Assessing Community Engagement in Tourism Planning and Development in Nigeria:A Case Study of Arinta Waterfall Tourist Resort,Ipole Iloro Ekiti State

摘要

Tourism development and finance is seen as a very viable means of economic developmentudfor any country. Apart from generating wealth for the economy, tourist sites also enhanceudcommunity cohesion and promote peace within the host community. Tourism needs a highudlevel of planning and this has to involve the local community in order for them to have audsense of attachment to the site.udThis paper reviews the Arinta Waterfall in Iloro Ekiti, Nigeria. it presents the report of audresearch into how engaged the members of the community are regarding the resort.udInterviews were held with key stakeholders in the community and in the state planningudauthority. Questionnaires were also distributed among staff of the resort as well asudcommunity members randomly.udThe result shows that the community members don’t feel attached to the tourist site hence;udthere is a strong tendency for them to blame the lack of development and public awareness ofudthe resort of the government officials.udThis paper however recommends that Community engagement and impact of developmentudmust be given high cognisance as lack of community acceptance can have adverse effect onudany development; and that there is a need for tourism promotion and awareness. It is indeeduddisheartening when majority of people living in a neighbourhood are oblivious of the vastudnatural endowment within their community. Community interest and social capital can be developed through coordinated attempts and effort by the developers and planners byuddesigning sustainable means of engaging with local community groups.