PAPER TITLE :FACTORS AFFECTING TOURISTS’ EXPERIENCE AT IDANRE HILLS ONDO STATE, NIGERIA

APPLIED TROPICAL AGRICULTURE | VOLUME 20 NUMBER 2 2015

Paper Details

  • Author(s) : Arowosafe, F.C. and Omopariola D.J.
  • Abstract:

Millions of people travel specifically to engage in nature experience at various tourist destinations such as Idanre hills, Nigeria. This study was carried out to provide information on tourists’ purpose of visits as well as determine the factors affecting tourists’ experience at Idanre hills in Ondo State, Nigeria. Data were collected from one hundred and fifty (150) randomly selected tourists using semi-structured questionnaires. The data collected were analysed using descriptive statistics. The results show that 67.7% of the respondents were students, while 72% were female. The factors that were identified as tourists’ negative experience at Idanre hills include: lack of easy access to refreshment (18.5%), lack of quick access to first aid treatment (15.4%), over-crowding of people especially during the festive periods (13.9%) and dirty environment (13.9%). Other negative experiences of the respondents include changes in season (10.7%), lack of comfortable accommodation at the top of the hill (9.2%), lack of directional signs on the hill (9.2%) and poor communication network (9.2%). The four factors that constituted tourists’ positive experience at Idanre Hill, are: presence of artefacts and a rich cultural history (38.5%), helpful tour guides (27.6%), good road (18.5%) and cheap toll fee (15.4%). About 53.9% of the respondents visited Idanre hills for recreation activities, while 33.8% visited for research purposes and 12.3% for religious purposes. An understanding of these different factors affecting tourist experience is expected to assist the tourist site managers to improve the quality of products and services being offered at Idanre hills. Better management of the site will eliminate some of the negative experiences and thus lead to more positive experiences, thereby increasing tourists’ visitation to the site.