INDIGENOUS PEOPLES PERCEPTION OF ECOTOURISM IN CROSS RIVER STATE, NIGERIA

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1 Part-I: Social Sciences an Humanities INDIGENOUS PEOPLES PERCEPTION OF ECOTOURISM IN CROSS RIVER STATE, NIGERIA Felix E. Ojong 1, Eja I. Eja 2, Veronica A. Unelikwo 3, Emmanuel A. Agbor 4 1&3 Department of Urban an Regional Planning, Cross River University of Technology Calabar, 2 & 4 Department of Geography an Regional Planning, University of Calabar, NIGERIA. 1 ejako2007@yahoo.com, 2 ejaiwara43@gmail.com ABSTRACT The presents of ecotourism potentials in Cross River State has cause many scholars in the inustry to question why the ecotourism potentials have not been fully explore by people especially the enclave communities within the ecotourism zones. However, two ecotourism zones were use which inclue Cross River State National Park an Okwangwo an two communities were selecte from each zone. Two hunre responents were use for this stuy of which fifty questionnaires were ranomly istribute to each of the community. The questionnaires were esign to capture the people perception of ecotourism an finings reveale that there was a low awareness an knowlege of ecotourism in the area. Besies, majority of the sample population expresse inifference with regars to ecotourism. Therefore, aequate eucation on ecotourism most be given to the people especially to communities within the ecotourism zones in Cross River State. Keywors: Ecotourism, community, environment, potentials, perception. INTRODUCTION In recent times, many scholars qualify ecotourism even more specifically, suggesting that it also must provie irect revenue towars the conservation or protection of natural areas an eucate tourists about relate environmental issues. Toay, ecotourism as travel to natural areas to unerstan the cultural an natural history of the environment, taking care not to alter the integrity of the ecosystem, while proucing opportunities that make the conservation of the natural resources beneficial to local citizens (Eagles, 1992). Accoringly Dixon et al., (1995) argues that ecotourism must provie more than mere employment; it must foster change in the attitues an behavior of tourists about the protection of natural resources. However, ecotourism provies a way of eucating community to ensure the protection of the environment. Through travel also to ensure that the local community sustaine their natural environment. Toay, lack of local community enlightenment an awareness an positive attitue to ecotourism an the natural environment has le to the epletion of the environment through mass tourism (Doan, 2000). This was affirme by Asuan Hotelier (1997) in his empirical fining of a Hong Kong travel agent who casually flicke his cigarette butt into the waters of the Great Barrier Reef in Australia, without any regar to the consequences of his actions. In Cross River State ecotourism projects have faile to aress funamental issues such as roa network, security, an as a result the inigenous people within the ecotourism zone pai negative attitue to ecotourism since they lack aequate knowlege about the potentials of ecotourism. Besies, the ecotourism zone lacks stanar facilities to attract tourist arrivals which woul have been a mechanism to create a positive estination image an also encouraging interaction between the locals an other visitors in the area. Moreso, in Cross River State, the inigenous people are not aequately informe of the ecotourism criteria even though they are involve in tourism activities uring the Christmas carnival, they o not unerstan the full concept of ecotourism an this has le to the neglect of 275

