturiya wetland game reserve, in
terms of social infrastructures, income generating activities among others. The results reveal
that there is a positive significant relationship between contributions of ecotourism and
community development in and around Baturiya wetland game reserve. Recommendation of
researcher and conclusion of the findings Therefore, the government needs to strike a balance
between tourism and community development, The government need to develop infrastructures
such as roads and hospitals as there are signs that ecotourism has not led to development of
infrastructures. The earning form of tourism needs to be reinvested in community development.
Description
A thesis submitted to the College of Higher Degree and Research in
Partial Fulfillment of the Requirement for the Award of
Master's Degree Tourism Management
Kampala International University.
Keywords
Ecotourism, Community Development, Wetland, Game Reserve, Nigeria