PERCEIVED IMPACTS OF ECOTOURISM AND RESIDENTS SUPPORT FOR POTENTIAL ECOTOURISM DEVELOPMENT IN IMO STATE

Abstract

This study appraised the perceived impact of ecotourism on residents' support for potential ecotourism development in Imo state. Data for the study were obtained with a
set of 360 Likert scale semi-structured questionnaire design by Lankford and Howard (2004). The questionnaires were administered to the households in the purposively selected communities using random sampling techniques. Data for the study were analyzed using descriptive statistics in the form of frequency count, percentage, mean, standard deviation and cross tabulation while correlation was used to test the  relationship. The finding of the study confirmed the existence of four tourism impact constructs pertaining to economic, social, cultural and environmental impacts. The economic, cultural and environmental impacts are positively associated with the total tourism impacts while social impacts negatively affect the total impact. Though the residents perceived that ecotourism development creates some negative social impacts, the total impact to enhance potential ecotourism development was positive with a mean of 4.21. Therefore, the local communities are likely to support the harnessing of ecotourism potentials for the development of the state. The study recommended that government and other stakeholders should pay adequate attention to perceived impacts of potential ecotourism development by the resident communities which would in turn assist in achieving sustainable development of such projects in the state.