2 Acaemic Research International ecotourism in Cross River State which is the focus of this work to assesse inigenous people perception of ecotourism in Cross River State with specific reference to assessing the awareness an perception of inigenous people towars ecotourism an also to examine the major challenges towars ecotourism in the area. LITERATURE REVIEW The core meaning of perception is immeiate awareness. To perceive something is to become irectly or immeiately aware of it. For example, by means of our senses we perceive or become aware of the objects, events, an persons in environment. Perception amounts to apprehension or intuition. Nearly any use of the senses can affor elight uner the proper aesthetic attitue. People's information about a particular area may vary consierably, an the mental images they buil up may reflect not only their surrounings but many other aspects of themselves an their lives. When the geographers use the term "environment" toay, they o not think simply of the physical environment for they have greatly enlarge their spectrum to take in the man-mae an social environments that are usually of much greater importance in human affairs. How men perceive their physical an social environment is a crucial question for the contemporary human geographers. It is also important for the way it irects the geographer s attention to other areas of the human sciences in which environmental questions are rapily emerging. Herbert Simon has note that it may be useful to think of human behaviour as being quite simple, but that most people live in very complex physical, man-mae an social environments so their actual behaviour appears extremely complicate. He raws an analogy with an ant moving over a beach ribbe with waves of san; a map of the ant's behaviour was irecte at achieving her simple goal of getting back to her nest. The crooke path we see reflects the complicate wavy surface or environment in which her simple task is carrie out, rather than truly complex behaviour or her part. Of course, this is only an analogy an given Simon's eep concern for unerstaning the human conition he woul be the first to eny that men are simply ants. His approach to the unerstaning of human behaviour is most intriguing, however, an virtually reverses traitional viewpoints in which the extreme complexity of man's behaviour is seen to lie within him. The assumption that human behaviour is simple maybe very fruitful, just because it irects our attention to the environments in which people's lives are embee. It has alreay le to some moels of man that are extremely thought provoking an make goo intuitive sense. George (1967) psychologist emphasise in a controversial work in operant conitioning were formulate after years of meticulous experiments with animals. His basic is that perception can be altere by controlling the environment in which perception takes place. Since we are alreay controlling human behaviour, whether we realize it or not, we shoul recognise this explicitly so that any alterations in behaviour by manipulating the environment can be issecte to useful social ens. His proposals have generate very violent reactions for his ieas evoker the specter of "Big Brother", an many are worrie about the control of the controller. Some have pointe out the basic circularity of his arguments for the controllers themselves will have been conitione by a controlle environment since chilhoo, an will continue to live their lives uner such conitions. Nevertheless, his explicit recognition that the human environment is a etermining force in man's behaviour is going to have a lasting impact upon human affairs. Foster (1972) has taken the view that a eeper unerstaning of man environment-interaction can be achieve by looking at the various psychological processes through which man comes to know the environment in which he lives, an by examining the way in which these processes influence the nature of resultant behaviour. Human existence is mostly hinge on perception. Most of the groups, eg cultural or iniviual rely's on perceiving as perception is one of the most clear instances of consciousness. Inee, to be alive an active is to be sentient (Ebongm, 1995). 276

3 Part-I: Social Sciences an Humanities Accoring to Ebong (1995) the key to successful control of environmental problem lies in the planner's effort to comprehen a whole range of problems intrinsic to people's perception of their environment an their concomitant behaviour. Environment perceive clarifies the notion that it is the human min which not only rives the human boy but shapes an moves the physical worl, any change in man, his value, his attitue, his goals an aspiration, open to change by those who are traine an inspire to accomplish that goal (Ebong, 1995). Base on this concept, this research woul necessarily suggest that the government consiers the attitues values an opinions of the inhabitants rather than promulgating an enacting laws, eicts, ecrees an sanctions on efaulters. Mosley (1958) in his own opinion says the reason for ifferent behaviours is the situation an the way in which things are perceive by us an others. The amount of information assimilate through our perception can affect our belief. Saying that perception an behaviour as a function represent the most pertinent portion of the environment. So the Okwangwo National Park, to be fruitful as an eco-tourism project, more interest an attention shoul be given to the problems, attitues an the perception of both the elites an rural wellers. Increasing recognition of the fact that, people respon not only to physical attributes of the environment but also to the psychological an sociological variables when they take ecision on where they locate inustrial establishment or how to utilise the earth's surface (Sonnenfiel, 1990). The perception of people mostly those of the elite s class an rural wellers as regar the National Park in Cross River State (Okwangwo ivision) is quite istinct. Analysing these facts, an unerstaning of the interactions between human society an physical environment is inevitable. In some intellectualistic quarters, the traition of analysing society separately from the environment is fully consiere. This ualistic approach has its origin in the work of Strabo (64 BC-AD20), his work on Geographical rew istinctions between people an was reflecte in the fashion for informal 'wil garens'. The belief that communion with natural perception was morally an spiritually uplifting became wiesprea. Also the perception of the environment as nature unimpaire by people became istinct in outlook. Although the massive reistribution of population from the city i not take place till the 19th century. In Britain, the proportion of the population living in towns with more than 5000 inhabitants increase from 13-25% between 1700 an The new viewpoint of the countrysie evelope not only because of the physical problems of urban living-the towns were heavily pollute by coal burning an inustrial processes - but also because the new merchant class sought to emulate the nobility by purchasing country estates or houses. The countrysie ha become fashionable. However, the country sie itself was being transforme as the cultivate areas were extene an also between neat an orerly heges. This tell the more reason why the Okwangwo National Park shoul be preserve for future generations irrespective of the perceptional level of the people involve (Elites/Rural wellers). Thomas (1983) argues that the 18th Century taste for romantic, uncultivate lanscape was, in part, a reaction to this shift in the nature of the cultivate lanscape. Also he sai, the beginnings of contemporary concern with the conservation of rural environments can be iscerne. Accoring to Worster (1977) he suggeste that there were two main traitions in attitues towars environment; the arcaian an the imperial, the ARCADIAN is typifie for him by Gilbert White ( ), a quiet country parson in the village of Selborne who spent his ays stuying the natural history of the area. STUDY AREA This stuy was conucte in two ecotourism zone which inclue Cross River national park which is locate on longitue an N an Latitue 8015 an E an rich with blens of unique relief features while the Okwangwo iversion lies on latitue N 277

