RELIGIOUS TOURISM IN NIGERIA: THE ECONOMIC PERSPECTIVE

Abstract

Religious tourism is one of the most ancient forms of tourism. The primordial movements of man took him to places where he could find food, shelter, clothing and his God or god in the then known holy sites. As a phenomenon which has survived till today, religious tourism excites interests in various areas of scholarship. This is informed by the fact that tours for religious reasons is a human activity which influences other aspects of anthropological realities. So, it is not an exclusivity of faith–driven concerns only; it also includes the economy, for instance. This work therefore strives to examine the economic perspective of religious tourism using Nigeria as a local context. Today, religious tourism is a great economic force in Nigeria as it affects the incomes and expenditures of Nigerians in more senses than one. This paper seeks to know the economic characteristics of religious tourism and its positive or negative impacts on the economy of Nigeria. It advocates for an enhancement of the faith – based tourism status of Nigeria with the view to improving the economic and general wellbeing of all Nigerians. The findings of this work influenced the recommendations proffered in it in order to facilitate and sustain this essential sector which has received less emphasis over the years in the country. The methodology employed in the study is descriptive–observational which means that religious tourists and the stakeholders in the sector were observed and studied over time.