Socio-economic impacts of ecotourism attractions in Enugu state, Nigeria

The study examined the socio-economic impacts of ecotourism attractions in Enugu State with special interest to investigate the trending benefits, effects and challenges of ecotourism development in the State. Questionnaire survey and interview guided by participatory rural appraisal techniques were employed to elicit needed information. The findings of the study revealed that the ecotourism industry in the area attracted benefits such as; provision of jobs, business opportunities, improved family income, patronage of local products and improved transport system. Irrespective of these benefits, the study also revealed that there were accruing challenges such as; lack of trained labor power, lack of government interest, lack of private sector participation, poor administration of the ecotourism sites, inadequate security, lack of standard supermarkets and poor accommodation facilities. Based on these findings, the study recommended that all stakeholders of the tourism industry should participate actively in all stages of ecotourism development in the area and that tourism should be enrolled as one of the core subjects or course in the secondary schools, colleges and universities to improve the awareness of the local people and improve the labor power.