4 Acaemic Research International an longitue an E. However, the two ecotourism zone paraes enough green vegetation, beautiful lanscapes, agreeable climate an variety of flora an fauna which makes the areas a natural paraise. METHODOLOGY This stuy was concentrate in Cross River State taken into consieration two ecotourism zones which inclue Cross River National Park an Okwangwo Division. In each of the two ecotourism zones, two communities each were use to assess the community s opinion about ecotourism. However, in Cross River National Park, the two communities selecte were Nsoag an Ekang while in Okwangwo the two communities were Belegete an Bamba. Two hunre copies of questionnaire were ranomly istribute to the two ecotourism zones of which fifty copies were istribute to each of the community. The questionnaires were esign on a likert-type scaling in which each of the community were requeste to complete some questions concerning their knowlege an awareness of ecotourism, also to rate the significant aspects of ecotourism an the major challenge in embarking on an ecotourism trip. Awareness of Ecotourism The inigenous people s awareness of ecotourism objectives presente in table 1 inicate that over 89% of the responents are awareness that ecotourism objectives is to learne more about the environment which was also witness on the two communities in ecotourism zones with values of 21.5% an 23%. It was also observe that creating environmental awareness an reucing negative impact on the estination visit was another objective of ecotourism as observe in the two communities. Sr Awareness of ecotourism variables Wiling to knows the environment Creating environmental awareness Impacts on the natural ecosystem Taking a trip to ecotourism estination Funing for ecotourism conservation Table 1. Inigenous people awareness of ecotourism Cross River National Park Pop sample % Okwangwo Division % Total Total Source: Fiel survey, 2011 Inigenous People in Ecotourism The level of inigenous people interest in knowing about ecotourism inicate in figure 1 reveale that over 40% of the responents in the two communities were neutral in their responses in knowing about ecotourism. Although, it was notice that 20% an 80% of the responents in the communities also remaine neutral about their interest in knowing more about ecotourism. However, it was observe that 4% an 13% of the responents were neither not very intereste or not interest in ecotourism. This result was also witness in each of the ecotourism zone with values of Cross River National Park 3% while Okwangwo ivision 9% respectively. 278

5 Part-I: Social Sciences an Humanities Source: Fiel survey, 2011 Figure 1. Inigenous people interest in knowing about ecotourism However, the level of inigenous people s interest in taking part in ecotourism presente in table 2 reveale that 28% of the responents in the two ecotourism zone were both neutral an very intereste in taking part in ecotourism in the areas. Nevertheless, 10% of the responents in the communities in the ecotourism zones were not very intereste an not intereste in taking part in ecotourism. Sr Interest in involving ecotourism level of interest in ecotourism Table 2. The people s interest in taking in ecotourism Cross River National Park Pop sample % Okwangwo ivision % Total 1 Not very intereste Not intereste Neutral Intereste Very intereste Total Source: Fiel survey, 2011 Major Challenges of Ecotourism Not very intereste Not intereste Neutral Intereste Very intereste Cross River National Park Percentage Okwangwo Division Percentage The major challenges of taking ecotourism trip presente in table 3 show that 28% an 19.5% of the responents in the communities in the ecotourism zone attest to the fact that absent of knowlege about the estination an travelling cost were the major challenges of taking ecotourism trip. Although, other challenges such as lack of time with value 9% an lack of companion with value 8.5% were also barriers in taking ecotourism trip. However, this result was also notice in iniviual community as presente in table 2 with values of Cross River National Park 10% an 9.3% while Okwangwo Division ha values of 13.5% an 10% 279

