Achieving the Millennium Development Goals: issues and options for the Nigeria’s tourism industry

Abstract

Many countries have experienced how tourism  and  related  recreation  activities can help to increase and diversity their economic bases, particularly in rural areas (Fawson, Thilmany, and Keith 1998). Several empirical studies have also documented  that  tourism  has  direct,  indirect and induced impacts on economic development (Slee, Farr, and Snowdon, 1997). In fact, the industry is one of the most crucial tradable sectors in the world. Tourism is an effective weapon which can assist underdeveloped countries to achieve the 2015 anti – poverty MDGs. Globally the tourism industry has created 100, 000 new jobs a year, thus accounting for 11 per cent of global employment (WTO, 2004). Furthermore, tourism is the only service industry where there is a positive balance of trade flows from first world to their world countries. Most African cities where half of young people account for about 50 per cent of the population could reap enormous rewards from growth of this industry. According to the WTO, 50 per cent of the world’s poorest nations rank tourism in their top three income sources, attracting vital foreign exchange.