The security impact of Nigerian fallow tourist attractions on the residents of surrounding communities

Abstract

Amidst globalisation, tourism industry has emerged as a huge revenue source for different countries across the globe, most especially in the developed world. Nigeria is one of the developing countries that are yet to fully tap their tourism potentials, due to many socio-political factors. Beyond undermining the country's quest for economic diversification, fallow tourist attractions across the country hypothetically negate internal safety and security, hence the need for empirical researches to inform policy interventions. This study specifically focused on Zuma Rock (in Niger state) to examine the relationship between the rock's physical surrounding and criminal occurrences, analyse the feeling of safety among the residents of communities surrounding it, and establish the extent of their confidence in the formal agencies of social control. The study utilised area life cycle model to view the place of the rock in relation to other developed tourist sites, which shows it remains at the first stage of tourism development. Further, insight was drawn from defensible space theory to analyse the relationship between the rock's physical environment and crime. A mixed-methods approach involving quantitative and qualitative data was adopted for the study. A total of 304 respondents across five communities surrounding the rock were randomly selected for questionnaire administration, and additional 80 were judgementally selected for a total of 10 FGD sessions-two in each of the five selected communities. In light of the area life cycle and defensible space framework, the study found that failure to develop a notable tourist attraction breeds crime. It is also found that the study population live in fear due to the prevalence of violent crimes in the rock's vicinity, and their lack of confidence in formal law enforcement agents. It is therefore recommended that government should prioritise the development of the destination while making effort to strengthen the law enforcement agencies.