6 Acaemic Research International respectively. Moreso, ata collecte reveale that lack of interest in ecotourism an government regulations were not the major challenges to ecotourism in the areas. Sr 1 Challenges inicators Table 3. Major challenges of involving in an ecotourism trip Absent of knowlege about the estinations CRSNP Pop sample % Okwangwo Division Pop sample % Total Travelling cost Lack of time Lack of companion Lack of security Lack of estination Lackof aequate transportation means Lack of goo facilities Lack of interest in ecotourism Source: Fiel survey, 2011 RECOMMENDATIONS Total Toay, the rate of ecotourism awareness seems to be very iscouraging especially within the inigenous communities aroun the ecotourism zones. Finings have shown that much is still nee to be one in orer to boost ecotourism in Cross River State an within the enslave communities in particular. Therefore, this paper put forwar the following recommenations if ecotourism must be given aequate attention by both the local resients an people in general. 1. The inigenous communities within the ecotourism zones must be enlightene on the potential impacts of ecotourism in the areas 2. The stakeholers in the inustry shoul provie a conucive atmosphere that woul encourage the locals to embarke on ecotourism trip 3. The lack of knowlege an community awareness of ecotourism is limite in the communities uner stuy an unless further an appropriate stanar of eucation is provie, the communities will not obtain a proper unerstaning of ecotourism an misconception with regars this form of tourism is likely to continue. CONCLUSION In Cross River State, the lack of awareness an knowlege of ecotourism among the people an especially the resients within the ecotourism zones have hinere the effective ecotourism activities in the areas. However, finings reveale that lack of awareness an knowlege of ecotourism has seriously affecte the level of inigenous people interest in taking ecotourism trip. Besies, it was observe that majority of the sample population in the communities were not aware of ecotourism an if there were, the possesse limite 280

7 Part-I: Social Sciences an Humanities knowlege about ecotourism in the area. Majority of the sample population also emonstrate some level of inifference towars ecotourism. To this en, the stakeholers in the inustry must aequately enlighten the communities within the ecotourism zones on the nee to participate in ecotourism activities. REFERENCES Bar-On, R. (1989). Travel an tourism. Data. Lonon press. Boo, E. (1990). Ecotourism, the potentials an pitfalls. Worl willife fun, Vol. 2. Washington, D. C. Britton, S. & Clarke, W. C. (1987). Ambiguous alternative: tourism in small eveloping countries. Fiji: University of south pacific. Ebong, M. O. (1991). Mobilization of resources for rural evelopment in Nigeria. Wusen press Limite Publisher. Ebong, M. O. & Bassey, B. J. (1995). Environment perception an human. Macmillan press limite. Foster, J. (1967). Provision for countrysie an coast- National parks. Course on recreation an leisure, York institute of avance architectural stuies. Doan, T. M. (2000). The effect of ecotourism in eveloping nations: An analysis of case stuies. Journal of sustainable tourism, 8(4) Hong Kong Prouctivity Council. (1999). Environmental sustainable evelopment strategy for Hong Kong s. Travel an tourism inustry: Action plan an appenices. Hong Kong: Hong prouctivity council environmental management ivision Mosley, J. G. (1958) The peak istrict national park. A regional stuy of an amenity area. Private communication, university of Nothingham, Dept of geography. Nicoara, A. M. (1992). Eco-tourism: Trojan horse or savior of the last, best place? Travel matters (Moon publications Alternative Travel Newsletter). Sonnenfiel, W. (1976). Geography, perceptional an behavioral environment. In man, space as environment, Oxfor University Press. Thomas, K. (1983). Man an the natural worl. Lonon: Allen lane. Worster, D. (1977). Nature s economy: A history of ecological ieas. Cambrige: University Press. Cross River National park.(1989). Oban ivision. Plan for eveloping the park an its support zone. Oban facility stuy, worlwie fun for nature (WWF). Schuerholz, G., Hear, S. & Sullivan, F. (1989). Management plan, Nigeria: conservation an evelopment of the CRNP-Oban ivision. 281