Introduction to Tourism

DURBAR-Kaduna

Cultural heritage as tourism, is the fastest growing segment of the tourism industry because there is an increased trend of movement among tourists. This trend is evident in the rise in the volume of tourists who seek adventure, culture, history, archaeology and interaction with local people. Cultural tourism has indeed become a new area of tourism demand, which almost all policy makers are now aware of and anxious to develop.

Tourism is seen as “the study of people away from their usual habitat, of the establishment which responds to the requirement of travellers and of the impacts that they have on the economic, physical and social well being of their host”. This definition recognises the key players in the industry as tourists (people who travel out of their usual place of residence), tourism industry (establishments that responds to the needs of travellers), impacts (economic, environmental, social and cultural) and the host community whose tourism resource the tourist have come to enjoy.

Tourism development takes place where the natural/ cultural environments are attractive and desirable. Rocks, mountains, streams, beaches, flora and fauna to mention but a few are examples of natural environment that attract large number of tourist. The cultural environment entails the part of the environment that is man-made and developed. The material component of cultural environment are purpose built structures and sites, caves, historical buildings, architectural features and ancient monument. The non-material components of the cultural environment are the culture of the people which entails the folklores, dance and carnivals.