Gems are usually not found on the surface level. They are hidden, waiting to be discovered, and if by chance discovered, they are worth a thousand pennies.
Tourism has been part of man’s existence where he consciously and unconsciously engages in it, either in search of greener pastures (migration), religious rituals (pilgrimage), expeditions, or for the fun of it (leisure). Tourism awareness became more pronounced during the colonial times, clothed in conquest and evangelism missions.
In contemporary society, tourism has come to stay, wearing different faces of humanity: Medical, Luxury/Urban, Cultural, Educational, Ecological, Sports, Agricultural, Gastronomy, and Community Tourism.
The majority of contemporary tourism practitioners have carved their niche in leisure and luxury, with a few centered on research, education, and eco-tourism. There is a great need to look into Community Tourism, which is the most beneficial to rural communities. Community tourism is an aspect of tourism that allows the host community to manage the tourist experience for the economic benefit of the community and, in turn, provide an authentic experience for tourists. To achieve this end, tour guides are sourced within the community.
Community-Based Tourism enhances travelers’ experiences, giving them a deeper connection with the community where they get to learn about the people beyond the surface level. It is an avenue to network with the indigenes of a community, partaking in cultural festivals, gastronomy, and possibly community outreaches for underprivileged communities. Through CBT, loopholes of basic human needs are discovered, and as such, intervention programs may be initiated to help the needy community.
Reasons Community-Based Tourism should be encouraged:
- Economic benefits to the community. A tourist is most likely to buy a thing or two from the locals. This, in turn, boosts economic activities for that period where currency is in circulation within the community.
- Cultural exchange programs. Our local communities are rich in cultures. Some of these communities do not have a chance to share their heritage with the larger world because a large percent of them are not tech-savvy. A tourist’s experience with the local culture can act as an easy means of putting out the culture of a particular remote community on the global map. As a well-traveled photojournalist/tourist, I can tell you for free that there are a lot of cultures the world is yet to know about. Just one social media post about a culture creates widespread awareness and more curiosity, an added advantage to minority clans.
- Community Outreach. Local communities will benefit from donors, philanthropists, and international organizations through intervention programs. For example, a short clip of a child walking miles to fetch water from the stream every morning before going to school will lead to a call-to-action to solve the water crisis in the community. An organization I volunteer for in Angwa Rimi community in Jos late last year. Theyre bringing development to the community.
- Showcasing hidden treasures. Most communities house tourist sites that can’t be found in urban areas. One such example includes early settlement areas, the first house the Whites lived in when they landed in the community. For example, inside the Copper Memorial Schools, Langtang North, Plateau State, is located the first school with an iron roof. The materials were said to have been brought all the way from Ibi, Taraba State. To date, the iron roof remains unrusted despite being built in 1907. These preserved heritages not only ensure historical, traditional, and cultural posterity but also, by word of mouth, ensure crude travelers’ experience of a place and people.
To achieve smooth Community Tourism, we have to put in place structures that will enhance good travelers’ experiences. The community has to be fully involved in serving enriching experiences like they would serve their best meal to a king.
Sensitization of community members to be receptive of visitors and not see their presence as an avenue for exploitation, charging visitors way above the regular price. The government must protect and preserve those community treasures (e.g., resettlement areas) and provide accessible roads to these attraction sites. No tourist would want to go through the hassle of bad roads just to visit a site that has been left in shambles like the Lord Luggard house in Ikot Abasi, Akwa Ibom, and the Bernard Fag’s residence in Nok, Kaduna State. Community security agencies like hunters and night watchers must synergize with the locals in ensuring a safe place for tourists.
We must also encourage the local communities to participate in promoting the local culture by actively sharing stories of their community using global village (social media platforms) and shunning activities that will put the community in a bad light, such as insecurity. Leaders at the grassroots level must also encourage the celebration and promotion of cultural festivals for cultural preservation, canceling every projection of it being diabolic. We must also empower community tour guides with professional training on how to go about the job. This is to ensure professionalism in the field and to avoid a misrepresentation of the community to visitors.
Community Tourism is a sure way for grassroots development.
By Favour Udoh – W.A.K.A.L.O.G.U.E
